Build lunchroom, feed poor students in Guatemala

Report from 1 Jan-Apr 31, 2022

Brief description of our project. The El Lustrador Foundation (ELF) helps poor children in Guatemala with their education, and helps their families with basic needs. This year during our fundraising campaign ELF raised money to provide for these needs and something else: A room to eat in, and to come together when the pandemic lifts! ELF continues to work with the community that lives adjacent to the Guatemala City Basurero, or landfill, and the kids who attend Manuel Marcos Martinez School. The families in this community scratch out a living by scavenging at the landfill, and their children attend the local school.

At the beginning of this year, the highest priorities for the school were first school supplies, then food and a room. Also, we proposed to build a cafeteria and assembly room for students to gather during hurricanes and other times. After hearing about our project, the Mayor of Guatemala City offered to help us get the room. We are waiting for him to fulfill his promise, and we will keep you tuned in on this.

Our fundraising is going well so far: from Sep 13 2021 to Apr 31 2022, we received $12,278 in donations for our goal of $50,000, in 155 donations from a total of 87 different donors. And on December 23^rd we received an additional $9,000 donation from a single donor! Because of these donations the Board of Directors of ELF -- René, Linnea, Don, Eddie, René Jr., Dexter, and Tatiana – as well as our amazing volunteers in Guatemala --Marta, Caissa, and many more friends that helped and are helping raise funds --were able to continue helping more than 200 families with food and more than 175 children with school supplies. Our next food drive will be on Mother’s Day on May 10^th. You, the donors, made this happen!

We are working with authorities from the School and an architect to plan for the repair of the only water supply tank that the school has. The present tank is in bad shape and the school cannot use it to supply water to the more than 500 children that the school holds. We will pay to repair the water tank this school year.

TOGETHER WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD!

Links:

• Please find more information about our project here

Report from Sep 13 to Dec 31, 2021

Brief description of our project. The El Lustrador Foundation (ELF) helps poor children in Guatemala with their educations, and helps their families with basic needs. This year during our fundraising campaign ELF raised money to provide for these needs and something else: A room to eat in, and to come together when the pandemic lifts! ELF continues to work with the community that lives adjacent to the Guatemala City Basurero, or landfill, and the kids who attend Manuel Marcos Martinez School. The families in this community scratch out a living by scavenging at the landfill, and their children attend the local school.

This year, food and a room were  the highest priorities. Parents are not able to provide enough food for the children because part of the landfill has been closed during the pandemic. Also, we proposed to build a cafeteria and assembly room for students to gather during hurricanes and other times.

Our fundraising went well in 2021: from Sep 13 to Dec 31 2021 we  received $11,519 in donations for our goal of $50,000, in  124 donations from a total of 85 different donors. And on December 23^rd we received an additional $9,000 donation from a single donor! Because of these donations the Board of Directors of ELF -- René, Linnea, Don, Claudia, Eddie, Mimi, René Jr., Elba, Dexter, and Tatiana – as well as our amazing volunteers in Guatemala --Marta, Caissa, and many more friends that helped and are helping raise funds --were able to distribute food to more than 200 families for the Day of the Children, in October. And for Christmas, René Corado celebrated in person in Guatemala with the children at Manuel Marcos Martinez School with clowns, breakfasts, gifts, and bags of groceries.You, the donors, made this happen!

In November René Corado traveled to Guatemala to talk with authorities from the School  and an architect, to plan for the Cafeteria and Assembly  room.  Students told him during his visit: “I will continue going to school because when I grow up. I want to be a teacher, to teach children like me” (Estefani). “I like school. When I grow up I want to be biologist to save the birds” (Erick). “I prefer to come to school because I can write a book and help children like me as Don René does” (Alison). Please see below the photos of some of the beautiful children we serve.

Links:

• Please find more information about our project here