Since 2011 the Embrook Rotary Club has sent 11 Vision Teams to Guatemala. They have partnered with Common Hope, whose mission is “Promoting hope and opportunity in Guatemala. Partnering with children, families, and communities who want to participate in a process of development to improve their lives through education, healthcare, and housing”.
Did you know that:
· More than 50% of Guatemalans live in poverty.
· More than 25% of Guatemalans live on less than $2/day.
· There are explosive rates of poverty, alcoholism, violence, mistrust, and unemployment.
There is a great educational need:
· On average adults have completed 3.5 years of education.
· 30% of the children fail first grade at least once.
· 7th grade school attendance drops as children go to work to supplement their family income.
· 18.6% of students graduate from high school.
The need for Housing is high:
· 67% of families live in homes without roofs and sufficient living space.
· Homes with cornstalk walls and dirt floors are unsafe and unsanitary.
· Families often live without basic electricity.
This year, the 9 person Elmbrook Rotary Vision Team assisted in preparing a school for the return of students by cleaning and organizing the school. The Team also constructed a house in three days! They started with building prefab panels, delivered them to the site, and created a home for a family in need. A great accomplishment by the Vision Team and a housing upgrade for the family.
Vision Team, thank you for your selfless contribution of time and labor in assisting the Common Hope organization in their mission of “helping poor people out of poverty”.
If you are wondering, how you can be a contributing member to the Elmbrook Rotary and Common Hope’s great Guatemalan mission? You can:
· Be a member of the Annual Vision Team that builds homes, works with students, and assists in healthcare.
· Sponsor a student – currently Elmbrook Rotary sponsors 2 students and 16 are sponsored by individuals associated with the Rotary.
To learn more about Common Hope, visit www.commonhope.org.
To view the great presentation created by Harry Farchmin, use this link: https://1drv.ms/u/s!As3J6helL0FqwG0wqvGavpXJtJ8V?e=PfOqfE
