Mayan Families

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Mayan Families has been recognized by the following organization(s): ABOUT US PROGRAMS Student Sponsorship Sponsor a Student Preschool Nutritional Centers School Development Tutoring Program Family Aid Sponsor a Family Egg Laying Hens Fuel Efficient Stoves Water Filters Milk Distribution Diabetes Club Elderly Care The Sewing Project Microloans Kids and Teens Sports Club Holiday Food Baskets Hope for the Animals Sponsor a Dog or Puppy Memorial to our lost pets OUR BLOGS DONATE NOW NEWS AND EVENTS SPREAD THE WORD GET INVOLVED FAQ - LINKS - FACTS CONTACT US MAYAN FAMILIES VIDEOS AND STORIES Urgent News Hi Everyone, A very desperate situation was just posted on the Family Aid Blog today. Maria and Jose have 8 children. They've had a hard life, unable to find consistent jobs and having to move to the coast in order to try to find work. They live in a very poor, crumbling home several hours from Panajachel. They try to take care of their large family, but it is increasingly difficult to find ways to provide for them and feed them all. One of their children is so malnourished that she was unable to walk and had to be carried everywhere. On top of these financial difficulties, Maria and Jose have recently been hit very hard by physical illnesses. Maria has been feeling ill for months. She hardly leaves bed. She has gallstones and this causes her great pain. She is chronically malnourished and she also has an intestinal infection. But worst, and scariest, of all she has recently been diagnosed with a serious degenerative disease. She needs treatment and it will be very expensive. Jose has a tumor on the side of his neck. It has been getting larger and larger, and doctors tell him it needs to be removed immediately. However, due to the size and location of the tumor it is exremely risky to remove it. The surgery only has a 50% survive rate. If Jose does survive the surgery, there is a further risk that he may lose his voice and/or neck movements. Jose has to sign legal documentation saying that his family won't press charges against the surgeon in case of any problem. It's a scary place to be, but Jose has bravely told us he knows he needs to have the surgery in order to take care of his family. Jose and Maria are both in need of extensive operations and treatment. They could barely take care of their 8 children before, and now adding these health issues makes their troubles seem insurmountable. Jose and Maria are both facing life-threatening illnesses and they are, understandably, afraid. They have no one else to turn to and have come to us desperate for help. We are asking for an initial $300 to pay for their beginning consults, tests, treatments, and to prepare them for surgery. They will need ongoing help as they have and recover from their surgeries. We will also use part of this money to buy food for this malnourished family. For more information on how to help this family, please visit: http://familyaidprogram.blogspot.com/ Thank you! Hi Everyone, Ronnie a past volunteer from the Elderly Care Program is visiting Mayan Families and has written an update and also updated us on the story of Ramon Lopez Cumes (A-9) on the Elderly Care Blog. For an update on the Elderly Care Program and Ramon Lopez Cumes (A-9), please check the following blog post on the Elderly Care Program from Ronnie. http://mayanfamilieselderlycare.blogspot.com/2012/01/ramon-lopez-cumes.html Thanks! Hi Everyone, Angel Josue, one of our sponsored students, is 13 years old and was born with a problem in his spinal cord. He is slowly losing movement in his legs. His mother refuses to put him in a wheelchair because she strongly believes that with the right treatment he will be able to gain movement back. The family does not have many financial resources, however they managed to take him to a private specialist who said that the boy might be able to walk and won't need a wheelchair, but he needs to use an orthopedic brace and have 2 months of physiotherapy five times a week starting immediately. The orthopedic brace costs $80 and the therapy sessions cost $125 per week, which would be a total of $1000 for the 8 weeks physiotherapy that he needs. If you can help Angel with any of those costs, please visit: http://familyaidprogram.blogspot.com/2012/01/angel-can-lose-movements-in-his-legs.html for more details. Thank you!	Holiday Food Baskets Sponsor A Student EDUCATION Student Sponsorship Our sponsors provide school fees, books, uniforms, shoes and other supplies which give over 1800 students the chance to go to school and pursue their educational goals. Preschool Nutritional Center Mayan Families' six Preschool Nutritional Centers, located in six different communities in the Lake Atitlan region, provide healthy daily meals and snacks, as well as education, to 3-5 year olds who are malnourished or at risk of becoming so. School Development The School Development Program assists local communities, government agencies, and/or other nonprofit organizations in building, improving, supplying, and supporting schools in impoverished communities. Tutoring Our sponsored students often have many obstacles to overcome on the path to academic success. To give them the best possible chance to be successful in the classroom, we try to provide tutors for struggling students. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT The Sewing Project The Sewing Project helps women to generate an income by training them in the use of sewing machines. Classes run for six months, and include instruction in financial literacy and life skills in order to help women make the most of their new abilities. Family Aid The Family Aid program provides a variety of types of assistance to families in need. Emergency Medical Care Ongoing Medical Care Housing Home Construction and Repair Rent Assistance Food Water Filters Fuel Efficient Stoves Egg-Laying Hens Elderly Care Our two elderly care programs, one in Panajachel and one is San Jorge, provide a daily nutritious lunch to over 65 elderly men and women who are unable to provide for themselves. The program also seeks to improve the quality of life of the participants by soliciting donations for beds, mattresses, water filters, etc., and providing medications and/or medical care. Microloans We provide small loans to help women start their own small businesses. Loans range from Q500 ($67) to Q1000 ($134). We have given 430 loans as of May 2011, and our loan repayment rate is currently 100%. Computer Classes We provide biweekly classes for youths in the small town of San Jorge, which teach typing skills and computer literacy. Medical Clinics We collaborate with medical professionals and other nonprofit organizations to host or facilitate temporary medical clinics, and ensure that potential patients are notified. Visiting clinics provide specialized care--including burn treatment, cleft palate surgery, and surgery--as well as general medical and dental care. Community Centers Community gathering spaces are important to development and empowerment projects, including women's groups and job skill training. Mayan Families helps to plan and construct these centers in interested communities. These spaces can also be used for community meetings, as schools, and as locations for medical clinics. Holiday FOOD BASKETS Holiday Food Baskets Many holiday traditions in Guatemala revolve around food, which impoverished families often cannot afford. With the gift of a holiday food basket, a Guatemalan family can participate in local traditions from which they might otherwise be excluded. Each basket contains any foods traditionally associated with the holiday, and can feed up to 10 people. We provide baskets during: Christmas (Tamale Baskets) Semana Santa (Easter) Mother's Day Father's Day
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