We honor our mothers, who gave birth to and/or raised us. It is an honor to give back to them


Greetings!

We hope that this update finds you well. We are writing with an update about #GivingTuesdayNow donations and how everything unfolded:

We witnessed a miracle on Mother’s Day, which your gifts made possible. Your donations came to $270 and, because of prior generous donations, Sowing Opportunities was able to match these funds. This allowed double the number of families to be helped. These families were selected, based on the greatest need in the village.

Initially, we thought the funds could feed three families in the remote village of Chajmaic, Guatemala. With the matching funds, the number doubled to six. However, thanks to economizing and the generosity of hard labor on the part of our key contacts, a one-time purchase of two-weeks’ worth of groceries was made for eight families. 
Guatemalans Dying from Hunger

Within Guatemala, people are literally dying from hunger due to increased grocery prices, loss of work, stoppage of public transportation, and prevention of travel from certain regions (including the highest farming area) to others*.

To allow the purchase to go further, groceries were purchased in large bulk – 25 lb. bags of rice and beans, milk, and eggs, hauled from the back of a pickup truck onto the shoulders of every available, capable man, woman, and child. Even a 10-year-old girl participated! ( See photos.) These items were stored and then apportioned for the 8 families.
Delivering Groceries to the Needy in Chajmaic
The grocery delivery was thanks to the hard work on the part of a team, mostly in Guatemala. The heavy lifting came from our key contacts in Chajmaic, Guatemala and the organization from our partner, Ricardo.
Groceries stored and distributed
The most moving moment was when the groceries were presented one-by-one to each family.

Prior to receiving their groceries, they paused for a joint prayer – thanking God and all of us who made this possible.

After every family received their groceries, the women stood together for a Mother’s Day group photo.

This was the best Mother’s Day gift that Ginny and I could imagine.

See for yourself the miracles that unfolded.

*Update: The groceries were purchased on Saturday. On Sunday, Guatemala’s President Giammattei reinstated a travel ban between all departments (regions) in Guatemala. This expanded a prior restriction that had begun to be eased. 

He also announced that any marketplace that does not adhere to all COVID-19-related restrictions currently in place will have their operations shut down. (Ref. U.S. Embassy, Guatemala City, May 12, 2020)  

This confirms even more that what happened in the village of Chajmaic on Sunday was nothing short of a miracle.  

Thank you again for your generosity. If you would still like to give, please go to http://www.sowingops.org/en/get-involved/giving/ . Again, 100% of your donation goes to the people directly.

Please stay safe and healthy.

Love,
Fern and Ginny

Sowing Opportunities, Inc.
21 Ivy Road
Malden, MA 02148