Did You Know
Malnutrition is still prevalent in Guatemala. Almost one-fifth of children in Guatemala are underweight.
Source: Population Reference Bureau
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Double your Donation
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Thanks to a generous supporter, 2008 Common Hope Partner gifts that are designated to Education or Health Care will be matched! Click here to learn more and become a Common Hope Partner.
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Sponsors Needed
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We are searching for more than 500 Sponsors. Do you know someone who could help? If you do, forward this e-news or send them to our website. Thank you!
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Did You Know
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Guatemala ranks 15th in the world for the rate of
death among children from
respiratory disease.
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Source:
Nationmaster / WHO
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Current and
Upcoming Needs of the Month
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July:Full size bars of soap and hand towels Aug / Sep:School supplies: for a full list, click hereFor details contact Andrew Allen via email or (651) 917-0917.
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Did You Know
Not only does a wood stove decrease the risk of respiratory disease. It also uses one-third the wood of an open cookfire, thereby proving to be more affordable AND
reducing
deforestation in the country.
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Greetings!
While many of us enjoy a summer break in the States, students in Guatemala continue their school year, which runs from January to October. Their school attendance is a privilege that you make possible - thank you! Here are some of the latest updates about students, families, and members of the Common Hope community.
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Nutritional needs identified in San Rafael
Earlier this year a nutritional assessment of San Rafael students was
conducted. Under the supervision
of our nutritionist, Rita López, a team was dispatched to weigh and measure the
children in the community.
 Of the 304 students at the school, 242 were assessed
that day. Results indicated that 85 percent of the children
displayed signs of chronic malnutrition, and an additional 12 percent exhibited acute malnutrition.
The results have prompted an investigation to
determine the most appropriate and efficient way to address the situation. Rocio
Gonzalez, satellite coordinator, has already conducted meetings with school teachers and community leaders to create an
action plan. Continued...
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Celebrating education and peace in GuatemalaOn June 25th the Antigua pilot school
held a special ceremony to commemorate both the Day
of the Teacher and the Day of Peace.
In Guatemala each profession is celebrated
with a day of honor, and for the 119 students at our pilot school, The Day of the Teacher was a chance to reflect on educators' contributions to s  ociety. Students did so
by reading short tributes to their teachers.
The Day of Peace commemorates the peace accords in Guatemala, which were signed
almost 12 years ago. The fourth grade students sang
the national anthem, paraded with the flag, recited a poem about peace, and
talked about other important peace symbols, such as the dove. They also presented a brief history
of the civil war and spoke about the importance of peace for children all over the
world so that they can attend school, graduate, and give back to their
communities. |
Meet Gustavo Enrique Avila
 Thirteen-year-old Gustavo is in the fifth grade and wants to be a mason someday. He lives in San Juan del Obispo with his mother, father, five brothers, and one sister. Soccer and marbles are two of Gustavo's favorite things to do in his free time.
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A generous birthday giftMichael Hooker, a
second grader at Calvin Leete School in C  onnecticut, celebrated his eighth birthday in May by
giving to others. In lieu of gifts at his party, he collected school
supplies to send to students in Antigua. Michael's parents are extremely proud of him and
say he has always been a very caring child. They have tried to teach him from
an early age to be grateful for his blessings. Michael
was also inspired by his grandparents, who bought school
supplies for children in Africa. The images of those children, proudly showing their new pencils
and notebooks, motivated him to do something similar.
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Featured on Chicago Public Radio
 Gary Doten, honorary board member from the Chicago area, was recently featured on Chicago Public Radio's Worldview for a series called "My Global Activism Vacation." Gary talked about his experiences traveling to Guatemala with family and friends, the conditions of poverty in Guatemala, and the ways that Common Hope is providing solutions which he observed first-hand. Click here to listen to his thoughtful interview. Thanks to Gary for helping to spread the word!
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Guatemala photo display opens soon
 On July 15, Cosmic's Coffee Bar in St. Paul will
host the opening night of a Common Hope
photography exhibition. Cosmic's has kindly donated their wall
space for a month to display a collection of photographs of Guatemalan family life, taken
by local professional photographers.
The reception will run from 6-8pm on Tuesday, July 15 at Cosmic's Coffee, 189 Snelling Avenue N. in St. Paul. Shari Blindt will give a brief talk at 6:30pm. Guatemalan coffee and special food items will be for sale. Stop into Cosmic's anytime through August 15 to check out the photos .
This event was initiated by Common Hope intern Peter
Morrison, who is helping to develop the coffee shop model as a tool to generate
more awareness and, hopefully, to find new Sponsors.
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A couple with a cause takes action
Kay and
Mal Bruce, parents of long-term volunteer Lisa-Marie Bruce, first traveled to Guatemala on a Vision Team in March 2007.
When they returned home to Anaheim, CA, what really stuck with  them were the pictures of
women cooking over open fires in their homes. A retired registered nurse,
Kay was concerned about the health risks the fires presented for the children and
families.
Determined
to help, Kay and Mal began speaking about their experience and
asking friends to donate $80 to the stove program, enough to purchase a small
stove. The Common Hope stoves are vented through a
chimney and prevent the risk of inhaling unhealthy smoke.
 After raising
enough money to purchase 11 stoves, the Bruces returned to Guatemala this May to help build them.
Back in California, the couple held a Common Hope celebration at their home for all
the friends who provided donations. We're pretty sure that Kay and Mal
aren't finished yet!
Top right: the canister a family used for their open cookfire. Bottom left: Kay and Mal celebrate with a family that earned one of the stoves they donated and helped
install.
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Give someone in Guatemala a fresh start
 Our July need of the month is 1,200 bars of soap and hand towels.
Thank you to
all who helped to collect Spanish-language children's books last month. Over 500 books have been donated so far. Our goal is to collect 1,100 more for the holiday baskets, so we will continue to accept books until we reach our goal. You can check out the status of all of our supply drives on our website.
Thank you again for your efforts. The piles of new supplies reaching our office each week are an inspiration! |
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