Several of the Weavers of Xela AID's Tesoros del Corazón Fair Trade Cooperative. See our weaver's art featured and support them at JOJI BAGS

A new freezer display will save energy while selling more sausages!

Our "Sausage Ladies"

micro-business got a boost through a gift of a refrigerated display case by Lance Robinson. The project began a year ago with help from Lance and is thriving! See more photos HERE. 

The "Change a Life" project in which Xela AID's Leaders of the Future select a family living in extreme poverty to receive sorely needed assistance,  turned an extremely poor living space into a comfortable, light-filled home. (See story at left and photo album, "Casa Azul.")

Xela AID thanks veterans and newcomers alike who participated in this trip: Monica Behunin, Dove Benari, Claudia Nocke, Janet Taylor, Ron Truppa, John Douglass, Jill Onken, Justin Flint, Shelby Churchill, Xela AID Advisor Cliff Hague, Don Logan; and Xela AID Board Members 

For a window into the trip, browse

Part 1,  "Veterans" Summer PHOTO ALBUM

Leaders of the Future, 2012

This summer, Xela AID's Leaders of the Future youth group presented a proposal for a business. With mentoring from volunteers including Ron Truppa, Sue Rikalo , and Cliff Hague who have many years of business experience, the Leaders tuned up the plan. Add seed funding and they launched their business AND are getting additional computer training!

By Sue Rikalo, Xela AID Board Member and  

Chair, Leaders of the Future & Micro-business Committee 

If only a few words could convey the excitement the Lideres del Futuro have for their new venture! They put a lot of thought into creating a business that will allow them the flexibility and income to continue their studies: they aim to be THE group to contact whenever there is a party.

A micro-loan from Xela AID enabled them to purchase tables, chairs and decorations. In the future, a clever twist to their business is that there will be the opportunity to have a child's photo taken with a Hollywood character like Spiderman, Superman and the Little Mermaid. 

To promote their new business, the group has committed to selling tickets for a raffle. The winner of the raffle gets a free party - which will be more than covered by the proceeds of raffle ticket sales. The Leaders' raffle ticket plan is only one example of the creative and effective ideas for marketing generated by the group.

 The Leaders are also building their capacity by taking a series of computer and business classes which they began this month. The lessons learned are timely because the students can apply them to their own business situation.

The Xela AID team both in the U.S. and Guatemala is working closely with the students to ensure that this first venture is a success. We'll keep you posted!

Cheer the Leaders on by Liking,Commenting and  

Sharing photos of their First Party PHOTO ALBUM 

Carlos at left, accompanied by Jill, en route to deliver a locally made water filter

By Xela AID Board Member Dr. Carlos de la Rosa and Volunteer Jill Onken

What's the value of clean water? We open the tab at home and out it comes, clean, potable, healthy. We take for granted that the water we get at home is going to be clean and potable. However, this is not the case in most of the developing world.

A regular day in the village of San Martín Chiquito sees people moving water from a "pila" (concrete or plastic basin normally outside of the house) into plastic containers shaped like round amphora. The water comes from one of several places, either a spring capture up in the mountains several miles away, or a nearby well.

A plastic pipe (one can see bundles of them strung overhead across roads in the countryside) arrives at the pila and provides water irregularly, often only a couple of hours a day or every other day. The water is collected in the open basin, which is often outside in the sun, covered in green algae. The basins are used for water storage as well as for washing clothes. All of the water is untreated for bacteria or other contaminants, even though it looks "clean" to the naked eye.

Inside the house, the water sits in various containers, to be used for cooking, drinks and washing. Through education in the area provided by Xela AID and other help groups, many people have learned to boil their water before drinking it. But this is expensive, because everyone cooks with wood. But now, many villagers have an alternative: "Agua Pura" or filtered potable water.

Since 2011, Xela AID has been providing locally-made water filters and installing them at homes across the community. Surveys of pre- and post-water filter use have been collected, which are helping Xela AID evaluate how effective the filters are in preventing enteric diseases and contamination. It is one small but critical step in the achievement of a healthy standard for families in the community.

Training on the use of the filters and its benefits is being accomplished through the efforts of local youth, Xela AID's Leaders of the Future group, and several woman leaders in the community, who monitor the filter's use, solve problems, and maintain steady messaging about the importance of clean water for health.

Our plans include an assessment and clean-up of all sources of water that come to the homes, with the intention of providing potable water directly from the taps. Eventually, we also want to create small, forested protected areas around the areas where the best springs are located. This will guarantee a supply of clean, natural spring water to the communities into the future.

Water is life, in the truest sense of the world. And clean water is part of a sustainable, healthy life. With your support, Xela AID will continue to provide clear, "pure" water to families and entire communities. It is an essential step in the achievement of Xela AID's goals for sustainable community development.

See Xela AID's Water Project at Work PHOTO ALBUM  

Thank you for your interest and support.  

- The Xela AID Board of Directors