I highly recommend supporting Pueblo a Pueblo. Their WASH in Schools program supports schools and children in Guatemala. Their project works with school directors, teachers, and students to create a healthy school environment through the construction of sanitation facilities and education on personal hygiene habits.
As a long time employee of a non profit that has collaborated with them on several water and sanitation projects in Guatemala, I can attest to the dedication and impact of their work. Pueblo a Pueblo continues to be a valuable partner to us and we hope to continue including them in our program for many years to come!
I volunteered with Pueblo a Pueblo from March through June of 2012. PaP is a well-respected organization that has built a positive reputation for itself in the community of Santiago Atitlan. After seeing the different programs in action, I also decided to sponsor a child which was also a rewarding experience to know I am supporting one girl's opportunity for education. I would highly recommend donating or paying a visit to the office if you want to see how the programs are helping the community there.
I always make it a point to visit when I am in Guatemala just to see the wonderful kids and the great work this group does...I met with my sponsored child and his family, They were very excited to meet me and show me their home and school. I have visited the hospital they run and even been to a festival they have every year to raise money as well as get the local people together with us nonlocals...One thing that truly impresses me is the way for everyone involved I have met this organization is not a job it is truly a calling.
I worked with Pueblo a Pueblo as a volunteer intern from October-December 2010 after coming across their website through Idealist.org. I was intrigued by the variety of PaP's work as well as the friendly reception I got through phone calls and emails with staff. My only regret from my time with Pueblo a Pueblo is that I didn't stay longer!
I first donated to Pueblo a Pueblo last year. I enjoy keeping up on how my money is being used to help children in Guatemala through their online blog and through personal correspondence. Donating has been a very rewarding experience because I can see how my dollars are being put to use.
I became involved with PaP after I stumbled across the website while researching an upcoming vacation in Guatemala. The more I learned about the organization, the more I knew I wanted to help them make a difference. I've seen with my own eyes the important work that Pueblo a Pueblo is doing, and I strongly believe in its community-based, secular approach to helping indigenous Guatemalans to improve their own lives.
Pueblo a Pueblo focuses on education, health, and nutrition - three critical areas in helping today's children to break free of the poverty that has gripped their families and community for generations - and over the past several years I've witnessed the impact of their programs: I've seen the children hungrily line up for PaP's school lunches; I've watched kids learning how to grow healthy food in their school gardens; and I've seen children sitting in rapt attention during story time at the library. I've also heard about one of my favorite programs - Mother-Child Health - where moms receive pre- and post-natal care, their babies receive checkups and vaccinations, and parents attend monthly sessions on parenting and family planning.
I guess what has meant the most to me, however, is meeting my sponsored child and his mom when I visited in 2010. I was nervous about the language differences but I found that smiles know know language boundaries. But while the smiles warmed my heart, what really showed me the effect of PaP's work were the grateful tears in his mother's eyes as she asked the translator to tell me how much the ability for her son to go to school meant to her. It still grips my heart just writing about it.
I am now a board member and know the organization from the inside out, and it has only increased my respect and admiration for the organization and its owrk. I can honestly say that Pueblo a Pueblo is making a difference in the lives of the children and the communities where they work. I am proud to have a small part in making that difference.
II love Pueblo a Pueblo (PaP). I learned about PaP from a friend and began sponsoring a young Maya girl, who recently successfully completed 6th grade. I am now sponsoring her young brother. PaP also has a mother-infant program that is doing wonderful things to improve infant and child health. I have been a volunteer for a little more than three years now, and am very impressed with the leadership and the new directions they are taking the organization. New projects to set up organic gardens to support local school lunch programs and establishing school libraries are programs I can fully support. PaP is doing an excellent job, especially given current economic uncertainties.
I had the opportunity to volunteer with PaP in Guatemala — something I wholeheartedly recommend. In early 2008, I was able to spend 6 weeks in Santiago on Lake Atitlan in the central highlands. I simply fell in love with the country and the indigenous people I met there. It is a paradise, but the people have so many needs. Malnutrition is the biggest problem, followed by poor maternal health and high rates of infant mortality. The literacy rate is very low among the indigenous Maya. PaP is making a difference in Santiago Atitlan, and I will continue to support their program in any way I can.