Greetings!
This is an
email of appreciation for
a feat of incredible proportion that came together through
amazing teamwork!
First, those here in the U.S. astonished us: we told you that
coronavirus was closing in on the village of Chajmaic and that we needed funds for what would be the
last grocery delivery for a long time.
Within 12 hours of our request – on social media and in email – 23 of you sent $1,278. A few days later, 7 more of you sent an additional $283. Thank you so much for your quick response and
your extraordinary generosity!
We told you that what we faced was
inaccessibility of food through the supply chain, even with increasing prices. The closest location, Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, was
effectively shut down.
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A high-risk path to feed the village
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Our project manager, Ricardo, and our key contact in the village, Lety, not only have
strong dedication towards the village of Chajmaic gaining sustainability, but they are also
extremely resourceful when faced with difficult decisions, even when faced with personal extraordinary circumstances.
They managed to
arrange a bulk food purchase through a connection who is located over 130 km (around 81 miles) away, which, on the mountainous, forested roads with rough terrain (that are barely discernible on Google maps), took over 3 hours to travel, each direction! This was
a dangerous journey because there is no cell service in the area, and also because there is so much hunger, due to the pandemic.
Take a look: this contact was able to secure enough nonperishable goods to feed
not the 8 families that we originally had hoped to buy groceries for,
but because of your generosity,
27
families got groceries!
Each family received:
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Nutritious, nonperishable food
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This assures that every family has a variety of
nutritious, nonperishable food, to last them several weeks. And, “incaparina,” mixed with powdered milk, has sufficient vitamins to
literally save lives.
In this photo, all the bags and boxes have been separated, in preparation for the 27 families to receive them on Sunday, July 26.
When we combine this number with the 42 families that we have gotten
groceries for, over 4 other
deliveries, since the beginning of May, the total is nearly 70, which is
nearly 1/3 of the 250 families in the village of Chajmaic! (
See prior post.)
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Because of the encroaching coronavirus, those who traveled the long road to pick up the food, and everyone who received groceries, were required to wear masks.
Take a look at
people standing in line to receive their groceries. This is one representative for each of the 27 families.
The event, as you can see, was
a true success. People feel very grateful and blessed. Consider these images of these 27 families that
we, together, have helped at this time of pandemic and hunger.
You might notice, by the names, that a little
over half of the families helped this time were led by
single mothers. Ricardo and Lety sought this opportunity to help them.
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Since May, 69 Families in Chajmaic Have Received Nourishing Groceries - Nearly 1/3 of the Village of 250 Families
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This is a full disclosure:
100% of your donations went to making this happen. None of the volunteers received compensation. It is
a labor of love. And, your generosity helped to
stave off hunger in this village in Guatemala. The results are astounding. Our hearts are full of gratitude.
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Maya's biological family also received groceries
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Separate from this effort, through GoFundMe, we also raised $750 to feed Maya’s family, as we cannot use Sowing Opportunities fund for Maya’s biological family, which is also our family.
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Thank you again for your assistance. If you would still like to
give towards the
next grocery run for the village, when conditions allow for travel, you can contact us via
www.sowingops.org or
info@sowingops.org .
Love,
Fern and Ginny
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Sowing Opportunities, Inc.
21 Ivy Road
Malden, MA 02148
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