Guatemala Archives - Cross International

A Young Woman and Her Family Rise Out of Poverty

May 26, 2022 by Cross International

Josefina was stuck. With four children to care for, Josefina and her husband, Santos, were struggling to find enough work to put food on the table. The pair mainly worked as day laborers in their hometown of El Milagro, Guatemala. Working for others, it was difficult for Josefina and Santos to get ahead. They wondered if they would ever break free of the cycle of poverty.

Little did they know God was about to bless them with a new opportunity.

Josefina was chosen by local Cross International partner, Hope of Life, to receive help starting a new business raising chickens for eggs. Thanks to the kindness and generosity of Cross International donors like you, Josefina and her family received training on how to care for and maintain a flock as well as 40 hens and a coop of their own. Because Josefina is not literate, field staff enlisted the help of her eldest daughter to help with keeping track of egg production and sales.

In the first year of the business, Josefina and her family worked diligently to make the most out of their new opportunity. Not only did they start earning a daily income, they were able to reinvest some of the profits in replenishing and expanding their flock. For Christmas, Josefina was able to purchase and raise a small flock of broiler chickens, and they all sold out!

Josefina and her family feel blessed by God to be a part of this Cross International poultry project and they are very proud to have their own business and to be able to support their children.

Thank you for making family agriculture projects like this one possible. You are giving hard-working people like Josefina the dignity and hope that comes from being able to reap the fruits of their labors and build a future for themselves and their kids.

If you want to support other families like Josefina’s, you can donate to the animal and agricultural fund or provide economic empowerment for small businesses in other communities in need.

Raising Chickens: Moving Beyond Poverty in Guatemala

February 17, 2022 by Cross International

Escaping Poverty in Guatemala

Argelia never had the chance to go to school in Guatemala. Now 52 years old, she still cannot read or write. Even so, Argelia worked hard to provide for her children as best as she could, but with little opportunity the cards were stacked against her. Then, thanks to the faithfulness of Cross supporters, Argelia got connected with Hope of Life, Cross International’s partner in Guatemala. With the support of CI donors like you, Hope of Life is in the midst of a three-year community transformation project in Argelia’s village of El Milagro.

One of the core components of this community transformation project is to help individuals build thriving agriculture businesses in order to provide for their families and increase the availability of nutritious food in the village.

Raising Chickens

Because of her hard work, Argelia was chosen to receive help starting a chicken raising business. Argelia has been diligent in attending training sessions and now she has her own chicken coop and is able to harvest eggs for her family to eat and to sell at the market for extra income. Argelia is incredibly thankful to have been able to be a part of this Cross International poultry project in Guatemala. “No one receives if God does not give,” Argelia said. “God is great and powerful and I am so grateful for the benefit of these projects.”

Thank you for blessing hard-working people like Argelia with the means to build a better life for themselves and their children!

If you want to support other families like Argelia’s, you can donate to the animal and agricultural fund or provide economic empowerment for small businesses in other communities in need.

A Baby Nursed Back to Health in Guatemala

October 14, 2021 by Cross International

A Malnourished Infant from a Poor Guatemalan Family

Little Vilma weighed just 4 pounds. At 22 days old, she was already dangerously underweight. Baby Vilma was suffering from severe malnourishment in Guatemala. Her family is from the small village of El Barrial where they live in a dilapidated adobe hut with a tin roof and a dirt floor.

Her family is from the small village of El Barrial where they live in a dilapidated adobe hut with a tin roof and a dirt floor. They have no electricity and no running water. In fact, the only water source the family has is a small stream a 40-minute walk from their home.

Nutrition Help in Guatemala

Cross International friends sent a nutritional rescue team from Hope for Life, a Cross International partner in Guatemala, to help baby Vilma. When the team arrived, they realized just how fragile she was.

They took Vilma back to the Nutrition Recovery Center where the little girl responded beautifully to the child nutrition plan they put in place. Vilma began to overcome malnutrition and hunger in Guatemala. In less than two months baby Vilma had gained enough weight to return home to her family.

Nutrition Education for Mom

Wilma’s mother received help too. Thanks to Cross International and Hope for Life, she received education on how to fight malnutrition so that she can make sure that Vilma will continue to grow healthy and strong. She will also be taking Vilma to all of her follow-up appointments so that Hope for Life can continue to monitor Vilma’s health. Cross International supporters also gave Vilma’s mom nutrients and formulas that will help her continue to feed Vilma all that she needs.

Vilma’s parents see the care they received from Cross International and Hope for Life as their own little miracle. They are so thankful to God and to Cross International supporters like YOU for helping to heal their daughter.

Fighting Childhood Hunger in Guatemala

June 25, 2021 by Cross International

Threatened by Child Hunger

At just eight months old, little Melani weighed just over 9-pounds—barely more than half of what a child her age should weigh. Melani was suffering from child hunger in Guatemala.

Melani lives in the village of Loma del Viento, Guatemala, with her parents and three brothers. The family lives in a modest concrete home and is in danger of food insecurity. A nurse from the local community health post noticed that Melani was dangerously underweight. Fearing the child was malnourished, she reached out to Cross International’s local partner, Hope of Life.

The Hope for Life team visited Melani’s home and confirmed that the little girl was not getting the nutrition that she needed.

Help for a Hungry Child

Thanks to your support of Cross International, Melani and her mother were admitted to Hope for Life’s St. Luke Pediatric Nutritional Recovery Center. There, a doctor diagnosed Melani with severe acute malnutrition.

For the time being, Melani will continue to be cared for at the Hope for Life Nutritional Recovery Center. Thanks to the kindness of Cross International donors like you, she is receiving medical and nutritional care, including breastfeeding education for her mom. Melani is nursing, drinking formula, and eating semi-solid baby food three times a day. The Hope for Life staff are also helping Melani’s mother learn how to care for her baby and ensure that she gets the childhood nutrition she needs after they return home.

A New Home for an Impoverished Family in Guatemala

June 17, 2021 by Cross International

An Unsafe Living Situation

Mailyn was in need of a new home in Guatemala. She lived in a small adobe house with cardboard lining the interior walls and concrete floors. The house was hot in the summer and cold in the winter. When it rained, the roof leaked. The dilapidated structure could not provide the shelter and safety that Mailyn and her four children needed. Knowing that her home was in poor condition and that she was in desperate need of safe housing for her children, Mailyn prayed that someone would be able to provide them with a new, safe home.

Mailyn's home - Before

The Gift of a Humanitarian Housing Project

After praying for a new home, Mailyn heard about Cross International’s partner in Guatemala, Hope of Life, and their ongoing humanitarian housing project. Mailyn reached out to Hope of Life to see if she might qualify for a new home in Guatemala. Hope of Life took a look at Mailyn’s situation and saw that her family’s need for safe housing was clear. Thanks to the faithful and compassionate support of Cross International partners like you, Mailyn’s prayers for safe housing were coming true!

A New Home in Guatemala

Mailyn and her family have now moved into their new, safe home. The home features a new latrine and an eco-stove that makes it safe to cook food indoors. The family is so thankful for their new home in Guatemala. They now no longer have to worry about intruders or bad weather and all the benefits of safe housing are theirs. Now, Mailyn and her children have shelter.

It’s only because of Cross International friends like you that humanitarian housing projects like Mailyn’s are made possible. Thank you for your kindness that is shining God’s love to so many in Guatemala and around the world!