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From Houses to Homes has issued its latest newsletter. Below, we have printed a letter from the director, Joe Collins, with an update about the aftermath of TS Agatha. In addition to the letter, you can click here to read about the other great projects that FHTH undertakes.
 Letter From Our Founder/Director
Hello Everyone,
I am sure that you have seen in the news that Guatemala has experienced not one but two natural disasters in the past month. First the Volcano Pacaya erupted and then came Tropical Storm Agatha. We are deeply saddened by the loss of life and the suffering the poor of Guatemala are enduring.
Tropical Storm Agatha hit Guatemala on Saturday, May 26, 2010 and destroyed many lives. To date there are 174 dead, 113 missing, 397,808 people affected in some way, 39,160 homes damaged, 162,857 people evacuated and there are still 27,823 people living in shelters. Guatemalan President Colon said that Tropical Storm Agatha has caused more damage than Hurricane Mitch in 1998 where more than 268 people died and Tropical Storm Stan in 2005, which killed 669 people.
My friend, Roberto Perez, who lives in San Antonio Palopo at Lake Atitlan, lost 10 members of his family. A mudslide destroyed 25 homes in this community. Needless to say, they need your prayers and your donations. Can we count on you? Please, any amount will be appreciated.
Thank you,
Joe Collins
Executive Director
The following excerpt is from the July newsletter from Common Hope. In it, they detail the lingering emotional and psychological impacts of Tropical Storm Agatha. To read the newsletter in its entirety, please click here.
 The main streets in the village of San Miguel Escobar are cleared, community members have started work again, and school is back in session. Anyone passing through town would be surprised to learn that just six weeks ago the streets were covered in several feet of mud, rocks, and other debris and all activity in the community was focused on trying to dig out and provide food, water, and medical care to those whose homes had been destroyed.
But inside the homes and within the local public school, many San Miguel residents are still suffering from the aftermath of the storm…read more.
The following excerpt is from the June, 2010 newsletter of Avivara. To read the article, and newsletter, in its entirety please click here. To view a video of the aftermath of TS Agatha, and Avivara’s response, please click here.
Embracing Guatemala…(by Tara Byrne)
Two months ago I said goodbye to family and friends and boarded a plane for Guatemala to begin my three month internship with the nonprofit organization, Avivara. While envisioning how my journey would unfold, I greatly underestimated the depth and breadth of the experiences I would have and the bonds I would develop with this new community.
Currently, I am teaching English in the Mayan village of El Yalu where even Spanish is a second language. I have been befriended by an amazing group of teachers, one of whom gives me a ride to school on the back of his motorcycle so that the students at his school can learn English. I am also seeing first-hand the state of education in Guatemala through other school visits with Avivara. It is disheartening to walk into make-shift schools and see bare walls, shoeless students, and empty seats where children could be. (They are most often out in the fields with their families.) Yet, at the same time it is incredible to meet teachers who endure traveling long distances, and teach with few resources because they believe so much in the power of education.
New Life Through Education has issued its latest newsletter, which is excerpted below. In addition to a general update, they told the story of a very special young man with Marfan Syndrome.
Byron Alexander has Marfan syndrome, a connective tissue disorder. Marfan causes him to be tall and thin, have cardiac, skeletal and vision problems. Byron has studied with us for seven years. He is now in sixth grade. He is an exceptional young man.
On examination it was found that the retina of his right eye was totally detached. He had surgery within days. The Ophthalmologist, one of the best in Guatemala, says the surgery went very well. The retina was reattached and the lens removed. The outcome won’t be known until the eye is healed and Byron is fitted with glasses.
The surgeon did not charge a fee. The anesthesiologist reduced her fee. His cardiologist did a free echocardiogram before he had surgery. With all these favors the total cost: surgery, medicine, doctor’s appointments and new glasses will be very close to $1,000.
This would be a very low cost in the USA but is a lot of money for the New Life budget. Please consider a donation to pay for Byron’s eye care. To donate online to New Life click here.
Namaste Direct has issued its latest newsletter, which is excerpted below. To find out more about Namaste, please visit their website. To read the newsletter in its entirety, click here.
It’s been a busy summer for NamasteDirect as we’ve recently launched our new microcredit program. Under our new initiative, Namaste is delivering not only financial literacy training and personal business mentorship, but microcredit loans as well. Prior to this we worked with microfinance institutions to get the loans out to clients. Impact assessments have shown that these client’s (who receive credit from one of our partnering MFIs and support services from Namaste) performance on their loans was 4-6% better than other clients within the same institution that were not supported by Namaste. We have decided to make the loans ourselves so that we may select the clients we are working with to ensure that we are enrolling women interested in improving their businesses. We are excited to test this new model and hope to one day introduce other micro finance institutions to our model of providing credit, financial literacy training and mentorship. Read on to learn more about this exciting endeavor!
Casa Sito has issued its April newsletter, excerpted below (emphasis added) . To read the newsletter (and past issues) in its entirety, please click here.
 The Development Marketplace is a conference held by the World Bank every year in different regions with a variety of themes. This year’s regional conference was held in Latin America and the Caribbean and its theme was “Youth Developing Opportunities: Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Sustainability.”
The Bank invited NGOs to apply for grants to support innovative projects that are relevant to the conference’s theme. In 2010, over 500 NGOs applied for grants that were awarded at this year’s Marketplace. Only 44 finalists were invited to participate in the conference in Bogota. CasaSito was incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to be chosen as a finalist and attend the four-day Development Marketplace.
During the conference, Amanda and Sisi attended workshops on monitoring and evaluation, creating a sustainable NGO, and teaching entrepreneurship to youth. They also interacted with numerous World Bank officials and other leaders in development throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
The conference was an amazing learning experience, but CasaSito is also thrilled to announce that we were chosen as one of the 12 winners of the grant competition! We were chosen to begin a microfinance class and competition for our scholarship students who will then be able to open their own small businesses before or after school.
Safe Passage has released their April newsletter, which focuses on the group’s health program. In addition to the short excerpts published below, you can click here to read the newsletter in its entirety.
 In light of the recent earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, methane gas fires, and other natural disasters befalling our global community, Safe Passage focuses in April on the environment and its connection to health and wellness among our children and their families.
The importance of the clinic, in their own words:
“When we have clinics open to the public, the community members can come and receive treatment for certain ailments. We offer medicine and health safety; they can determine and discover sicknesses that are infectious or contagious, which without treatment could provoke an epidemic among the students here.
“We distribute complete doses of treatments, monitor cases that we have attended and keep an eye on the children so that they are healthy and can get ahead in their studies; we do the same for the families so that they can be productive in their jobs. Supporting everything related to health also supports the educational plans of the patients who come for consultations. My job is very comforting because I can support the community.” -Lucy, Safe Passage’s Clinic Nurse.
NamasteDirect has issued its latest newsletter. In addition to other articles, the letter focused on a recent New York Times article that called into question some aspects of microfinance. The following excerpt (emphasis added) is from their April 2010 newsletter. A more in-depth analysis can be found on their website, which you can access by clicking here.
Our phones have been ringing off the hook these past few days as a result of the recent New York Times article about microfinance that wasn’t very positive. We thought we’d take the opportunity to talk about the issues raised and how NamasteDirect is distinguishing itself from the ‘pack.’
The four principal themes of the article are:
1. Microfinance banks (MFI’s) are making big profits from high and sometimes-unconscionable interest rates.
Most MFI’s charge what the market will bear, or what they think they need to cover all their operating costs. The common perception is that poor clients aren’t interest rate sensitive. In some cases rates are as high as 100+%. They do this because a main goal is to be profitable. The industry wide average rate is about 37%.
Because NamasteDirect’s mission is to assist borrowers in building businesses that have the potential to be bankable in the commercial sector, we use average commercial bank rates to set our rates. This right now is between 18-24% amortized on a declining balance.
2. The beneficial effects of microloans are debatable.
There is no question that small loans to the poor provide benefits of smoothing out cash flow and of minimizing the cyclicality of income, a huge benefit for families living one crisis away from not being able too eat. However there is little to no empirical data to show that people are moving up and out of poverty as a specific result of their loan. It is not a panacea for poverty as many have claimed.
Our primary focus is specifically on increasing the cash flow (income) of women’s businesses that receive loans. We measure monthly cash flow, we support the client with a business advisor for each loan cycle and we provide financial literacy training, all to increase their chances of success.
3. Transparency is lacking, sometimes intentionally so.
Most MFI’s (both for profit banks, and non-profit groups) are disingenuous about interest rates charged on their loans. For example, what is represented as a flat rate of 3% per month (or 36% per year) is actually over 60% according to standard accounting principles. That’s because interest is typically charged on the original principal balance throughout the life of the loan even though the balance is declining!
At Namaste both the clients and the public are advised up front that the loan APR is 22%. If anyone asks “how do you calculate the interest charge?”, we say “by using a flat rate of 1% a month on the original loan throughout the life of the loan.” We feel that it is important to be honest with borrowers, with donors and with potential investors.
4. Lenders are coming under scrutiny, sometimes with embarrassing results.
We think this is a good thing. Recently, the global economy barely survived a complete and total melt down because lenders were (and still are) under inadequate scrutiny by government regulators, by investors, by auditors, by financial institutions, by the press and by the general public.
The Namaste position is “let the sun shine in.” It can only result in betterment for borrowers, institutions, and society at large.
To learn more about NamasteDirect, or to subscribe to their newsletter, please visit their website.
Niños del Lago has issued its April, 2010 newsletter. In addition to the following excerpts, you can read the entire newsletter here.
Our First Cabin: A Special New Year’s Gift from Capgemini Employees: The year started off with a major donation from our corporate partner, Capgemini. In February, we received $13,000 which will be used to complete the construction of the first of our six duplex cabins currently in progress. To all the Capgemini employees who have donated throughout the past year, we are truly grateful and we dedicate this cabin to you. There’ll be news of a dedication ceremony following completion of the cabin, so stay tuned.
Chicago Public Radio Features Niños del Lago: On January 28th, Associate Director Kristen Hettrick, was interviewed on WBEZ, Chicago Public Radio’s, Worldview Program. She shared her personal experiences working with Niños del Lago and in Guatemala…
Site Development Update – Children’s Cabins: In late 2009, river-rock foundations, low walls and roof structures for six children’s duplex cabins were completed (for 72 children and 12 counselors). April 1st, architect Aura Aguilar returned to begin completion of the cabins with the installation of natural adobe walls, bamboo ceilings, and colored-cement floors. While cabins are being completed, the site planning, design, and engineering for the three El Nido main buildings will be completed…
Buy an Adobe Brick. Build a Cabin. Create a Future for Forgotten Youth: Whether you’re a part of a corporation doing business in Guatemala looking for a special project with an NGO for your employees and Social Responsibility Program — or a private Major Donor or Benefactor looking to leave a meaningful legacy for your family for generations to come, you can truly help change the future of bright and gifted Guatemalan children by financing the construction one of our Children’s Cabins…
Solar Energy from SunPower Corporation and Capgemini: Employees Step up to the Challenge: Capgemini Guatemala and Poland are involved in many innovative activities and initiatives to raise money for Niños del Lago. Our goal is to raise enough money to put a full SunPower Corporation solar electric installation at the NDL site to assist in the electric generation needs of the camp facility…
Capgemini and SunPower Corporation have joined forces to design, deliver, install, and configure the system to be fully operational in the coming months. Headquartered in San Jose, California, SunPower is a global corporation that designs, manufactures and delivers a wide range of solar technology for residential, business, government and utility customers. Capgemini employees are determined to step up fund-raising activities beyond current levels. The new campaign kicked off with an employee-run car wash on April 10th, followed by a bake sale. Other initiatives include raffles with prizes such as an Apple iPad, luxury hotel stays, and other valuable gifts donated for the fundraiser.
With just over 700 employees in Guatemala and Poland, raising the amount of money necessary for the project will not be easy, but Capgemini and SunPower are determined to meet the challenge and deliver on their promise. With an average of almost 5 hours of sunshine a day, even a ‘niño’ will understand how solar panels have the ability to significantly and permanently lower electricity bills for the Niños del Lago camp…
Click here to read more excellent articles in the newsletter.
Synergo Arts has issued its March 2010 newsletter. In addition to the announcement below, you can read the entire newsletter by clicking here.
R&D Call for Participants: Synergo Arts is learning about community needs and priorities thru in-depth interviews with artists and artisans during 2010-11. Participants learn about ergonomics while helping us fulfill our mission across the spectrum of art/craft media and cultures.
If you or someone you know would like to take part, please get in touch by emailing info @ synergoarts . org (remove spaces).
You can learn more about Synergo Arts by clicking here.
Our friends at Safe Passage have released the March newsletter, which focuses on the group’s English program. Click here to read it in its entirety.
 Safe Passage’s English Program has come a very long way. The first English classes were conducted just once per week, but now students study the language in the classrooms every day. Kids as young as 3 are learning colors and numbers in English, and mothers and fathers in Adult Literacy are receiving regular English instruction too. Even several staff members spend their free time studying.
We are serious about teaching and promoting English at Safe Passage because we know that proficiency in the language can help the children and families leave the garbage dump, in search of better-paying, safer jobs. At the same time, we strive to make learning fun by integrating lessons into sports, bringing in speakers, and regularly rewarding stand-out students and classes. And if the increasing numbers of voluntary participants tells us anything, it’s that the programming is indeed fun! …
Our friends at From Houses to Homes have issued their Winter 2010 newsletter. In addition to the excerpts below, you can request the complete newsletter by clicking here.
Letter From Our Founder/Director: Dear Friends, Our hearts and prayers go out to those who continue to suffer in Haiti following the devastating earthquake in January. We hope that they will not be forgotten once media attention on the issue begins to diminish. Most of the world’s poorest people suffer in silence including the impoverished of Guatemala. I hope you will not forget the needs of the poorest of the poor in Guatemala as we all continue to address the needs of the Haitian people…
Construction Begins on Our 300th Home: We have completed our 300th house. That is very exciting for us as an organization, however there are 1.2 million families living in cornstalk shacks in Guatemala. We are in need of your continued support if we are going to continue our goal to replace each and every one of them with a sustainable home that not only provides shelter from the weather, but also gives a family hope. After receiving the keys to her new home, one woman said, “I had no idea anyone was paying attention to us.”…
Meet María de los Angeles Hernández Pío: This is María de los Angeles Hernández Pío. She is a widow and lives in a cornstalk shack with her 3 daughters. Her husband was murdered about 3 months ago. She was left to take care and provide for her 3 daughters on her own. She is unable to work, as she has no skills of any kind. When we met her, she described her husband’s murder and quietly wept while telling the story. She is just like any Mother in any country of the world. Her children’s well being and care is primary. She does not know where she will get food for her children and faces this challenge one day at a time. She has dreams of improving her children’s lives and has them enrolled in school…
Volunteer Perspective: A little bit of faith can go a long way… by Cristina Folan. A little bit of faith can go a long way. We joined the From Houses to Homes (FHTH) family this past summer as we embarked on a mission to build a block house in Santa Maria de Jesus. The pictures we had seen and the stories we had heard about our friends’ FHTH experience deeply inspired us and planted a seed in our family’s heart to embark on such a journey. Yet, I held back as I considered financial concerns over traveling expenses and our ability to raise funds. I am extremely uncomfortable with the idea of asking people for money – even if for a great cause…
Meet Oscar Mejia, Project Director of De Casas a Hogares: Oscar Mejia is the Project Director in Guatemala. I asked him to write a biography of himself so everyone could get to know a little more about Oscar and what makes him the amazing human being he is. Former volunteers describe Oscar as devoted, genuine, balanced, caring, fun, compassionate, calm and a great leader. I personally find Oscar to be a selfless man who spends most of his days devoting himself to the success of FHTH and to bettering the lives of the poor of Guatemala…
Sponsor a Student: In Guatemala, there are many students who have a great desire to go to school, however they do not have the money to register or afford school supplies. At Cambiando Vidas School, students are not charged tuition. Part of the curriculum is devoted to educating parents, so they are encouraged to invest in their children’s studies…
From Kids to Kids: From Houses to Homes received a call from the Wildwood Elementary School in Mountain Lakes, NJ asking us to speak asking us to speak to a group of children who participate in The Giraffe Club Project. This Giraffe Project honors those who stick their necks out for the common good, in the U.S. and around the world…
Updates on Current Projects: J. Brian Moran II Clinic in Pastores - We have just purchased a piece of property to build the clinic. Our friend, Janeth de Reyes, the Director of the Cambiando Vidas School in Pastores, was kind enough to recruit her son, Emilio, to design the clinic, and his designs are beautiful!!! She also introduced us to her son, Edgar, who is a Doctor to guide us through this project with important information about the community and medical needs of the Guatemalan people. We are extremely grateful to Janeth for her support and guidance…
If you are interested in reading these, and other great articles, please click here.
Our friends at Avivará have issued their March 2010 newsletter. You can read excerpts below. To read other Avivará newsletters, or to sign up to receive them each month, please click here.
Do you know the way to San Jose (Pacul): One day last year Ann was walking in the street outside our home in San Pedro Las Huertas and ran into a young North American woman looking for another project located in our village. They struck up a conversation and found out that the other woman, Molly O’Connor, was a middle-school teacher at the Berkeley-Carroll School in Brooklyn, NY. This spring, we received word from Molly that her students would like to set up a “pen-pal” connection with students in Guatemala. This then led to an exchange of letters between the students at Berkeley-Carroll School and the sixth grade students at the school in San Jose Pacul. In the letters they have exchanged so far, they have shared basic information about their interests, life-styles and families…
Building Connections in El Yalu: Ironically, “El Yalu” in the Mayan dialect of Kaqchikel means “place of many waters,” yet it is a village that has a difficult time accessing water for its fields, homes and school. One of the problems faced by the school was that for children to go to the bathroom during the school day, they would often times need to walk the equivalent of several blocks to gather water in plastic buckets needed to flush the toilets. (There is no running water or indoor plumbing in El Yalu.) In addition to taking away from their time in the classroom, this also meant that the children were not likely to wash their hands, thus leading to increased illness among the students. To help alleviate this problem, Avivara, in partnership with St. Monica School in Mercer Island, Washington, agreed to jointly fund the installation of a gravity fed water system for the school…
Give a Little: Occasionally, the staff of Avivara would like to recommend a book that they have recently read and found interesting or meaningful. “Give a Little: How Your Small Donations Can Transform Our World” by Wendy Smith is just such a book. The following is one of the more interesting reviews of that book.
“When it comes to philanthropy, I am as cynical as you can get. I did not support the victims of the Tsunami or Katerina. Why? I was sure most of my contribution would be diluted by overhead and/or misuse of funds. Yet, I’m not a piker. Historically, I have given generously. I support my alma mater, any friend or relative who hits me up, and charities that support causes/research for subjects that have personally effected me. Do I really do my due diligence? No. Do I really believe my donations make a difference? Not sure. Why do I give then? Because no one can say I don’t. Like I said I’m a cynic. GIVE A LITTLE by Wendy Smith was a game-changer for me…
Our friends at Common Hope have issued their March newsletter. In addition to the excerpts below, you can click here to read the current and past newsletters.
Irma Garcia, an agent of change: Back in the 90’s, Irma García’s father served as a mason during the construction of Common Hope’s Antigua site. Little did he know that more than ten years later, his daughter would be a high school graduate, a winner of a competitive university scholarship, and a teacher at a local NGO…
Aspiring teacher needs a Sponsor: Eduar is part of the new 4-year-old preschool class at New Hope School. He lives with his mother, father, and three siblings in a town near New Hope Village. Eduar loves soccer, the color blue, and he wants to be a teacher when he grows up…
Full-size shampoos and lotions needed: Our March need of the month is full-size bottles of shampoo and lotion. Thank you for those who donated hats, mittens, and scarves last month — we received nearly 400 in February. If you are able to send more yet this spring, please do. Your supply collections help Common Hope to provide opportunities for students and families in Guatemala while saving thousands of dollars that can be directed toward other pressing program needs…
You can click here to read the rest of the newsletter.
Our friends at Project Somos have issued their February newsletter. In addition to the excerpts below, you can click here to read more news, or here to read their excellent blog.
Spring is in the Air!
2010 is off to a great start and we are excited about all that the future holds as we take all the next steps to move closer and closer to our vision to establish the Children’s Village for orphaned and abandoned children in Guatemala. In December, we launched an online gift-giving campaign. Supporters were invited to purchase parcels of land for themselves or their loved ones instead of buying “stuff” for holiday gifts. Thanks to those who participated, we successfully “sold” about 16,000 square feet of land! Yay!!!
For those in the Vancouver area, Spring Equinox is fast approaching and we have an exciting fundraising event we want to invite you to:
Potato Fusion: Ever wonder what it would be like to be an urban farmer? Well, it’s easy and we can show you how!! Potatoes are a fun and easy way to learn about growing vegetables. They are nutritious and homegrown spuds taste fantastic! We will be re-using burlap coffee sacs as our growing container and composted soil to give our spuds the best chance at growing strong. Join us at The World in a Garden site at West 57th and East Boulevard, Vancouver, this Sunday March 21 to kick off Spring with our workshop fundraiser for Project Somos Children’s Village, Guatemala. We’ll be teaching our Village Children the same gardening skills to last a lifetime! There will be two workshops. The first will be at 10 a.m. and the second at 1 p.m. The cost is $12.00 per kit and this includes the workshop. If you can’t attend one of the workshops, we will have kits available and video instructions online. To Register call Tricia 778.329.3509 or email tsedgwick@jfsa.ca
Ethical Bean Coffee: Thanks to all who helped Ethical Bean Coffee raise $32,000 for kids in need in Guatemala. Because of your purchases in December, 100 children will receive school scholarships with Child Aid and over $21,000 has been given to Project Somos to help establish the Children’s Village!
Land Video: We have uploaded a new and improved video of the land in Guatemala that we hope will be the future home of the Children’s Village. Have a peek.
Upcoming Events: Stay tuned to upcoming Project Somos events where you can come learn about our vision, our progress and all the latest news!
Interested in Volunteering? We can always use more helping hands. Let’s talk!
Our friends at Oxlajuj B’atz’ (Thirteen Threads) have issued their latest newsletter. In addition to the excerpts below, you can read more about this group on their website.
International Women’s Day A Huge Success! Oxlajuj B’atz’ (Thirteen Threads) held its first Annual International Women’s Day Celebration on March 6th in Panajachel. Thanks to all of our volunteers and the gracious donations we received from community businesses and individuals, the day was a huge success and we look forward to holding this event for years to come. All twenty-two of the Oxlajuj B’atz’ women’s groups participated, each setting up a table to display their beautiful crafts and products.They enjoyed the event so much that many have requested that it be held twice a year for two-days at a time!
Oxlajuj B’atz’ Video Almost Finished! In January, Oxlajuj B’atz’ was fortunate to have two volunteers, Liz Miller and Andre Mello, come for one week to film the various communities that we work in. A nearly finished copy of the 10 minute video was shown at the International Women’s Day Event and the final copy will be uploaded to YouTube soon! We are grateful to Liz and Andre for all of their hard work.
Rug-hooking Workshop With Maryanne Wise In January and February, a three-part series on rug-making, was held in Panajachel. Eighteen women participated in these workshops, which were focused, not only on the rug-hooking technique, but on creative design. This is the second time that Maryanne Wise has taught an Oxlajuj B’atz’ rug-hooking workshop and we are so happy to have her continued support.
To be added to the newsletter distribution list, please email thirteenthreads@gmail.com.
Our friends at Common Hope have issued their February newsletter. In addition to the excerpts below, you can click here to read the current and past newsletters.
Students begin 2010 school year: The 2010 school year has begun in Guatemala, and more than 2,700 affiliated students were ready to go with all of the necessary supplies on their first day, thanks to your support. In one day alone, nearly 1,400 students and their families visited the Antigua site to pick up their school supplies…
Future electrician needs a Sponsor: Sponsoring an older student can be a nice way to support a student with a shorter time commitment. Sixteen-year- old César Martínez has three years left of high school, where he is studying to become an electrician. César lives near Antigua with his mother, father, and two older sisters…
Target visits Antigua site: Staff from Target Sourcing Services in Guatemala City visited the Antigua preschool last Thursday to put on a day of fun with the children. The group brought two piñatas, snacks, and backpacks for all the kids…
Vision Team members in their own words: Several Vision Team members who recently traveled to Guatemala have posted reflections about their experience on Common Hope’s blog…
Hats, mittens, and scarves needed: Our February need of the month is hats, mittens, and scarves. Living in the highlands of Guatemala in homes made of cornstalk and scrap metal, families can get very cold at night…
To read more about Common Hope, please visit their website.
Our friends at As Green As It Gets published some great articles in its February newsletter. See the excerpts below, and click here to read the entire thing!
Our Lendees Are Now Lenders: The coffee farmers have historically been the biggest recipient of our small business loans. Some of the more established farmers have reached a point where they are financially stable enough to be lenders. The farmers’ collective loaned cash to the community to create 18 new home stays in San Miguel Escobar. This started with seed money from As Green As It Gets, but is now managed and financed entirely by the community…
Effort Beyond Charity: Two of our girls were exhausted—the desperate screaming of chickens being plucked had awoken them at 5 a.m. Another had biting ants swarm up her pant leg. The blisters I got from the machetes and hoes were bleeding freely. All in all, we found out very quickly that life at Columbia had not necessarily prepared us for the hard existence of the coffee farmers of Guatemala. However, according to Timoteo Minas, one of our host farmers from our eight-day trip this winter break, coffee farmers are far better off now than they were five years ago, when they began working with As Green As It Gets…
Addressing the Link Between Poverty and Deforestation: Deep in the middle of the Guatemalan jungle is the Ixcan community – displaced by the army during the civil war, neglected by the government and forgotten by society. Taming the forest is the only way that they have been able to survive. They have already lost 1,200 hectares of rainforest to slash and burn agriculture. Without your help they will lose the remaining part of their rainforest in 10 years…
Click here to read the rest of the February newsletter.
Our friends at Safe Passage have released their latest newsletter. Click here to read it in its entirety.
 Chances are that if you’re reading this e-newsletter, you use and enjoy the accessiblity of a computer. It’s a tool that keeps you connected to the world at large and enables you to organize, analyze, strategize, and hone any number of skills.
The same is true for the children and families of Safe Passage. Computer skills are essential to the children, teens, and adults, for their potential to open doors to new career paths, academic pursuits, communities, and personal interests.
There’s a computer lab at the Educational Reinforcement Center, a computer in every classroom, and several computers in the adult literacy classroom. Students have access to the computer lab at least once per week, and the older children use computers more frequently, to do research online, to learn English…
Click here to read the rest of the newsletter, or here to read more about Safe Passage.
Our friends at Synergo Arts has released its February 2010 newsletter. Click here to read the newsletter in its entirety.
Bench Project Update
The ergonomic bench is now available directly from Mario Chavajay Navichoc. He makes them independently, under his own brand at his family’s carpentry shop in San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala…
Berta, Mario’s mother, leads Grupo Ecológico Teixchel, a women’s textile cooperative: “Every day I use the bench that my son made. It’s beautiful, and I don’t just mean to look at but that it’s truly useful…
Click here to read the rest of the newsletter, or here to read more about Synergo Arts.
This month’s Blackboard has as its theme one of Guatemala’s most well-known exports. So we encourage you to sit back, relax and read this issue of the Blackboard over a cup of what has been described by Alexander Pope as “the beverage that can make even politicians wise.” - The Staff at Avivara
Once you wake up and smell the coffee, it’s hard to go back to sleep…
Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world, after oil. It is estimated that the global coffee industry earns in excess of $60 billion dollars annually, yet less than 10% of those earnings end up in the countries where the coffee is produced, and slightly less than 0.5% of the total earnings translate into wages for those who actually labor to produce the coffee. For every $3.25 latte sold in the U.S., approximately 1 penny of that goes to the workers who do the actual work of growing and harvesting the coffee beans.
Approximately the size of the state of Tennessee, Guatemala is well known for its many volcanoes, picturesque lakes, and coffee. After Colombia, Guatemala ranks second in the world in the amount of high-grade coffee it produces, and has the highest percentage of its crop classified as “high quality” by world-wide buyers. Over half of its coffee is exported to the U.S., representing around 15% of the Guatemalan Gross National Product and generating about 1/3 of Guatemala’s foreign exchange.
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Fair Trade Coffee in Guatemala
The Fair Trade movement was launched in the Netherlands in 1988. Although coffee was the first, and most common fair trade certified product, other fair-trade commodities now include bananas, chocolate, honey, tea, sugar, orange juice and indigenous handicrafts. Currently, Fair Trade coffee constitutes approximately 2% of the world’s coffee supply and can be purchased at over 7,000 retail outlets in the United States. To be classified as Fair Trade, the coffee (and the growers) must meet several criteria. Growers must be organized into democratically run cooperatives and the cooperatives must agree to independent inspections. They must also use sustainable methods of agriculture….
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