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Life-changing surgery for the poor of Guatemala

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Summary

Poor Guatemalans receive life-changing surgery by a network of 800 US surgeons and volunteers. Special support is given to the many rural patients and families who travel great distances for surgery. project reportread updates from the field

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Received $8,003 from 73 donations from people like:

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More Information About this Project

Project Needs and Beneficiaries

Half of Guatemala’s 13 million people live in poverty. 74.2% of Guatemala’s indigenous population—of which there are 23 Mayan groups, each with their own language—lives in poverty. This means that the majority of Guatemalans have basically no access to healthcare, leaving many to suffer from treatable, preventable illnesses. This project will benefit poor, mostly rural, Guatemalans who are in desperate need of surgery in order to return to an active, productive life.

Activities

Trained practitioners setup clinics throughout Guatemala to screen for surgery. Patients are organized by a network of 200 local volunteers and accompanied to surgery centers. Patients are given medicines and patients and families are housed and fed.

Funding Information

Total Funding Received to Date: $8,003
Remaining Goal to be Funded: $182,297
Total Funding Goal: $190,300

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).

Resources

Why this Project is Important

Potential Long Term Impact

If someone isn’t healthy, they can’t provide for their family, study or participate in society. A Faith in Practice surgery is life-changing because it allows people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to healthcare to return to an active life.

Project Message

“For years, we have been in so much pain. So much pain we thought it would be better to die. But now, we are living. Thank you for giving us our lives back.”
- Maria Elena, Surgery patient, guest at "Casa de Fe", 2008

Who is Running This Project

Contact

Laura Shearer
Surgery Program & Development Manager
7500 Beechnut Street
Suite 208
Houston, Texas 77074
United States
+1-713-484-5555
Email:

Organization

Faith In Practice Logo

Faith In Practice
7500 Beechnut St Suite 208
Houston, Texas 77074
United States
+1-713-484-5555
http://www.faithinpractice.org

Learn more about Faith In Practice and the project team.

Where this Project is Located

Country

This project is located in GuatemalaGuatemala and can also be found under HealthHealth.

For more information about Guatemala, read the Human Development Report on Guatemala or the Wikipedia entry for Guatemala.

When this Project was Updated

Last Updated

This project was last updated on January 20, 2010.

Date Added to GlobalGiving

This project was added to the GlobalGiving project catalog on August 7, 2009

Latest Update from the Field

You've changed a life

By Laura Shearer - Surgery Program & Development Manager, December 04, 2009 03:42 PM

Imagine being a 61-year-old woman from rural Guatemala, traveling to an unknown city for desperately-needed surgery.

This was the story of Dona Alcala Marina Ramirez, mother of 11 and grandmother of 20 from the village Canoa Orotorio Santa Rosa, an agricultural community three hours from La Antigua Guatemala. Dona Alcala had been suffering from a prolapsed uterus for 15 years.

Dona Alcala found a home at Casa de Fe when she traveled for the first time to La Antigua Guatemala to have a hysterectomy at Obras Sociales del Santo Hermano Pedro. Casa de Fe provided Dona Alcala and her daughter, Delma, a clean, safe place to stay while Dona Alcala prepared for her operation and afterwards while she recovered.

Because of your contribution, many Guatemalans just like Dona Alcala will receive life-changing surgery in 2010. And, just like Dona Alcala, they will all receive the support of a patient facilitator who will accompany them from their village to the hospital and back home again. They will also have their transportation costs, accommodation and meals provided, to ensure a quick, safe and healthy recovery.

Faith In Practice will provide 1,200 surgeries this coming season. Stay tuned for further updates once we are out in the field. Thanks for supporting our life-changing medical mission.

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