THE GUATEMALAN PROJECT NEEDS YOUR INPUT

$0.25 feeds one child one day.

SPONSOR-A-SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM

As you all know, the Guatemalan Project has a program called Sponsor A Child Program.  This program allows you to sponsor a child, to provide him or her with lunches, vitamins, school supplies, or gifts. 

We have eighty eight (88) school-age children receiving lunches.

We have another 19 younger children also receiving lunches; a total of 107 children receive lunches.. 

At present, 342 children are attending school.

There are 450 children in El Triunfo, Guatemala. 

It has been somewhat difficult to only bring the 107 children to eat lunch while the others have to leave without it and go home. The sponsored children are not eating their lunches at school; instead, they take it home to share it with their brothers and sisters. 

There are another113 children between the ages of two and five who also need lunches.  It is sad to see only a few children eat lunches while the rest watch or share a small piece. 

During our visit to El Triunfo in August 6-August 22, 2004, the three social work students who went with me came with an idea to solve this moral dilemma:

If we sponsor the entire school, all school-age children attending school will have daily lunches and no child will be made to go home without eating.  It sounds great!

How could we do this?

The first thing to do would be to identify the budget needed to feed, approximately, 450 children for one year.  We will need, approximately,  $41,000.00. The cost is approximately $0.25 per child, per day.  During the first year of operation, we will need to purchase extra pots, stoves, a refrigerator, serving tables, utensils, gas, more electricity, etc.  We will also need to hire, two persons to prepare the lunches for that many children.

How would we fund raise approximately $40.000.00?

Here is where you, our friends, come in. 

Should we ask one person to donate the entire amount of $40,000.00?

How about 20 persons, each donating $2,000.00?

How about 40 persons, each donating $1,000.00?

How about 80 persons, each donating $   500.00?

How about 160 persons, each donating $ 250.00?

See poster: How about asking each person for just $0.25 to feed one child one day?  

$0.25=un almuerzo para un niño.  Vea el afiche .

How about asking each person for just $1.00 to feed four children one day?

How about having Team Leaders in charge of fund raising $1,000.00?

We would then need forty Team Leaders.

For example, the Team Leader could identify ten friends who work at ten different locations and have each friend engage his or her place of work in donating $100.00.  Each of ten co-workers could donate $10.00, for example.

Or, the Team Leader could initiate her or his own method of fund raising.

Of course, we could also Team Leaders who could commit to raise any amount they want or are able to do.

Here is a poster, in English  and in Spanish , that you could print out and wrap around an empty milk gallon jar.  It asks people of good heart and means to place a Quarter in it and feed a child.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS IDEA?  WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO BE A TEAM LEADER? 

Please give us your opinions and support.  The Guatemalan Project has and continues to be successful only because of your support. 

 Some of the little children come to school at lunch time to share lunch with their brothers or sisters.  We do not really like that.  It is sad. 

We want to keep you informed of our fund raising progress.See our thank you list.

Or just CONTACT us and give us your ideas.  You can also send us an email to guatemalanproject@netzero.net

or call us at 561-968-4310.

Update as of September 2006:  The Women's Committee networked with the Education Department in the province of Zacapa to obtain a small lunch for every child in school.  The lunch consists of a glass of milk and soup, pasta, or tortillas.  We are still working to have all children receive the same lunch as our sponsored children.