Mayan Families April, May 2013 Newsletter

In This Issue Mother's Day and Father's Day Paraplegic Man Learns to Fly Indigenous Teachers Training on Vitamins Ready To Help? A Student In Need #1137 Juanita (12 years old) is just one co-sponsor away from being able to attend school. Juanita has been a sponsored child for the past three years but recently her parents came in to let us know they were pulling her out of school as it was just too expensive. Juanita needs to attend a special needs school as she has learning difficulties and had to repeat the first grade three times. The children pick on her in school, and she finds it very hard to concentrate and participate in class. Co-sponsorship for Juana costs only $15 per month or $180 per year. Please consider giving Juanita the gift of education. If you are interested please email us. Sponsor an Anciana A-54 Felipa Ramos lives alone after losing her husband of 40 years.  Her children have no financial means to help her, and she often eats only one meal a day at the Feeding Program. She can't work to help herself because of her medical issues, having suffered a brain hemorrhage last year. She does not have a water filter, stove, or a mattress on her bed. Please consider making a difference to her life by sponsoring her at $35 a month, or by donating for some of her needs. If you are interested, please email us. Other news in April/May     Special needs boy needs disability therapy Thanks to our fans, we are one of the first winners of a 2013 Top-Rated Award fromGreatNonprofits!  Greetings!   Welcome to the Mayan Families April/May 2013 Newsletter. We hope you enjoy reading about our recent activities, and ways you can get involved and help. Muchas Gracias for the 'Día de la Madre' Gifts Families Honor their Mothers with Your Gifts of Food   On May 10th, Mayan Families celebrated Mother's Day with the beloved mothers around Lake Atitlan. Thanks to generous donations from our sponsors, 345 food baskets were delivered to underprivileged families that otherwise would not have been able to honor the important women in their lives with a proper meal. The baskets contained enough food to feed a family of ten, and included essential ingredients for preparing everyday traditional local recipes. Thank you for helping make this a memorable holiday! If you wanted to donate but were unable to do so, Father's Day is just around the corner on June 17th. You still have the chance to provide a loving family meal and give the students a chance to celebrate the struggling dads' in rural Guatemala. Order a basket here and enter$40 in Community Aid and 'Father's Day Basket' in the Details section.  Physical Therapy Clinic Creates Miracle Paraplegic Man Learns to Fly!                                                    When Dave and Leiann Scee began volunteering at Mayan Families in February, the physical therapy clinic consisted of an empty room full of donated medical supplies. Within a few days they assembled a fully functioning clinic, and four months later they have treated over 250 patients.    Carlos, a paraplegic patient, came into the clinic in a wheelchair after being paralyzed from the waist down by an electrical accident. After several biweekly appointments, Carlos stood up for the first time in six years and, with the assistance of old leg braces and a homemade pair of forearm crutches, he began to walk around the clinic. With enough practice and work, Carlos will be able to realize his dream of living independently and playing sports again with his son one day. Dave and Leiann took Carlos paragliding over Lake Atitlan. Flying over his hometown while he is just learning to walk again was an incredible experience. During their time here, Dave and Leiann helped many other patients like Carlos overcome obstacles they never thought possible. Thank you! 'Vitamin Angels' Trains Indigenous Staff on Distribution Our Teachers Become Empowered With New Skills and Knowledge Last week Vitamin Angels, our partners who provide Vitamin A, prenatal and multivitamins to participants in our Milk Program and Preschool Nutrition Centers, trained our teachers and coordinators over two days on how to effectively distribute these essential Vitamins. Vitamin A deficiency is a severe global health problem, particularly in developing countries like Guatemala where diets are rarely varied and can lead to cognitive and physical problems. 21 participants successfully completed the training with competency performances and are now able to lead the next Vitamin A distribution in their communities. Many thanks to Eva and Ada from Vitamin Angels, and Sergio who translated the training!  Ready To Help? Spread The Word We are so grateful for everything you have done and contributed. We couldn't have done this without you. However, we still need more help with student sponsorship, family aid, our nutrition program and other projects that better the lives of those we work to protect. Here's how you can help. Share this newsletter on your Facebook or other social media tool. Forward this to your friends, they would love to hear from you. Mention our causes next time you are among influential people. Group together with relatives and friends to donate to one of our funds. Come visit us in Guatemala and create a project you, and above all those you help, will never forget. Volunteer and Internship Opportunities We could use your skills and expertise, whether you're in Guatemala or at your own home! Check out our listings here or email us.   Read more about individual projects on our dedicated blogs:   Sharon's Blog Family Aid Blog Eldery Care Blog Nutrition Blog Sewing Blog Mayan Families Connection We appreciate the opportunity to communicate with you. We are committed to protecting your privacy and will not sell, exchange, or rent your email address.

Cooking Classes at Mayan Families..!

One of the activities we offer groups at Mayan Families is to take cooking classes of traditional

 Guatemalan food.    This group yesterday, visiting with "Heart for Guatemala" were able to enjoy a delicious meal of Pepian, chuchitos, guacomole and chirimol that they had prepared.   Chirimol is a roasted tomato sauce.  Delicious!

 Included in the class is an apron to take home. This apron is made by the women in the Mayan Families sewing class.

 Hmmmmm!  This looks like  it tasted good!!!

 Our daughter, Zoe who really enjoys translating for the cooking classes!

Fresh, sweet bread ....and lots of smiles!!!

 These are the men ( and some women and children ) who work in the river digging out sand to sell for construction.  It is really hard, low paid work...and there is no guarantee at the end of the day you will sell your sand and get paid.  If it rains there is no work.  Their families are often the poorest in the town.

 They were delighted to receive the gift of fresh bread from Mayan Families.  This donation to buy the bread came from Linda Parkinson  and her organization "To the World".   Linda wanted to help support a young man who has opened his own bakery.  This young man is 24 years old and is bringing up his four brothers since his mother died of cancer several years ago.   The father abandoned the family many years ago and has never supported them.

 Linda wanted to help this young man with his bakery by giving him an order that would boost the family income.  She also wanted to do something to celebrate Father's Day for the many men who work hard to support their families.  So this was a great combination.!

 The Bakery got a big boost with an order of $400 worth of bread and Mayan Families was able to distribute bread not only to these men but to all the men and women in the Elderly Care program, many of the Orphans in our Orphan Care program and to all the children in our Pre school in Panajachel...each of them were able to take a bag of fresh, sweet bread home to share with the family.

Thank you so much Linda.!!  This act of kindness and generosity brought smiles to so many faces ,......and gave families something to eat...who probably did not have much food in the house.

Update on Ashley and her family, Guatemala

Thanks to the support that we have received for Ashley ....we were able to help the mother with the needs for the baby brother...

and her own food etc while she was in the hospital with her son, for nearly a week. 

The little boy had the operation on Wednesday and is doing fine.

They released him from the hospital on Friday morning .

We were able to give the family enough food to take home with them for a week and also pay their bus fares.

The mother and the son have to come back to the hospital on Wednesday and they have their bus fares to be able to do that.

There has been a change in the family situation ...it appears that one of the deceased husband's brothers is not in agreement that 

the family should be thrown out of the house.

He is saying ( rightly so) that the children have the right to their father's home.

The mother is very grateful for this because it is the only home that they own.

But whether they will be able to stay there and make enough money to support themselves is another thing.

We will wait to hear what the next step is when she comes back on Wednesday.

Ashley told me that she is scared to go back to the house because this is where the father hung himself .

Her little sister, 6 years old is also scared. 

It has been a hard week for them both. Losing their father and then the mother in hospital and now returning to an uncertain 

future. 

Thank you for your help that is giving them , at least the stability to know that they have food every day this week...and the bus fares to be able to bring

the little boy back to the hospital for medical care.

Sharon

Sharon Smart-Poage
MAYAN FAMILIES

a registered 501.(c).(3) Non Profit Charity

Pouring Rain in Guatemala!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9bi17W37Ws&feature=em-upload_owner

Little video taken yesterday afternoon at our offices in Panajachel. If you are coming, bring your rain boots!!!

Sharon

Sharon Smart-Poage
MAYAN FAMILIES

a registered 501.(c).(3) Non Profit Charity

www.mayanfamilies.org

 

Daniela and Brenda

A little over a month ago, Brenda was very concerned because her 9 year old daughter, Daniela was very pale and tired.  Food for Brenda is for FA-320. She took her to a doctor and there started a parent's nightmare. Daniela was diagnosed with Leukemia. Daniela's father, Daniel, 39 years old, collects fares on the buses. He earns $6 US per day. He sometimes has work all week, other times, just for two days. The family lives in a rented house in Solola. They pay $60 per month. The mother , Brenda worked in a local restaurant washing dishes and cleaning tables. She earned $3 US per day. She was only able to get work 3 times a week. Her Mother- in - law lives with them and she minded the children when Brenda was working. The mother-in-law is 76 years old...and has a hernia....it was difficult for her to look after 2 young active children. Brenda is not in good health, she has been diagnosed with cysts in her ovaries. She is 30 years old and has more on her plate than most people ever need. For one month , Brenda has been in the hospital at her daughter's side. She is sleeping on the cold floor of the hospital , on just a blanket that she brought with her. Daniela is receiving free treatment from the hospital. She is receiving chemotherapy. The hospital gives all food to Daniela for free. But the mother has to buy her food. This is very expensive for the mother. Some days she can only afford to eat once a day. Her husband tries to come and visit as much as possible but he has to pay bus fare to the city which costs approx. $10 per trip for him to go to visit. He also needs to be able to buy his food ...and he has to find a cheap room to be able to stay overnight ...the hospital does not allow more than one parent there at a time. Combined with trying to pay for the bus fares, the food, the renting of a cheap room to stay over, the father also has to find money to pay the rent, the electricity and food for his mother and two children, Marcotulio 5 years and Harold 3 years old. Brenda has to stay one month more in the hospital. Then Brenda has to stay in the city, close to the hospital so that she can receive treatment.. This is a huge worry for the mother as she does not know anyone in the city and she does not have the money to rent a room. While the mother is sitting here telling me her story ...her 3 year old begins crying......he is hungry...he had breakfast this morning, tortillas with salt and has not had anything more to eat. Fortunately, I had a bag of 6 Chipolin tamales that I gave them. None of the family had eaten since this morning. The children are often going hungry....Brenda is so sad as she tells this but she says there is nothing that she can do...there is no money. Brenda had a stroke 10 years ago, now her right hand side of her body where she had the stroke before is painful...she can hardly walk ...she is limping and says that sleeping on the cold floor at the hospital is causing her a lot of pain in her body. She is extremely stressed as you can imagine anyone would be in this situation but she has the problem that she doesn't even have the bus fare to get back to the city tomorrow. She is not worried about having food for herself but she is very worried for her two little ones as they are going hungry so many days. This is the first time that she has been able to come home in one month ....she is hoping that she may get one days work at the restaurant tomorrow to be able to pay her fare but her body is so painful it is doubtful that she will be able to stand to wash dishes. The family is asking for help to get them through this terrible time. The hospital is now asking that they bring in 12 donors to give blood as Daniela needs to receive blood transfusions. In Guatemala , people do not usually donate blood. It has to be purchased, you have to pay a donor to go to the hospital and give blood. It costs approximately $50 including paying their bus fare to the city and to pay the lunch for each person to go . This is an impossible amount for this family. If you an help them with any small amount to help the mother get back to the hospital .....and to help her to have some food for her family, it would be so very much appreciated. Sharon www.mayanfamilies.org

Drum roll please!

We currently have 126 baskets of food for fathers of families, we
have 12 families of orphaned children who will be getting Father's day
baskets...and some mothers who are pulling double duty as fathers and
mothers of the family.

We also have brand new T-shirts to give out to the fathers, thanks to a wonderful donation that we received. Yesterday 10 Mayan Families staff went into the office and packed up bags of food so that we would be ready to go. I didn't even know that they did this
until it was over!

This morning we are starting at 8.am. to get ready to give out the baskets. We are giving out the baskets this Sunday
as many of the fathers are not able to come during the week. They are
working and some may lose their jobs if they take a day off.

So that is why we will be giving them out this Sunday. It
is not too late ...if you still want to send a basket or give a basket
to a single mother family ....or to an orphaned family.  Thank you so
much for the bags of food for the Elderly men...they will really
appreciate this.

SharonSharon Smart-Poage
MAYAN FAMILIES
www.mayanfamilies.org