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Of the 40 million indigenous peoples of Latin America, 90% live in poverty and the majority of these live in Guatemala. Sixty-two percent of Guatemalans live in extreme poverty, 40% of children under the age of 5, and 80% of children ages 5-15 suffer from some form of malnutrition. Some of these children are under height, under weight, and many have signs of poor motor skills and mental development. Nevertheless, the children are essential to the family's survival. They are sent out to work at very young ages. Not only is this hard on the children, but it hinders their development and their future by not allowing them to attend school. In the rural areas of Guatemala, 70% of the people cannot read or write. |
In Guatemala, over 400 dedicated national staff, in partnership with local evangelical churches, share the love of Christ with over 7,000 needy children and their families through 30 childcare centers located around the country. These include Christian schools, daycare centers, a year-round camp, two clinics, and a rural hospital. In partnership with Word and Deed (a ministry of the Dutch Reformed Church in Holland), the heart of our ministry is to meet both the physical and spiritual needs, even as Christ Himself did. |