We have several visitors here and we arranged for them to go to visit the San Antonio Palopo pre-school, deliver vitamins and take donuts that we have been receiving daily from Yummy donuts or donas as it is called here.
They have been giving us their day old donuts that have not sold and we have been getting a huge box full every day.
We have been sharing these donuts with every family that comes through the door, we have sent them to the pre-schools, the elderly care program and to the Bomberos.
Everyone loves them. Personally, these daily boxes of donuts have cured me of my love for donuts and I think that if I never see a donut again ...it will be just fine!
But we are so grateful to have them. Last night I had a few bags with me as I drove home and I stopped and gave them to people I knew who had very little to eat. Donuts may not be a health food but I am sure the people who got them were so glad to have a little treat.
The visitors were accompanied to San Antonio with Sandra, our social worker. She was presenting the new teacher, Ana to the parents and answering any questions they may have had.
We had long meetings yesterday with our accountant from the city. We have finally, finally been granted our Guatemalan registered charity status! As anyone who has adopted a child from Guatemala knows the red tape is endless and frustrating....it was the same with this...it also had to go to PGN. But nearly a year later we are now a legal foundation here ....we have been a legal U.S. charity for several years now but we wanted to also be a legal foundation in Guatemala.
We can now try and solicit donations from companies working here in Guatemala and the very big benefit is that our employees now have Govt. health insurance...called IGSS. Mayan Families has to pay 12.7% and the employee pays 4% but they will be covered for health care. While it may not be the most outstanding health care....it is at least something. it covers all the normal illnesses and ...it does cover HIV meds, and diaylsis etc.
So we had the accountant here explaining all the details to the staff .
They have been giving us their day old donuts that have not sold and we have been getting a huge box full every day.
We have been sharing these donuts with every family that comes through the door, we have sent them to the pre-schools, the elderly care program and to the Bomberos.
Everyone loves them. Personally, these daily boxes of donuts have cured me of my love for donuts and I think that if I never see a donut again ...it will be just fine!
But we are so grateful to have them. Last night I had a few bags with me as I drove home and I stopped and gave them to people I knew who had very little to eat. Donuts may not be a health food but I am sure the people who got them were so glad to have a little treat.
The visitors were accompanied to San Antonio with Sandra, our social worker. She was presenting the new teacher, Ana to the parents and answering any questions they may have had.
We had long meetings yesterday with our accountant from the city. We have finally, finally been granted our Guatemalan registered charity status! As anyone who has adopted a child from Guatemala knows the red tape is endless and frustrating....it was the same with this...it also had to go to PGN. But nearly a year later we are now a legal foundation here ....we have been a legal U.S. charity for several years now but we wanted to also be a legal foundation in Guatemala.
We can now try and solicit donations from companies working here in Guatemala and the very big benefit is that our employees now have Govt. health insurance...called IGSS. Mayan Families has to pay 12.7% and the employee pays 4% but they will be covered for health care. While it may not be the most outstanding health care....it is at least something. it covers all the normal illnesses and ...it does cover HIV meds, and diaylsis etc.
So we had the accountant here explaining all the details to the staff .
Now in Guatemala we are officially known as Fundacion Familia Maya.
We heard about young Edgar who was having convulsions and arranged to bring him to Pana. The mother did not want to come till we told her we would give her food.
Hopefully, we will be able to get some help for him.
Susie took visitors and volunteers to the Elderly Care program in San Jorge.
Susie and I have been working on the calendar for the medical groups and visitors we have coming and we are looking forward to having them here.
10yr old Jairon was in tears in the afternoon because he got a message that his father says that he now has to go back to the house. He has let the mother and the other children come back to live there. Jairon does not want to go because he says that his father beats him a lot. We have told Jairon that we will talk to his mother when she comes Monday and see what can be arranged for him.
We had the roof fixed at the San Antonio pre-school as part of it had blown off.
Construction continues on the house in Tierra Linda and the retaining wall for the community center in Tierra Linda. We are so lucky that the rains have held off a lot this year , so far, and that we have been able to get these foundations in.
Wishing you all a very happy week end.
Sharon
Sharon Smart-Poage
MAYAN FAMILIES
Panajachel, Guatemala
MAYAN FAMILIES
Panajachel, Guatemala
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment