ICSF CHANGING LIVES: GUATEMALA

LESLIE BAER DINKEL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

MEL DINKEL, TREASURER

APRIL 23, 2016

Today’s Presentation

• Guatemala and its Challenges - 2016

• Xela AID Overview

• The International Christian Scholarship

Foundation’s Gifts of Education

– Meet your sponsored students

– How your support has changed their lives

Guatemala & Challenges -

2016• First nation south of Mexico, begins Central

America

• 15 million people

• 60% of the population is indigenous/Mayan

Rural Guatemala (Sources: CDC, World Factbook)

• 90% indigenous

• 73% living below the national poverty line

• 14% “extreme poverty” <=$1.25/day

• Just 1 in 10 indigenous children graduate 6th

grade (3 in 10 Spanish speakers)

• 4th highest chronic malnutrition worldwide

• Risk of infectious disease: High

• 24 in 1000 children die 1st year (US = 6)

• Leading causes of death: Respiratory infections (14%), Domestic Violence (11%)

If Guatemala were your home

you would…• Die 8 years sooner

• Be 4 times more

likely to die in infancy

• Be 44% less likely to

be employed

• Make 90% less

money

• Spend 97% less

money on health care

• Use 95% less

electricity

• Consume 91% less oil

• Experience 22% more

of a class divide

• Be 17% more likely to

have HIV/AIDS

• Have nearly 2 times

more children

* From

ifitweremyhome.com

Xela AID Overview“Xela AID empowers children and their families in Guatemala’s poorest communities to break the cycle of poverty and to become healthy, educated and self reliant.”

o 23 years strong!

o Office in Long Beach, CA

o Headquarters in the highlands of

Guatemala at 7500 feet – San

Martín Chile Verde

o Closest major city: Quetzaltenango

(AKA “Xela”)

o Approach: Integrated, sustainable

community development

San Martín Chile Verde(AKA San Martín Sacatepequez)

• Xela AID headquarters

and clinic, 45 minutes

from Xela

• Population: 30,000 in

19+ communities

• Commerce: Agriculture,

Domestic Services,

Weaving

• Center of Mám culture,

Sacred Lake Chiquibal

Xela AID Staff and In-Country Partners

• Headquarters and Clinic

• Staff Guatemala: 13

• Partners in Guatemala• Habitat for Humanity (low-cost housing)

• Rotary International (clean water and

sanitation)

• Thriive (skills training)

• Direct Relief International (medications)

• Red Cross (PAP and HIV testing)

• Peace Corps (special projects)

• VOSH (optometry services)

• INTECAP (skills training)

• SOSEP (preschool project)

• Guatemalan Ministry of Health

• Guatemalan Ministry of Education

Xela AID: Meeting Critical Needs

Volunteer Program supports all

others

2015: Served 6062 people

o Educating Children, Training

Leaders

o Preventing Disease, Promoting

Wellness

o Creating Jobs, Fueling Small

Businesses

o Empowering Women, Ending

Domestic Violence

o Responding to Emergencies

Integrated Solutions to Fight Poverty

EDUCATION• Preschool

• Study Center

• Scholarships (K-College)

• Adult Literacy & Skills Training

• Leadership & Skills Training

• Computer Labs

HEALTH• Family Medicine

• Mental Health & Domestic Violence Prevention

• Specialties – Optometry, Dentistry, OBGYN, Cancer Screening

• Family Planning & Low-Cost Contraception

CLEAN ENVIRONMENT• Clean Water

• Fuel Efficient Stoves, Clean Cooking

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT • Small business development

• Fair Trade Weaving Cooperative

• Microloans

EMERGENCY RELIEF• Disaster Response

• Women & Children at Risk

Snapshot of Xela AID Impacts

Cumulative• Total Scholarships: 558

• Village’s FIRST high school graduates - 312

• FIRST college grads – 15

Year 2015

• Hot Meals at Preschool – 25,440

• Individual Health Appointments:

5,480

• Mental Health Hours: 3,744

• Total Learning Hours across all education programs: 286,860

ICSF’s Gift of Education

• ICSF Sponsored Four Young Adults for the

2016 School Year

• Students are 19-27 years old, high school

graduates, top students, and attend local

universities

• All are members of Xela AID’s Leaders of the

Future two-year certificate program cohort

• Each of these students overcame

significant hardships to have

come this far!

Meet Lilian

• 27 years old

• Elementary school

teaching certificate

• Seeks B.A. +

Advanced Teaching

Credential

• Works four odd jobs

• No father in the home

• Determined to be an

example that

“obstacles can be

overcome”

Meet Elmer• 24 years old

• Has a Teaching Certificate

• Seeks B.A. + Advanced

Teaching Credential

• Studying physics and math

in a 3-year program

• Recently lost father, family

has no resources

• He wants to help others

• Elmer loves to play guitar

Meet Lilian

• 24 years old

• Teaching Certification

for Kindergarten

• Seeks B.A., Wants to

be a Physical Therapist

• Has six brothers and

sisters

• Wants to help her

community by

encouraging more girls

to become

professionals

Meet Juana• 19 years old

• High school diploma

• Wishes to earn a B.A.

and High School

Teaching Credential

• Her parents have no

money to help her go to

school, so she does

laundry and odd jobs

• Juana loves to learn,

and wants to set an

example for other young

women

ICSF-Sponsored Students Give Back: Students with

several of the younger children they tutor each week.

Thank you ICSF!

“Those who are educated

are overwhelmingly likely

to educate their own

children.” -- Nat. Center for

Education Study

ICSF’s gifts of

education are breaking

the cycle of poverty for

these four young

people, and their

children to come.

See your support at work!

Newsletter Signup – www.xelaaid.org

Contact: leslie@xelaaid.org

mel@xelaaid.org