An aspect
of education here in
Guatemala is
to show parents
the value
of education.
When
education is valued, then
the girl in
the photo above could
go to
school instead of just
collecting
firewood to sell.
.
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Our School: La
Academia
We started
our work in Guatemala in 2011.
Finally, in March 2016 we opened
the doors to our very own school
because by the end of 2015 we had
four
different classes all going on in
three different locations all
over town!
Click to see our
most recent photos
See
updates from our newsletter on the students
and the school.
La
Academia is named for Plato's
Academy 'a gathering place for
intellectuals'.
We now have over 530 minds
crossing the doorstep monthly. At
La Academia,
we can host the following
programs for sponsored students
and families:
- English Classes
- Spanish Classes
- Psychology
Classes
- Counseling for
students and family members
- Homework Study /
Tutoring for Teens
-
Classes and playtime for our
junior students and siblings
- Daycare for a small
group of most involved families
- Programs for moms and
dads
- Home base for our social
worker/family liaison
- Special events and
invited speakers (see photos)
- Food program
serving almost 1,500 meals and
snacks per month
-
and the resident street dogs,
Chispa, Muneca, and puppy Tasha!
And, all of the
staff are Guatemalans, except
for one part-time person.
Keep
up to date with our Quarterly
Reports here
With your
help, The Integral Heart
Foundation offers a chance to
break the cycle
of poverty through its
Sponsorship Program, in which
each child receives:
- The ability to
attend our own school, La
Academia, a public school, or one
of the
after-school projects with
whom we collaborate.
- A monthly protein basket, meant
to supplement the nutritional
needs of the
entire family.
- Additional help when needed,
with clothing, shoes, medicine,
school supplies,
and as is the case with
several of our sponsored families
who need emergency
support because of
frequent flooding and landslides
during the rainy season.
- The invaluable opportunity to
lift their entire family out of
poverty by learning to
value education over
manual labor and eventually
completing their education
giving them the
opportunity to proceed to
university if they so wish.
In
Guatemala, many after-school
programs exist because children
between the ages of
6-11 years attend public school
only in mornings, while teens do
so in the afternoons.
This is the result of an
infrastructure shortage which
makes it necessary for them to
share classrooms. With the
help of your sponsorship we
can ensure that these children
attend one of the after-school
projects with whom we collaborate
so that they are not
idle or getting into trouble
during their free time. Most of
these after-school programs
are provided by other non-profit
organizations.
The Integral Heart
Foundation collaborates with a
number of social organizations
in and around the city of Antigua
Guatemala. These organizations
work in the
areas of education, health-care
and community development, day
care centers,
and construction of housing,
schools and clinics. We select
beneficiary families
and individuals in co-operation
with these local partner
organizations.
WHY WAIT
 A CHILD NOW!
Aside from
educating children, the challenge
also lies in inspiring the
parents
to realize that education has
value.
Since we know each of the kids
personally, we are using these
funds to ensure
their continued education. Families
qualify for sponsorship by means
of a four page
interview/document that allows us
to determine which families
simply need help
and which need and actually
want help. Your support
will empower the potential
of those who truly want to
benefit from this opportunity.
Your donations will also be used
to purchase school supplies,
clothing and shoes
as are so often needed. In many
cases we take the kid and
their family to the local
store to buy them enough
food to get through to
week's end.
As the children begin to
graduate, your support will pay
for transport to school or
college, college entrance exams,
or any other necessities such as
doctor’s exams
and personal hygiene products.
Sponsor videos:
with your support we can all make
many smiles!
SPONSORSHIP
CLUSTER
- Ask
4 or 5 of your friends to join
you in sponsoring a child
- Each
person commits to $5 or $10 per
month
- Together
a cluster can change a life!
About Guatemala:
43% of children under five
are chronically malnourished, one
of the highest malnutrition
rates in the world. More than
half of the population is below
the national poverty line
and 15% live in extreme
poverty.
Poverty among indigenous groups,
which make up 38% of the
population,
averages 76% and extreme poverty
rises to 28%.
Guatemala
is a republic. It is 108,890
square kilometers (42,042 square
miles), that’s
about the size of Virginia, half
the size of the UK and a little
bigger than Ireland.
Guatemala is the next country
south of Mexico and with a
population of 14 million
people, it is the second most
densely populated country in
Central America.
Please support
our work and education programs
by making a donation below:
The
Integral Heart Foundation is
a U.S. Registered 501(c)3
non-profit.
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