Hijas™ takes its name from the Spanish word for “daughters,” the demographic they seek to empower through a series of programs designed to provide both immediate and long-term relief. The residents of the Marta and Maria Orphanage in Jalapa, Guatemala come from various family situations, from girls who have lost both of their parents, to girls whose families can no longer financially support them, to girls who have been removed from abusive and potentially dangerous homes.
These girls, who can no longer depend on their families, must learn to depend on themselves. Their goal is to provide an education that allows them to develop the skills necessary to gain confidence, sustain an income and — most importantly — achieve independence. The approach that Hijas™ takes is twofold: first, to teach the girls the hands-on skills of sewing and jewelry making; second, to work with them to create and implement successful business models for selling their own products. By educating these young women at Marta and Maria, they intend to both give them the possibility of providing for their immediate needs of food and clean water, and help break the cycle of poverty and neglect into which they were born, providing for their futures.
The obstacles facing the girls at Marta and Maria are numerous. They confront both daily challenges such as obtaining nutritious food, clean water, and finding safe, reliable transportation to school, as well as the larger reality of widespread poverty. At Marta and Maria, the majority of the food — primarily rice and beans — is provided through donations. A few fresh vegetables are provided by a garden tended by the girls, and they get milk when the orphanage can afford it. Tortillas are made onsite for every meal in a small shack behind the dormitory. The balanced diet, so important to young girls, is made nearly impossible by the financial constraints under which Marta and Maria operates.
They traveled to Jalapa in July to focus on training a specific group of young women to become teachers for the sewing and jewelry projects. They will also be working with them to create and implement successful business models for selling their own products. To continue their goal of providing for the immediate needs of the orphanage, including healthy and safe food preparation and a safe place to play, members of the HEAR Foundation as well as other volunteers will be accompanying their team in November of 2009 to build a new playground and tortilla shed/kitchen for the orphanage.
To learn more about Hijas, please visit their website.
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