Education for 400 children in Guatemala

As we come close to US Mother's Day on May 12, we are focusing on supporting our Moms in Guatemala!

Ex-volunteer Lisa Bailey brought four friends with her to Guatemala this week, her third visit, to run our very first Breast Health Workshop in Santa Maria.

Lisa, a specialist in breast cancer surgery and prevention at the Carol Ann Read Breast Health Center in California, gave the first ever workshop on Breast Health to more than 80 Mothers in Santa Maria. The community was really interested and the talk was given in Spanish and Kaqchikel to ensure everyone understood the information that was being provided. The workshop covered the importance of breast health and how to check and monitor breast health and included the opportunity for a health check from one of the team.

We also launched Plan Iron Woman this week with the same team, distributing seeds of iron-rich vegetables. The plan is specifically aimed at expectant mothers and young mothers to improve nutrition in a child’s first 1000 days of life, the time deemed most important for a child's development.

We are part of GlobalGiving's Mother's Day campaign this year, celebrating Moms in the US and Guatemala through one gift. If you would like to support Mom's in Guatemala, whilst gifting your Mom a handmade scarf and set of worry dolls then please take a look at our gift:

http://www.globalgiving.org/dy/v2/gifts-for-good/detail.html?projectGift.id=124

Thank you

Links:

• US Mother's Day Gifts
• Latest News
• Our website

Thanks to the continued support in the past, present and future, of you our donors, our 10 locally paid teachers worked hard to produce amazing results in our school in Itzapa, of over 200 indigenous children. What is even more special about these results is that many of our teachers came through the ranks of our school since the start back in 2002 and we helped them through teaching college to get where they are today, teaching their fellow community, thanks to donations.

Over all the subjects, including Spanish, Kaqchikel, English, maths, sciences, dance and theatre and PE the averages were very good; kinder: 77%, 1st grade: 84%, 2nd grade: 79%, 3rd grade (photo of José Angel – his class has 38 students): 80%, 4th grade: 71%, 5th grade: 77% and 6th grade: 79%. One must bear in mind that 4th grade is a huge step up from third grade, so an average of 71% is very respectable.

The fact that the school exists at all is a huge pat on the back for you, our donors, and we thankyou now and in the future for your continued support - cheers

Links:

• Latest news from Guatemala