Life-changing surgery for the poor of Guatemala

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.

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

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.

How will this project solve this problem?

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.

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

Additional Documentation

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

Resources