Elderly « Link for Health

Profile: Wuqu’ Kawoq

Guatemala is one of the poorest countries in the Western hemisphere. Decades of violence, corruption, and racism have stranded much of the population in poverty with uncertain prospects for the future. Although nearly 75% of the population in Guatemala is Mayan, and speaks one of over 20 different indigenous languages, there are no health care or development programs which provide services in these languages.

Wuqu’ Kawoq was founded by a group of development workers partnering with indigenous communities in Guatemala to address this problem. They believe that health and cultural vitality are inseparable from each other. Wuqu’ Kawoq develops first-language health services, with a special focus on primary health care for women, children, and adults with chronic disease. They also support indigenous medical workers, perform research on the state of health in rural Guatemala, disseminate knowledge about traditional health practices, and collaborate with other organizations with similar interests.

Major projects at this time include: child malnutrition prevention and treatment programs; comprehensive women’s health and prenatal care services; primary care for adults with chronic diseases, especially diabetes; development of potable water systems; scale-up of rural health outreach activities; and language revitalization efforts, including the publication of Kaqchikel and K’ichee’ community health resources.

To learn more about Wuqu’ Kawoq, please visit their website.

Profile: Caputo Children’s Fund

Dr. Salvatore Caputo, Executive Director of Caputo Children´s Fund, traveled to Central & South America, Africa, Brazil and Philippines for work duties in 1968 to 2002. While there, he and his wife helped at residential facilities for adults with physical challenges, homeless elderly people and street children. In 1968, the first time he visited Guatemala, he was astonished to see so many street children besieged to survive, and sleeping on sidewalks. To reduce their desperation and hunger, they become inhalant addicts, sniffing industrial solvents.

So touched by such conditions, he and his wife created a Non Profit Organization, the CAPUTO CHILDREN´S FUND, that is committed to improve the lives of the poorest of the poor, the marginalized and the oppressed in Africa and Guatemala. Their mandate is building better communities through compassion, love and assistance. They assist individuals, especially street children, and families to empower themselves to become self-sufficient by providing education, health care and financial assistance when they can.

CAPUTO CHILDREN´S FUND Is an International Charitable and Social Welfare Entity, nonprofit, apolitical, non-religious and independent Non Governmental Organization (NGO), dedicated to provide humanitarian assistance to people with extreme poverty and where inevitability necessity of food, education, literacy, health and sanitation, human development, and all sorts of needs without regard to race, religion or national origin. The primary objective is to aid starving children. They operate from Guatemala City.

CAPUTO CHILDREN´S FUND is not affiliated with or associated with any other health or human service agency. Its goals and objectives are to help people in the following distinctions:

Neglected children known as the street children;
Abandoned seniors;
People with low incomes or in poverty;
All kinds of people who suffer from the effects left by the armed conflict in Guatemala;
People who suffer from interdiction of alkaloids, drugs and alcohol;
Promote a culture of continuous evaluation of education programs within and outside the Republic of Guatemala;
Giving certainty to the distribution of aid all people in extreme need;
Promoting systematic process of education at all educational levels; and
Establish cooperative relationships with related international organizations to receive contributions, gifts in kind and cash, collaboration, cooperation and assistance necessary for the proper functioning of the association, to integrate a system of accreditation and recognition of these activities.

To learn more about Caputo, please visit their website.

Profile: Sharing the Dream

Sharing the Dream in Guatemala is a non-profit organization that promotes fair trade with cooperatives and small businesses in Guatemala. They are committed to providing fair wages and employment opportunities to low-income artisans, which will result in creating sustainable markets for their products. Their craft products are handmade by Mayan artisans using many traditional techniques. Purchasing these crafts not only provides work for these artisans, but the profits go to support community development projects in Guatemala.

Friends of Sharing the Dream is a 501(c)3 organization which accepts donations to be used for projects helping the artisans and their families.

A purchase of a beautiful work of art not only provides work for the artisan who made it, but the profits from the sale will go to community projects like the following:

Providing financial help to the orphanage Casa Guatemala located in the jungle
Providing educational scholarships for Guatemalan women and children
Buying school supplies for Mayan children in the mountains
Sponsoring over 65 elders in Santiago Atitlan with meals and medical care
Building weaving centers and providing clean water for areas in Comotancillo
Helping sustain several rural schools
Establishing workshops and help for over 50 cooperatives/small businesses

Most of the people involved with Sharing the Dream are volunteers.

For more information about Sharing the Dream, please visit their website. For information on a great way to volunteer without ever leaving your hometown, click here.

Profile: Mayan Families

Mayan Families is a small, non-profit group operating in the Highlands of Guatemala. They live and work in the Lake Atitlan region. The group provides assistance and opportunities to the indigenous people of Guatemala, in particular in the Lake Atitlan area, through education, community programs and construction.

For more information about Mayan Families, please visit their website, Yahoo group, or blog.

Here is a sampling of Mayan Families’ accomplishments. This is only a partial list of the numerous accomplishments of Mayan Families over the years.

School Scholarships- In 2008 Mayan Families assisted over 800 students to access primary/secondary and post secondary education, and in 2009 are hoping to assist over one thousand.
The Microcredit Loan Project-Numerous Microfinance packages distributed enabling many indigenous women the opportunity to develop local home based business
The Panajachel Sewing Project- 94 adult female students have completed the Mayan Families 3 month Sewing Skills Course. Many of these students have developed home based businesses with their new skills.
Classroom Construction: Mayan Families have facilitated the construction and improvement of 7 classrooms in rural impoverished villages to create a better learning environment.
Community Centers: Mayan families have lead and facilitated the construction of 2 rural community centers. In 2009 these community centers will house various Mayan Families Programs – such as sewing classes for women, after school program, medical and veterinary clinics, early learning center, feeding program, adult education, and library and internet access.
The Onil Stove Project- Over 1,500 stoves distributed in Panajachel & Lake Atitlan area enabling approximately 7,500 adults and children to live in safe, smokeless houses.
The Rotary Filter Project- 2,000 filters distributed in Panajachel & Lake Atitlan area providing approximately 12,000 with clean drinking water.

Link for Health

Profile: Wuqu’ Kawoq

Profile: Caputo Children’s Fund

Profile: Sharing the Dream

Profile: Mayan Families

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