GlobalGiving.org: Help Feed 200 Neglected Elderly in Guatemala

Amazing support for the GVI Charitable Trust

Ross Deans — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:09:03 GMT

We would like to share the most recent trustee report from the GVI Charitable Trust. This report covers the six month period from July to December 2011.

We are delighted to share that this has been by far our most successful period, raising in six months nearly as much as we did the whole of the previous year. This increase in funding has brought a corresponding increase in the impact we have been able to create on our programs around the world.

During this period we have invested in sustainable education across Latin America including support for the elderly in Guatemala and income generation schemes to support education in Honduras and Ecuador. In Mexico we have worked with a community to establish a recycling centre and in Kenya our partners in Mombasa will now realise their goal of seeing impoverished students through to completion of the primary education earning recognised qualifications for the first time.

These are just a few highlights of an amazing, productive and rewarding six months. Thank you to everyone who has supported us and played a crucial role in these achievements.

Attachments:

July - December 2011 Trustee Report (PDF)

Christmas Support for the Elderly in Guatemala

Ross Deans — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:07:39 GMT

Support parcels for elderly people in Guatemala

The last support day for the elderly generation in Guatemala this year has taken place in preparation for Christmas. A time when it will mean that much more to the families to see some extra support and food staples in their homes.

Here project Director Dom Williams shares some thoughts from the field in Guatemala:

"Before Christmas this year, we handed out 5 pounds of sugar, 5 pounds of rice, 4 packs of pasta, 4 pounds of enriched-porridge, soup packets and Maizena to 165 grandmothers of our kids in Itzapa. It was a special time, especially with Christmas just around the corner and these packages should last between 1 and 2 months. What makes this special, and the grandmothers know this, is that it is their grandchildren that earn this for them, by attending school regularly"

Many thanks to everyone who has supported this project and we hope you have a wonderful Christmas and New Years.

Pacaya, porridge and pasta in Plan Ancianos

Dom Williams — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 09:24:37 GMT

Plan Ancianos

In Guatemala, every three months the grandparents of school children in the communities of Santa Maria and Itzapa, where we work, are provided with a food parcel in return for their grand-children attending school. This initiative is called Plan Ancianos. The parcels include rice, sugar, mosh (a porridge like food), soups, pasta and maizena plus a fruit tree or medicinal plant which will help when food is sparse.

Recently, in Itzapa, 165 grandparents turned up to receive their food parcels and Pacaya trees, the eldest being 98 years old! The parcels were handed out by current GVI volunteers. When one elderly lady came in we naturally asked two of our young, strapping, male volunteers to help her back into a tuk tuk with her food. Unfortunately, they were too slow off the mark and another elderly grandmother was forced to help her into her transport whilst the volunteers sheepishly returned to handing out the food parcels!

This important initiative not only ensures that the often neglected older generation receive the support they need but also brings emphasis onto the importance and benefit of education for children in these Indigenous communities. Thank you to everyone who has supported this project.

Continued support for the older generation

Dom Williams — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 11:02:58 GMT

Feeding the elderly in Guatemala

We continued our Plan Ancianos (feeding program for the elderly in Guatemala) in April in both of the schools in which we work with much needed supplies for the elder generation. Food is extremely scarce now as the reality of the poor harvests left from Tropical Storm Agatha in 2010 really bites. We added more sugar and soups this time, along with medicinal trees which they can plant, in both projects. Due to continued funding we have been able to increase the numbers of recipients. As more children enter education, their grandparents become part of the scheme.

Plan Ancianos in 2011

Dom Williams — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 11:59:37 GMT

Food bags

In both Santa Maria and Itzapa, the communities in which we work in Guatemala we were kept very busy helping families prepare for the New Year. Plan Ancianos, the food and support program for the elderly was first.

As usual we provided this neglected generation with food staples such as sugar, mosh, atol, rice, pastas, beans and soup. This time we have supplemented the packages with Pacaya plants- a fruit plant that will provide older people with vital nutrition once it is ready in four in five years.

We kicked off the event with a piñata which the old ladies loved. We often have piñatas for the children but this was a first for the old folks. It was a absolute hit and brought much laughter and fun to welcome the year ahead.

Pinata

Medicinal plants included in packages

Dom Williams — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 10:09:52 GMT

The plants will help with common health issues

With food sparse after the bad weather has destroyed almost all of the crops our older people's food plan couldn't have come at a better time in community San Andrés Itzapa. Every three months we hand out the food parcels to the grandparents of the children who regularly attend our school. This quarter we gave out sugar, atol, mosh, oil and four medicinal plants: Pericón and Romero for stomach problems, Maria Luisa for coughs and Salvia Santa for headaches and blocked noses.

These are all typical ailments that the grandparents suffer from. We are hoping to give them 24 medicinal plants in total over the next year that they can use to improve their health and the health of their family - and this was a great start.

Once again thanks to all who have supported the project without your help we would not be able to do any of this.

Volunteers help to distribute the parcels

Continuing the Support in Guatemala

Dom Williams — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:26:15 GMT

The Grandparents waiting

This week we were back up in the community to hand out food parcels to the grandparents and this time in the community San Andres Itzapa, we added fruit trees to their parcel! Each grandparent received five pounds of rice, ten pounds of sugar, loads of porridge and an apple and peach tree to plant ready for next years fruit.

To tie in with or educational aims in the community the grandparents of children who attend the school regularly are the ones to receive the parcels, this gathering also serves as an opportunity to bring everyone from the community together which is always very useful.

The hand out was great and went without a hitch, thank you so much to all donors to the project who help us to continue this support.

Fruit trees

Collecting the goods

Plan Ancianos expanded into a new communities

Dom Williams — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:31:40 GMT

Recently, we have doubled our reach to the elderly in Guatemala by expanding into another community, so now around 250 families from this scheme. The elderly receive a basic food parcel, with all the essentials like cooking oil, sugar, rice, pastas, mosh (a liquid breakfast containing iron, calcium, vitamins etc) every three months. A huge success, though they only receive the parcel if the children go to school, so basically, the children earn the food package, a great system for responsibility. Many thanks to everyone

The elderly continue to receive their food and more to come in 2010

Dom Williams — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 22:45:31 GMT

Waiting

The Plan Ancianos has been a huge success this year, with over 100 famlies benefitting from the scheme. Each month they have received their parcels of oil, rice, pasta, soap and other useful items. In 2010, we plan to roll out the plan in another community aswell, instantly doubling the size of the scheme, though the benefits are showing, with the younger children now eating a bit more, as the older generation have their food as part of the Plan Ancianos. Thank you to all our donors who make this possible. Happy New Year cheers

The men wait their turn

Group

More old poeple and better school assistance

Dom Williams — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 21:40:52 GMT

The old people's plan has continued on its monthly path, and the results are being seen, with better fed "ancianos" and more children being at school every day. The Plan Semillas scheme has born its first harvest of the year and more products for the old poeple will be shared out later this month.

The elderly continue to receive nourishment

Dom Williams — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:33:30 GMT

Generation Gap

Since my last entry, the elderly have continued to receive their food parcels, and in return, as promised, the children keep coming to school; of course, they want to, though the added filip that their grandparents receive food due to this can only help! Plans are being put into action to open another Old People's Plan, to include fruit trees, seeds and chickens. I will keep you updated. Many thanks for all your support. cheers Dom

The family as one

Preparing seeds

More elderly enter the Plan for 2009

Dom Williams — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 17:42:59 GMT

2009 has started with a bang, with even more elderly relatives of new children in the school. We have just conducted Plan Fertilizante aswell, a form of micro-credit though with physical products, rather than cash, and one of the repayments is to provide items for the Old People. Roll on 2009 and thanks for your support.

Plan Ancianos expands

Dom Williams — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:28:02 GMT

The generation gap

During 2008 we have expanded our Plan Ancianos (Old People's Plan) to encompass twice as many members of the elderly generation in two communities in Guatemala. By the end of 2008 and into 2009, it is aimed to cover all the families that are currently enrolled in the GVI Phoenix schools in Guatemala. Each month, the basics are distributed to the families, in return for the participation of the children in the school - it is a two-way deal, the children must attend school for the relatives to be part of the Plan Ancianos. Also, to further involve the community, recipients of the "fertilizer scheme" earlier in the year had to put some items into the Plan Ancianos, so everybody has a responsibilty.

Plan Ancianos starts in a new community

Giving is receiving

Links:

GVI Phoenix Blog

Which comes next, the chicken or the egg?

Dominic Williams — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 11:04:45 GMT

The women return for further discussions

Thank you all for your donations and especially Tilly Lavenas with her matching fund. This only lasts for a couple more weeks, so if anyone is nearly there, a donation now will be doubled! This scheme has gone incredibly well in 2007, with almost 100 elderly receiving the basic foods every three months, which include rice, beans, oils, pastas, soaps, sugar, salt etc. We are seeing some differences with the children too, which we hoped, whereby the children can now receive the food that may have gone to the old people within the family. During next year, we are introducing a chicken scheme, where each family will receive two egg-laying chickens, with the deal being that they must provide into the Old People's Plan, eggs and a chicken over the course of the year, to make it more sustainable.

Another successful meeting, all are happy with the aid

Second Plan Ancianos

Andy Woods-Ballard — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 08:35:43 GMT

The beautiful colors of Guatemala

The second Plan Ancianos has gone ahead with direct funding from two of GVI’s ex-volunteers. Without this help, many of the elderly have no one to look after them. In Guatemala, so many of the elderly are women who have lost their husbands and sons to war and find it difficult to keep going on their own. As well as direct aid with food and clothing etc. we are helping to educate the younger people and close the generation gap a little. With your help we can do so much more.

The Plan Ancianos committee, empowering the young to help the ol

Links:

Fundraising cycle from Guatemala to Honduras