Our health center is busier than we ever expected. The health team is focused and meeting the needs of people living in extreme poverty with little or no access to health care. We've expanded to assist even more critically ill adults and children.      
     Students in our scholarship program are excelling in their course work through our tutoring program.  They also receive counseling to help them cope with their family issues and lack of self esteem.
    We have requests for 600 Chapina stoves, composting latrines, and new classrooms, bathrooms, computers, textbooks, whiteboards, desks and chairs for rural schools. The numbers of students in our sewing and English classes are increasing.  We started a technology program at an elementary school and initated a new program for adult literacy called Women's Learning and Empowerment Project. In this pilot program,12 women are learning math and reading skills, plus receiving information about family planning education, self esteem, family values, gender equality, and more.
     You know our approach - we partner with people - they are capable and willing to make changes to live healthier, more productive lives - all they need is an opportunity.  
     Your investment reaps huge returns considering we help hundreds of men, women, and children each month.   THANK YOU. We cannot do this work without your support.  
We attribute these accomplishments to the generosity and incredible loyalty of our friends and donors, the dedicated and enthusiastic staff of Hombres y Mujeres en Accion staff in Guatemala, and the motivated members in the communities who volunteer their time and talents to each project.

     Ken and I are honored to work with our talented staff and to help those who need it most.  Please continue to contribute to this vital work - we need your help to save lives and change lives.

Kind regards, 
                            

Lois Werner                                     
President                  
      

SAVING LIVES
Meet Dra.Ligia Garcia
Health Coordinator

           Dr. Ligia Garcia joined our team in January as Health Coordinator. 
 She graduated from San Carlos University in Guatemala in 2012 with a degree in general medicine and has experience working in various medical
clinics and at the national hospital.

She values patient-doctor relationships and empowers her 
patients to understand their illness and treatment.  She knows the difficulties her patients face due to the remote location of villages 
and the lack of quality, affordable health care.  

          With Dr. Garcia's skills and dedication and the help of a talented, compassionate health team, patient visits have continued to climb each month.  2,675 patients were logged at the health center and 670 patients at the dental clinic from January to June. Another 618 patients were seen in seven remote village clinics. 



    Rosa during chemotherapy and Rosa today.

"You helped us and saved my wife's life. We are eternally grateful."

Rosa was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012. Because she and her husband did not have money for treatments, her cancer went untreated until 2015 when Rosa came to our health clinic for help. The cancer spread to the outside of her breast. We assisted her with the cost of surgery, medicine, chemotherapy and radiation. 
 Lots of hugs and tears of joy were shared when Rosa visited us recently to show us how well she is doing.  

Total support for Rosa's treatments was $1,145. 

   Jose Pio suffered for several months before coming to our health center.

     On June 21, 2017, Jose and his wife Elena left their village at 6:00 a.m.  Elena said "We prayed we would find help for Jose today".  They arrived at our health center at 8:00 a.m.  He was Dr. Garcia's first patient of the day.  Gratefully, I was at the clinic that morning. 

     There was no doubt Mr. Pio was in a grave situation. We made arrangements with Dr. Cruz at Obras Sociales in Antigua to see him.  I drove Mr. & Mrs. Pio in our pick up and arrived in Antigua by noon.  Dr. Cruz gave Jose very little hope and explained most likely his eye would have to be removed.  Dr. Cruz recommended that Jose be seen at the eye center in Guatemala City. 

      We took Jose and Elena to a hotel, bought them lunch and dinner, and checked in with them that evening. We re-arranged duties for the next day so  Marlon could take Jose to the eye clinic. He picked them up at 4:00 a.m. the next morning and drove to the city. Once there, after waiting several hours for the doctor, Jose was told there was a slight possiblity they could save his eye. 

     We helped Jose and Elena with the cost of medicine and two more trips back to the eye center in Guatemala City.  He had surgery to scrape the ulcer and his eye sight is slowly returning.

Elena said  "We are so grateful for your help. You are the  strength that helps us move forward at this difficult stage that we are living."

Total support for Jose and Elena was $348 

 
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR CRITICAL PATIENT CARE FUND

Already this year, we have helped 37 patients with the cost of tests, medicine, consultations with specialists, transportation,
 food, and medical supplies.  

The average cost is $450 per patient.

Consider a monthly contribution. 
For $40 a month you can save a life.



Did you know?
54.8% of all Guatemala children under 18 years
 old live below the poverty level.

CHANGING LIVES
Learning Center to open in November 2017
     Construction of our new Learning Center is on schedule. We're making plans to provide computer, sewing, cooking, business and English classes. The Center will accommodate up to 50 people in a classroom-style seating for health classes, emergency medical and midwife training, and more. 
Did you know?
Literacy rates for women in Guatemala are just 76% and that number decreases to 30% for indigenous women. 

KEEPING KIDS IN SCHOOL
Invest in our youth - it makes sense

       Our scholarship program provides financial assistance for 45 students to help pay for tuition, books, supplies, and transportation to attend junior high, high school, or college. Without this help, they could not continue their studies  or ever reach their dreams.
Many of our students do not receive any financial support from their parents. 


     "Thank you for your valuable support.  I have been able to do extremely well in my studies and I am very happy with the career path I have chosen.  Each day I am learning new things that will help me to have a better future." 
 Estras Chocoj, Scholarship Recipient



OUR SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS WILL CHANGE THE WORLD
Meet Madelin

 Three days a week Madelin meets with junior high students
 in our scholarship program to help them with their math studies.  

      Teaching math is Madelin's passion.  She is a smart, hardworking and motivated young woman from LaPedera, a remote village outside of San Martin, Jilotepeque. She is in her second year at the university studying to become a high school math and physics teacher.  Madelin is the first in her village to attend college. Actually, she's the first in her village to graduate from high school.  It's her generation that will bring about change in Guatemala. She will have a meaningful job, earn an income, and statistics show she will have a smaller, healthier family than her parent's generation.


DID YOU KNOW?
The cost to send a student to college is about $1,500 a year.
SAVING LIVES

Hundreds of women and children suffer every day.
THEY NEED YOUR HELP

Dolores in Santa Rosa II, is cooking tortillas for lunch with her granddaughter on her back.  July 10, 2017
      In Guatemala, cooking chores fall to women, and children are typically at hand. They are the primary victims of smoke-related respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

 "Having an open fire in your kitchen is like burning 400 cigarettes an hour in your kitchen," says Kirk Smith, a professor of global environmental health at the University of California at Berkeley.


With their new Chapina stove, Eva and her daughters,
 Juana and Isabela, no longer risk health problems.

There are over 600 families on our waiting list for a stove.  For the low cost of $135 you can make a difference for an entire family.

CHANGING LIVES
"NEW EYES" PROGRAM BRINGS SIGHT
 TO THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED

Dr. Haskins, assisted by Dra. Ligia Garcia and Maria Lares,
performs minor surgery.

     Sight is a gift many of us take for granted. For people living in remote villages without access to health care, losing their sight means losing hope. The lack of access to eye glasses prevents people from working or doing their daily chores.

    For the past 3 years, Dr. Greg Haskins, from Fremont, Nebraska, has conducted semi-annual "vision clinics" with us. In April he saw 200 patients and made 34 referrals for cataract surgeries, laser treatments, and far worse conditions including cancer. Seventy nine patients received glasses
Wiliam can see again with his new glasses.



TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS CHANGE THE FUTURE

Students in the Pacoj Junior High School received computers in January. They  attend technology classes four times a week.


 Students learn how to type and use Word and Excel. 
Attendance increases in schools with computers. 
 Technology  in their school gives these students confidence and
 skills they will need when they advance to high school.


Elementary students in Las Escobitas are improving their math and reading skills. They receive computer classes once a week.

     We attribute these accomplishments to the generosity and incredible loyalty of our friends and donors, the dedicated and enthusiastic staff of Hombres y Mujeres en Accion staff in Guatemala, and members in the communities who are motivated to make positive changes to benefit their families and entire villages.

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