Mayan Families Year end giving

As the clock winds down on 2013, you have just a few days left to make a tax-deductible gift to support Mayan Families and the crucial work we do here in rural Guatemala.
Mayan Families End of Year Giving!
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs175/1103559743325/archive/1116043888397.html

The plight of Special Needs Children in Guatemala

We have been very fortunate to have had a lovely couple here who were volunteering . Ben is an Occupational Therapist and his wife , Mary is a midwife. 

They also had a friend join them after a two weeks who was also an occupational therapist.

Ben specializes in helping special needs children so we gave him a list of the children who are special needs and arranged for him to visit them.

The findings of his visits were very sad and quite shocking.

One young 4 year old girl was sent home from the hospital to basically die.

She is having trouble swallowing and the mother is trying to get liquid down her throat.

She was terribly dehydrated and malnourished.  

We asked the mother to bring her in on Friday so that the doctor could put a tube in her throat and get liquids down her.

Another boy, he is now about 11 years old, and some of you may remember him. He has this unusual medical problem that his legs are growing and very , very thick and painful to walk on...it looks like he has huge muscles....We have had several doctors look at him ( Guatemalan and U.S ) and all have suggested that the only thing to do is to amputate his legs.    Obviously, his parents do not want to do this. 

This young boy has a miserable life...as does his mother.  He sits all day on a bed that has no mattress.....he has barely any movement because his arms are now being affected.  He is either losing the ability to move his arms or his muscles are weak from not being used.   His father is an alcoholic and does little to support the family. The mother has to go to work , working in the fields or washing clothes, whatever she can get to be able to feed the family.  This means that the boy is left alone , sitting in a small, dark room with no one to talk to , nothing to eat, unable to get out of his bed to go to the bathroom. 

The room that they live in is very tiny...and it is located in San Antonio Palopo.    Their home is  reached by walking up very steep path. The mother used to carry him on her back when he was younger so she could bring him out but now it is impossible for her to do that.

Jose , the boy , used to be able to go to school but no longer. We have arranged for the teacher to go to the house 3 times a week and help him to learn to read.

When Ben , the O.C. went we sent books, puzzles and lego blocks with him. Jose LOVED this.

Every child that Ben visited we sent several packs of emergency food and toys for them to have something to play with and to have some stimulation.

We knew the situation would not be good for these children, but really we had no idea how bad it was.

We are going to put a page onto our new website ( yes...we have a new website eventually coming out !)  and it will be devoted to special needs children ....if you know of anywhere we can apply to get help for these children, please let us know or even contact them yourselves and ask about help.

If anyone would like to help Jose...his needs are great but very basic.

He needs  a mattress.

A bath chair so that he can be bathed and also use it as a toilet . His "bathroom" is a shack, it is hard to reach, the door is narrow and his mother has to carry him on her back to get to the toilet...it is just a latrine in a makeshift structure.

The family needs food.

Jose needs to be able to get re-evaluated again by a doctor in the city.

He is also having a lot of pain in his legs now, he was crying the day that Ben visited him.  He needs to have medication.

A radio or a portable dvd player so he could watch movies would be an incredible gift for him. .

When I feel like I am having a bad day...I am going to remember Jose's mother!

Sharon

Sharon Smart-Poage
MAYAN FAMILIES

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

www.mayanfamilies.org

Lillian in Guatemala

Hi, many of you may remember , Lillian.  She is an orphan.  She was just 14 years old when she had her first baby to an older man who convinced her to leave her aunt and go and live with him.

She also took on the job of raising the man's 4 year old son.

Lillian is still living with the older man , he is about 44 years old approx. now.  She is nearly 20 years old now...she is pregnant with her 3rd child.   The man does not make enough to feed her  and the children . They are all malnourished. He apparenlty has a woman in another town that he goes to live with part time.  Lillian feels that she has nowhere to go to be able to leave this man.   She lives in a very remote area and really has very , very  little. 

She is 6 months pregnant and was examined by a visiting midwife that we had here. 

Until now she has not been able to receive medical care. 

The midwife is concerned that she has a vaginal infection and needs medication but she also needs to have an ultrasound.   The cost of the medicine and the ultra sound is $70 US.   

Lillian does not have a sponsor and we cannot afford to buy her the medicine unless we have someone who will donate it for her.

If you would like to help Lillian, please send a donation to FA76.  

Lillian's baby which is a year and  a half old is also in desperate need of having a sponsor for milk. 

She is no longer breastfeeding the baby because she is pregnant ( as is the custom here) but the family does not have enough food and the baby is malnourished.

Sharon

Sharon Smart-Poage
MAYAN FAMILIES

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

www.mayanfamilies.org

Our little clinic. ...In Honor of Ron Fletcher

Our little medical clinic sees a lot of people.  

They are people who do not have the money to buy the medicines that they need.

We rely on donations to help make this clinic able to help so many .

One of the ways to help the clinic is to donate the money for the medicine for just one day 

in Honor of a loved one.

Thursday and Friday's medicine was donated In Loving Memory of Ron Fletcher by Sue and Joy Cudd.

Thank you for choosing to honor Ron and his life through Mayan Families....the people who received the medicine will never know Ron but 

they will know the blessing of this wonderful gift in his memory.

Sharon Smart-Poage
MAYAN FAMILIES

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

www.mayanfamilies.org

 

 

Maria Antonieta

Maria Antonieta is our #1 student, our very first student....she is the first student that we registered when we started Mayan Families.

Her sponsor, Sue and her family, have stayed with Maria during her elementary school years, her jnr. high and high school years . 

Maria Antonieta was hoping to go to University. She wants to be a social worker.

But she fell in love, got married and has a beautiful baby girl...so her dreams are on hold right now of becoming a social worker but only for a short time.  Next year , Maria Antonieta is planning to start University , going on the week ends so that she can look after her family. 

She and her sponsor, Sue have a very close relationship...and Sue surprised Maria Antonieta with all the she needed for a birthday celebration...a very special birthday celebration, not only was it Maria Antonieta's birthday ,....but also the celebration of the daughter's first birthday.   There was cake, tamales and they both received beautiful new traditional clothing!

Thank you Sue for all you have done....Maria Antonieta has come a  long way!!

Sharon Smart-Poage
MAYAN FAMILIES

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

www.mayanfamilies.org

 

Volunteer Jim Britt...back and spreading joy again!

Jim Britt has a love for Guatemala, its people and in helping them. 

He has made several trips to Guatemala and has established very warm relationships with the

students that he sponsors and their families.

Jim is a shining example of what one person can do.  He spreads the word as much as he can on 

social media to let people know what a difference they can make in a young person's life...for just a  small amount of money.

He tries to raise awareness when ever he can about the depth of the poverty in Guatemala and how educating a child will give that child

a chance for a better future.

We are very grateful to have Jim as a supporter of Mayan Families .....and we know that the people he visits when he comes to Guatemala feel very grateful to have Jim in their lives!

Sharon Smart-Poage
MAYAN FAMILIES

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

www.mayanfamilies.org

 

 

 

Mayan Families Medical Clinic

Mayan Families has a small medical clinic in our compound.  

It is small but very busy.

Dr. Louis de Pena attends approx. 40 people a day with a huge amount of different and often dire illnesses.

We do not have enough funds to be able to pay for the medicines we need.

We rely on donations to supply most of our medicines.

We are grateful for the donation of today's medicines for the clinic at Mayan Families.

The medicines for the clinic today are sponsored  IN HONOR of Sharin Lin Matras by her loving family.

This sign made by one of our sponsored students hangs in the medical clinic ....so that everyone coming in knows that the medicine they are receiving today is in honor of this lovely woman. 

We are all very grateful for this donation that has made it possible for so many people to receive care today.

If you would like to honor a loved one or would like to support the clinic for one day...it is just a donation of $60 US.

Please contact   Sharon@mayanfamilies.org 

Sharon Smart-Poage
MAYAN FAMILIES

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

www.mayanfamilies.org

 

 

Global Dental Expeditions!

Many of the children of Panajachel have received wonderful dental care during the last two weeks.

Thanks to a collaboration with Global Dental Expeditions, the local town Municipality and Mayan Families... over 1,000 children were able to receive fluoride, sealant, cleanings, fillings and extractions.  They also received educational instruction on how to look after their teeth and the importance of taking care of their teeth. 

Thank you to the wonderful volunteers of Global Dental Expeditions, the collaboration of the local council in providing a location, a generator, chairs, tables and two very efficient and helpful staff members who stayed with the group all week...Mayan Families was able to facilitate this clinic and make arrangements to have the children from the local schools receive this great gift of dental care. 

Thanks to the kind and caring hearts of these dentists, one young girl who had to have 8 permanent teeth removed is now receiving follow up care from a local dentist ...who will be able to replace the teeth she has lost with false teeth, thanks to the generosity of the dentists from Global Dental Expeditions!

Sharon Smart-Poage
MAYAN FAMILIES

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

www.mayanfamilies.org

 

A very productive visit from Global Legacy Programs!

We were fortunate to have a visit from the volunteers of Global Legacy Programs  !

This group brought with them the gift of two sewing machines.  Both the women who were graduating the following day from the 6 month sewing course were so thrilled to receive these sewing machines.  One woman, Estella sells traditional clothing in the market . She started this business with a micro loan that she received from Mayan Families.  She has learned how to make to aprons from the sewing class and is now making them to sell along with her traditional clothing.

The group also helped paint the Mayan Families Pre school area...they repainted the bathroom doors and they painted some of the walls that had been a "cement grey" a very cheery blue!   

Then at the end of the day, the group sponsored a little girl from the Mayan Families Panajachel Pre school! 

Thank you Global Legacy Programs for all your help!  We are very grateful for your support.

Sharon Smart-Poage
MAYAN FAMILIES

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

www.mayanfamilies.org

 

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.