In May, we had the opportunity to present 7 families with their very own piece of land. A huge "thank you" to everyone who contributed to this ambitious undertaking! The families received the official land deeds granting them full ownership rights to these properties. The security of land ownership is almost unheard of among impoverished families, many of whom forego food and other daily necessities to pay rent on corrugated metal shacks offering little protection from the elements and even less from the whims of their landlords.

Lucinda, a young girl living with her mother and grandmother, was one of the happy recipients. The three women had been living alone in a small makeshift shelter with no door or lock on land that used to be a cemetery. Like many impoverished women, economic independence has been an especially elusive goal, and they are thrilled to have this opportunity.

For Jesus and Clara, two parents who received land on Friday, this brings a huge sigh of relief. They and their 10 children have been kicked out of home after home, finally settling in the small shack they were sharing. Now the family will know the stability of owning their own home, and money previously going to rent can go toward the food and medical care they need.

These plots of land will give families economic security, but will also be a place to raise future generations, grow their own food, and care for egg-laying hens. It's a huge economic investment that they could never afford on their own. Thanks again to everyone who helped us to achieve this goal! For more information on these and other families, check out the Family Aid Blog.

Dominga is one such case. She is just 50 years old, and a mother seven times. She has a cancerous tumor in her stomach, and though it is slow-growing and curable, she cannot live if it is not removed. A wonderful medical NGO, Wuq' Kawoq, has been working along with Mayan Families to care for Dominga, but the surgery she needs will still cost $1670 plus follow up, post surgery expenses. The tumor has made her very ill, and she has been admitted to the hospital on an emergency basis, but things are at an impasse until she -or we- can raise the money for her surgery.

After struggling through poverty all their lives, Dominga and her husband, Juan, have managed to keep their youngest children, Rodrigo, 13, and Ana Patricia, 11, in school with the help of Mayan Families.  They are the first in their families to learn to read and write, and Dominga has worked hard for many years in hopes that they would have this chance.  During this Mother's Day season, I hope that you will consider making a donation, big or small, to make sure that Dominga is here to see her children graduate.  I can't offer a beautiful, sad picture of an innocent face, but I hope that you will see in Dominga a difficult but dignified life - a life worth saving.