One Family Making a Difference
The primary school children in the village of Valle de Oro got a wonderful surprise. They received readers that were donated by Linda Morales. Linda and her 5 children have collected 990 books, 437 warm knit hats, scarves, and mittens for the poor children of Guatemala. Her oldest son, Nico, did a drive at school where he collected school supplies and new toothbrushes. Linda and her family have a wonderful connection to Guatemala. They adopted a baby girl from Guatemala! Linda has been a wonderful supporter of helping the poor in Guatemala. She had a handicraft party at her home in December and raised lots of money for Miracles in Action. What a great example she is, not only for her 5 kids, but for others as well. Way to go Linda!
Malnutrition worse in Guatemala than in Africa
A recent article, from the Prensa Libre newspaper (translated below into English), states that malnutrition in Guatemala is worse than Africa. Pretty hard to look away. Miracles in Action supports numerous nutrition programs in Guatemala. This article reinforces our need to continue and increase these efforts.
http://www.prensalibre.com/noticias/Titulo-articulo-edicion-impresa_0_476952318.html
Translated article:
Silent killer: Chronic malnutrition is the second largest problem in this country, behind the violence and drug trafficking. Hunger kills more than bullets, but silently. The reason for these figures has historical roots. Chronic malnutrition, considered as a low height for age is the result of many factors, but its root causes are the unequal opportunities, exclusion and discrimination based on sex, race or political belief. A child at 36 months of age should be measured 88 centimeters, otherwise, it is a chronically malnourished, and lost centimeter never recovered. His IQ has also suffered a permanent impairment. The intellect of an entire country is riddled with malnutrition. The other malnutrition, acute malnutrition is caused by a recent lack of food or a disease that has caused a rapid loss of weight. This type of malnutrition is recoverable, however,not be served on time, puts you at high risk for one’s life.
DISCONTINUED EFFORT: A historic milestone for the comprehensive approach improves the country’s food situation occurred with the adoption of the Law of the National Food and Nutrition Security (Sinasos) in 2005. But a law alone can not eradicate hunger by decree; we need people who operationalize. This development policy scenarios required interagency coordination and participation, that after six years could even get to work as expected. Worse,in the last four years the current government has been a marked weakening. Presidential programs generated parallel Sinasos bodies, almost disappear at the end of their terms. And is that despite the enormous scourge of hunger in Guatemala has not yet set an agenda with state vision. Governments do not want good technical ministries, political operators prefer to follow orders. Every four years the incoming government with treachery delete previous actions. With no clear plan to improve the situation. The worst thing is that the problem of hunger is even invisible to the families affected by malnutrition. It’s so big, so common that it seems part of daily life. The human right to food is grossly violated, and society does not require a change. If politicians do not get the social pressure to generate a fight against malnutrition, the policy will continue as at present, almost nonexistent.
Relegated PRIORITY: In the next electoral contest already thrown the cards, the popular clamor calls security, food security is not listed in priority actions. The issue will again be marginal, the agenda that will score points generated elsewhere. There will be more deaths from hunger this election year and will be named human dramas. Between sidewalks and bushes will drown the last gasp of a country that is corrupt in his intellect and spirit, because malnutrition corroded the most precious of their future: their children, and therefore hope. Therefore it is necessary that political parties in contention frame their programs of government in the structure, organs and mechanisms already established in the Sinasos, as it should be a specific program designed at various stages of at least 20 years, with progressive measurable goals, focused on the causes and effects simultaneously. This course requires a champion, a man or a woman willing to go down in history. The significance awaits him or her. It must secure financing plans and programs, establishing a monitoring and implementation of public spending program in food safety. It should strengthen or create a coaching staff that not only implement, but will manage the process in the life of the food programs. Food security of this country should not be subject to the sway of political spoils. At the municipal level should allocate funds to invest in food and nutrition security, should clearly know the vulnerable areas and know what they are as they are, to raise from local solutions. The Government is talking about tax reform, but does not include nutritional food item as an argument. That is, the current government and political parties in the elections of 2011 seem to have forgotten that we are the land of the hungry. Guatemala is worse than Africa.
Vocational School Graduates
A little over year ago Miracles in Action participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony opening the new vocational school in Santa Cruz, Guatemala. The construction of the vocational school was the biggest project Miracles in Action has participated in. This spring we celebrated the first round of graduates coming out of the vocational school. What is amazing about this project is that their education cost lest per student than tuition for a US university and that includes cost of the building! Thank you to all the donors who supported and believed in this project. It is yielding returns we could never have dreamed possible.
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- Vocational student in Santa Cruz making a shoeshine box.
The photos of food are of the student's practical exam for this bi-mester .
Each student makes a meal and presents it.
The carpentry kids are Middle-School students. Students just finished a 7 week class.
The last photos are of students in our new beading class. We have placed an order for the bracelets in the photo.
Thank You for the Help on Facebook!
Thanks to the help of many people, we hit our mark and surpassed it! We needed 500 “likes” on our Miracles in Action facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/miracles.in.action) in order to get a donation of $1000. We had to do it within the month of May, and with your help we did it! Thank you to everyone who went to our page and “liked” us. Many thanks to those who posted us on their page to help even further. $1000 can go a long way to help the poor in Guatemala. Thank you for caring about the less fortunate.
