My Nonprofit Reviews

I have been a Board member for Wuqu'Kawoq for several years and wish to say how incredibly and continually impressed I am with this organization, its leadership, and the work it does. There are literally thousands of NGOs in Guatemala, many of them focusing on health, but only a small handful address important health issues in ways that are sustainable and sensitive to the culture and language of the people they serve. Wuqu'Kawoq is one of these. It take anthropology and linguistics as serious as it does medicine. Let me give you just one example. One big problem in rural Guatemala is diabetes. A bigger problem than access to meds, however, is education: most people do not really understand the disease, what it is or how medication and diet can help them combat its effects. These things can be explained in Spanish, sure, but most rural Guatemalans do not speak Spanish, they speak a Mayan language. Wuqu'Kawoq staff speak these languages; moreover, to address the problem, they consulted with local Mayan linguists. In the end, they actually created a new word for 'diabetes' in the Kaqchikel language to replace the Spanish borrowing that was in use. The word they used translates directly to 'sweet blood.' This word has now allowed them to explain clearly to diabetics what is wrong with them (they have 'sweet blood') and how to make their blood 'less sweet!' People who have had the disease for years are finally understanding it! And that is allowing them to address their own illness! There are dozens of other examples of WK's amazing and unique effectiveness in addressing such issues (including many women's health issues, child malnutrition, complex surgical procedures, etc.). It is why I have given thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of my time over the years to this organization and will continue to do so as long as I am able.