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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.
