They have been there for us as mentors, teachers, guides, cheerleaders and examples.

 

 During this time when we celebrate the fathers in our lives, we at Mayan Families would like to ask you to  recognize some extraordinary fathers here in Guatemala. 

We work with families all the time and know so many fathers who want the best for their children. They make enormous sacrifices to keep their kids in school, put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads. Guatemalan fathers are hard-working, often rise well before sunrise to make the long trek to begin the back-breaking work in the fields. Some fathers climb into the hills to collect heavy bundles of firewood, others break rocks, dig sand out of rivers, and try to repair their homes with very little materials and only just their hands as tools. 

We have known fathers who build beds for their children from tree trunks and 

branches. There are others who carry their children for miles to get medical help for them.  Fathers who keep working when they know they are too sick, and it will be dangerous for their health but do it because if they don't, their children won't have anything to eat.   

 

We have fathers who are blind, fathers who are disabled, fathers who have been widowed and now raise children alone. They do it the best that they can.

 We also see grandfathers who keep working long after they should retire, just to feed the grandchildren they are bringing up.

We have one father who has had his legs amputated at the knee. He puts pads on his knees and goes to work every day in the fields, walking on his stumps, to keep his family fed.

 They all keep going because they want a better life for their children. Men who cannot read and write, who never had the chance to go to school, struggle to be able to send their children to computer classes because they know this is the future for their children.

 We have many mothers also, who have had to take on the role of both mother and father and young sons who have had to take over the role of fathers....caring for siblings, giving up school themselves to go to work to feed the family.

 Young men like Jose, Candelaria's son.  He is early 20's now but has been looking after his wheel chair bound mother and four young siblings for many years.  He works 7 days a week driving a tuk tuk  to be able to feed his family.  He takes his siblings to school every day, he fills the role of both mother and father for them and he is the only breadwinner in the family .  

They all have the common hope and desire for their children to have a better life than they have had: to have enough food to eat, to receive an education, to rise above the level of poverty the parents have endured. 

This Father's Day, please consider fulfilling one of these amazing dad's ( or mom's)  most basic wishes  by sending a basket full of food that will keep his children fed, at least, for this one special day .

  With your help, we can ensure that dads here, just like dads at home, get a much-deserved break from their worries. It's a great way to honor them and recognize their hard work and sacrifices. 

To give a Father's Day Food Basket, please go to Donate Now, and enter $35 in the 'Other' box, and "Father's Day Food Basket" in the details. Thank you! 

If you would like to give this gift in honor of a special father or person  in your life, please let us know all of the relevant information by sending us an e-mail to: sharon@mayanfamilies.org  

and we will be happy to send them an email and put it on our website in the IN HONOR section.