Pledge to Humanity’s first project helped better the lives of homeless orphans living in the streets of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Three years ago, an organization called Cambio Interno (InnerChange) began working with them and found that many of these ‘shoe-shine kids’ were living in a make-shift dwelling with sub-standard conditions. Before these children had a safe place to stay, they were forced to sleep in the dangerous streets of Guatemala. Unfortunately, the home they came to live in still did not have an adequate bathroom or shower of any sort that they were able to use.
Pledge to Humanity saw this problem and provided the funds to build a shower and bathroom for the kids to use. Before we had built a bathroom, lack of hygiene was a major issue that greatly affected these children. Without access to a decent bathroom or shower, the children were at a higher risk of developing sicknesses and diseases. Now that Pledge to Humanity has built this bathroom for them, the children are able to use this restroom whenever they want and are able to shower daily as well. By providing sanitary and functioning facilities, Pledge to Humanity has helped improve the lives of these children.
The result of our investment has been to partner closely with Cambio Interno, as they walk daily with these ignored and discarded kids. The staff and volunteers of Cambio Interno help create a sense of extended family, engendering hope through involving them in sports, helping them get back into school, and raising their horizons to new possibilities for their lives. Together we are helping to bring humanity to an inhumane situation, transforming lives and communities in Central America.
A LETTER FROM GUATEMALA
Quetzaltenango, 23 de Abril del 2009.
Señores:
PLEDGE TO HUMANITY
USA.
Los saludamos a nombre de Cambio Interno Xela. Desde ya le agradecemos su amor y su bondad para con nuestros niños Pedro, Juan, Sebastián, José, Héctor. Todo acto de bondad es como una semilla que eternamente florecerá.
En los tiempos antiguos darse un baño era un privilegio para pocos debido a su alto costo es impresionante que esto ocurra hoy en día; ya que no todos los individuos pueden tener acceso al agua y especialmente los más pobres de los pobres, que carecen de todo.
Debido a la pobreza, existe esa falta de higiene que en nuestros países centroamericanos es una de las causas de que presentemos un alto índice de enfermedades infectocontagiosas como los parásitos y enfermedades respiratorias. Para nosotros ha sido todo un desafío inculcar en los niños el hábito de bañarse, debido a que no están acostumbrados a ello, por eso la contribución que ustedes nos han dado ha beneficiado de una manera enorme en el cuidado de la salud y bienestar físico de nuestros niños.
Queremos darles las gracias a nombre de ellos y esperamos poder contar siempre con su ayuda, en realidad estamos convencidos de que el futuro depende de nuestros niños, gracias infinitas por confiar en nosotros.
Atentamente,
Cambio Interno.