2020 Annual Report

Health Care and Education in Guatemala

CONTENTS

EDITORIAL STAFF

Editor: Sarah Labelle

Graphic Design: April Hull

Photos: Kincho Films, Anna Watts, Emma Marshall

A special thank you to our printer

Ralph Myers at Mpress

© ODIM GUATEMALA 2021

TO MAKE A DONATION

Online: www.odimguatemala.org/donate

Check payable to ODIM: Martha Stowe

1527 Waterside Ct. Dallas, Texas, 75218

Contact: Amy Holly at executive.director@odimguatemala.org or communications.manager@odimguatemala.org

HOW WE WORK

At Organization for the Development of the Indigenous Maya (ODIM) we provide community-driven, high quality and culturally competent health and education services to the indigenous communities of San Pablo and San Juan La Laguna in Guatemala.

Our services include two medical clinics staffed by bilingual Spanish/Tz’utujil speaking nurses and a local physician, as well as a dental clinic. With the intention of preventing ill health, an elevated quality of life and creating sustainable change, we also have six community health and education programs. Our programs endeavor to be multi-faceted, evidence-based and culturally-aligned.

At ODIM, foreign and local staff work side by side, committed to improving the lives of the people we serve. We employ 45 staff in the two communities of San Pablo and San Juan La Laguna – 29 full-time employees and 16 parttime. 80% of our staff are Tz’utujil Mayan,13% are Guatemalan nationals (but not Tz’utujil) and 7% are foreign. 87% of our leaders and coordinators are women.

Vision: To be a nationally and internationally recognized leader in healthcare and preventative health education.

Mission: To enable access to healthcare and preventative health education for the population, with equality, honesty, and confidentiality, that is focused on programs that promote development and empowerment of the communities of San Pablo and San Juan La Laguna.

A LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

After a roller coaster of a year for us all, I am proud to be able to share with you how ODIM turned crisis into opportunity, and became more of a pillar in our communities than ever before.

Some of the most pivotal moments for me in 2020 were hearing some of these hard-hitting comments.

“If we don’t die of COVID, we will die of hunger.”

“How can I wash my hands when I don’t have running water? There is no hand sanitizer here, and even if there was, we can’t pay for that.”

“The money that I earn today, feeds my kids tonight. I can’t quarantine.”

I am so thankful to say that ODIM was in a position to jump in and address these challenges because of you.

We turned to emergency food distribution, and gave out 3,254 baskets of food over 9 months to families in need (including families in quarantine); we networked more than ever before, forming partnerships with NGOs and government; we started producing TV education in the local Mayan language Tz’utujil; and for the first time ever we expanded our support to the surrounding communities of San Marcos and San Pedro.

No doubt our most creative exploit was setting up a hand sanitizer co-op with our scholarship kids, creating an affordable locally-made product to prevent the spread of COVID in our towns whilst also generating an income as the economy ground to a halt. Check out Ana Silvia’s story about how the team made this happen on page 16.

I have to admit there were days when I broke down crying when I got home; like the day I went to the local public health center to find out what resources they had and I saw the evidence that anyone who got desperately sick with COVID would not have any real chance here.

At other moments we laughed and cried sighs of relief; when 10 exposed staff members came back with negative COVID tests, when our first batch of hand sanitizer went on sale, when donations rolled in after our emergency COVID response campaign and we were able to double the size of the food distribution. 2020 was a tough year for us all, and I hope you are also able to reflect back on how you turned the challenges of the pandemic into opportunity.

Your decision to make a difference to the communities of San Pablo and San Juan should be at the top of that list.

Yours gratefully

Amy Holly

“2020 was a tough year for us all, and I hope you are also able to reflect back on how you turned the challenges of the pandemic into opportunity. Your decision to make a difference to the communities of San Pablo and San Juan should be at the top of that list.”

OUR IMPACT!

2020 YEAR IN REVIEW

MEDICAL AND DENTAL SERVICES

623 New patients registered in our clinics

3,743 Treatments for diabetes (Metformin/Insulin)

3,493 Laboratory tests

1,320 Family Planning methods delivered

764 Antibiotic treatments

648 Prenatal consultations

69 Bach Flower Treatments

HEALTHY MOMMY & ME

170 moms and babies enrolled in the program

1,672 emergency food boxes distributed during the pandemic

4 workshops carried out by our health promoters

3 educational videos broadcast on local TV

18 mothers and their babies graduated after 1,000 days in the program

78% of the babies who graduated from our program reached a healthy height and weight at age 2

78%

5,637 HEALTHY HEIGHT & WEIGHT

SCHOLARSHIPS ACHIEVING DREAMS

school

11 students in 2020

2 graduated High School

100% passed the school year

110

emergency food boxes distributed during the pandemic

DIABETES — LET’S WALK TOGETHER

60% of the participants from San Juan and 44% from San Pablo have controlled sugar levels

1,032 emergency food boxes distributed during the pandemic

36 house visits carried out to vulnerable patients

22 workshops carried out by our health promoters

3 educational videos broadcast on local TV

350 people in total benefited from our program

HIGH IMPACT HOME IMPROVEMENTS

54

FAMILIES ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM

160 water filters & 33 stoves installed

989 individuals obtained access to safe drinking water and clean air

89 monitoring & evaluation interviews carried out

1 educational video broadcast on local TV

35,373 ADMINISTRATION

people benefited from our work on a budget of $402,000

Only 10% went to administration

4 new employees were hired in 2020

ENTREPRENEUR PROGRAM

1,510 bottles of hand sanitizer donated or sold

144 refills provided to our clients

57% of San Pablo’s households have a bottle of our disinfectant spray

51 bottles were donated to people in quarantine

1,510

ADOLESCENT HEALTH

36 students graduated in 2020 aged 11–13

2 educational videos broadcast on local TV

300 emergency food boxes distributed during the pandemic

FUNDRAISING

587 individual donors gave $220,500

6 ODIM Ambassadors gave $98,500

11 churches donated $37,500

We received $33,000 in grants

4 teams of volunteers raised $22,500

Patient donations totaled $11,500

INSIGHTS INTO THE PANDEMIC with Doctor Georgina Monzón

Tell us, how was your personal experience as a doctor as the pandemic hit?

What were your most difficult moments?

I was very concerned when I heard about the first cases in Sololá and San Juan. At the time, little was known about this virus so I had imagined the worse: waves of infected people rushing through our doors. Without proper equipment, I was concerned with my own health and the health of my team, too. Thankfully, we were able to protect ourselves properly and handle the increasing demand.

We have had cases of patients coming into our clinic with all of the symptoms of COVID-19, and yet sometimes they refuse to get a COVID test. I remember one patient denied having been in contact with anyone with COVID and I was later informed that four members of the family had already tested positive. It’s not unusual in our work that patients lie about taking their medication or exercising enough, but I’ve seen an increase in patients hiding the truth this year, most of it regarding COVID. This is how strong the stigma is around this illness in our communities.

As a health professional, what kind of training have you had regarding COVID-19?

At the beginning of the pandemic, I had the opportunity to attend a conference held by the Guatemalan Association of Infectious Diseases, with the support of World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). This is where I learned about what could happen in the coming weeks/months and how hard this new virus could hit. We were taught how to best support those who contracted COVID-19, when to refer them, and most importantly how to educate others regarding prevention measures.

I keep up my research on the subject, read articles and essays and generally keep myself informed. We have also done a significant number of trainings for the ODIM team; some led by me, others from different experts in the field.

How do you think Guatemala’s situation compares to other countries?

In Guatemala, we reached more than 175,000 cases in 2020, and a total number of fatalities approaching 6,400. At the end of the year, active cases decreased from 10,000 to approximately 6,800. However, there is an under reporting of cases, due to the lack of testing available as well as the taboo and fear around testing. Even though the number of cases is decreasing, we’re also noticing a decline in prevention measures. Regarding the vaccine, Guatemala has not yet purchased vaccines. Instead, the country relies on donations from Israel and India, and we are signed up to the COVAX scheme which is an initiative designed to help get the vaccine to poorer countries. I think Guatemala is behind the rest of the world in terms of its vaccination campaign. Developed countries are presently vaccinating their population on a larger scale, but at the time of writing, Guatemala has only just started with front-line health workers receiving their vaccine thanks to the tiny number of donated doses.

Do you think our communities of San Pablo and San Juan La Laguna are especially vulnerable during this pandemic?

Yes, I think they are more vulnerable here. At the clinic, we treat many people with chronic diseases, mostly diabetes and hypertension. We know that people with chronic disease are more vulnerable to COVID-19 because they are more prone to complications with the virus, that’s risk factor number one. There’s also a strong correlation between the pandemic and the economy; here in San Pablo and San Juan La Laguna, many families live off tourism, and without anyone to sell their products to, families are

seeing their income shrink drastically. Unemployment is taking a toll on many, to the extent that healthcare costs don’t make it on the priority list anymore; people are more worried about putting food on the table. And this is risk factor number two: not seeking medical care in time because you can’t afford it.

As a doctor and a trusted figure in the community, people often come for a consultation and share intimate stories with me. Patients have told me about losing loved ones to COVID-19, others broke down crying because their children were hungry and they didn’t have enough money to buy food that day. This affects me a lot on a personal level too, when I go back home, I carry the sad stories of people I couldn’t help. It is hard for all of us to be in the middle of this. Guatemala’s seven-month long lock-down from March to September took a huge toll on many families: some lost their job the very next day, others grew anxious and depressed from being inside all the time. Complications from illnesses occurred more frequently, too, because patients wouldn’t seek healthcare in time. I remember the sadness in the people’s eyes and in the way they talked when they came for a consultation. We are used to seeing a lot of poverty in our communities, but this year was dreadful.

What do you see happening

in the future with the pandemic?

Unfortunately, COVID-19 is here to stay. It’s not going anywhere, and won’t disappear any time soon. Perhaps with time it will become like a seasonal flu, one that only requires prevention and treatment for its symptoms. In the meantime, I think we can learn from this disease. This year, we’ve been encouraged to take better care of ourselves and prioritize our health.

Last words?

To all the individuals, families and companies that make ODIM’s work possible, and my work possible, I’d like to thank you. Thank you for enabling us to continue providing healthcare and health education here in San Pablo and San Juan La Laguna.

I am very proud of the work ODIM has done, especially the clinic team for working through this crisis together. I’ve witnessed incredible solidarity between the staff members, especially when two team members contracted the virus. But what struck me most during the pandemic is how our protection was at the heart of this crisis; when I look at all the equipment that was donated and bought for us, I feel well taken care of. I’m so grateful to all of you who protected us and helped us continue to safely serve the community.

OVERVIEWof PROGRAMS

Healthy Mommy & Me

BUDGET: $30,900

COORDINATOR: ROSARIO LEJA

About the program: Guatemala has the highest rate of chronic malnutrition in Latin America & the Caribbean. Among children under five years old, only half of Guatemalan babies have a normal height and weight. This is not surprising when statistics show that two-thirds of the overall population live on less than $2 per day. To tackle this issue, our Healthy Mommy & Me program is founded on the principles of the worldwide movement, The First 1000 Days. Studies prove that by bolstering nutrition, education and health practices from conception to a child’s second birthday, children can develop physically and mentally for healthy futures. There are four intervention methods involved in this program: healthcare, education, supplementation and support groups.

Achievements in 2020: Though all program activities were canceled, we continued to educate pregnant women and moms at home through local TV. Three Tz’utujil educational videos were made by our health promoters and broadcast on local television to reach the communities during lockdown. Food baskets were also distributed to all our participants from March to December, as an emergency measure during the pandemic. Prenatal vitamins were also included in the food bags for pregnant moms. Families with children showing signs of slow growth were given fortified oatmeal, supplements for malnutrition and referral for a medical check-up. 18 moms and babies graduated at the start of 2020, 78% of the graduating children had a healthy height and weight at age 2.

High Impact Home Improvements (HIHI)

BUDGET: $27,300

COORDINATOR: DOMINGO TZAJ

About the program: High Impact Home Improvements (HIHI) aims to prevent health problems caused by contaminated air and water by providing access to interventions for a healthy home environment. The program addresses two recurrent issues we see in the clinic; respiratory problems and diarrhea which causes malnutrition.

Families are provided with water filters and safe, smokeless and environmentally friendly stoves, in return for participation in informative workshops about Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) as well as practical advice on how to care for their interventions.

Achievements in 2020: Without our volunteers’ precious in-person help this year, we faced serious challenges providing drinking water and clean air to families in need. Stove construction was put on hold, but emergency water filters were handed out to the families in our program thanks to the generous support of organizations like the British Embassy, Poder y Luz Maya and many churches and teams.

Let’s Walk Together

BUDGET: $19,900

COORDINATOR: KELLY MENDOZA

About the program: In Guatemala, more than 25% of the indigenous population suffer from type II or pre-diabetes because of their genetics, diet and lifestyle. Unfortunately, as a consequence of high levels of stigma, lack of education and scarce economic resources, the disease is often left untreated.

Our Let’s Walk Together club provides education, exercise, cooking classes and support groups for those living a life with diabetes. The club’s goal is to empower our participants into taking control of their health, and living the healthiest life possible. Participants also receive health consultations, house visits, glucose and A1C checks, and extremely low-cost monthly medicines (at approximately $1.50 per month).

Achievements in 2020: We continued to educate our community in spite of the lock-down through educational videos in Tz’utujil made by our promoters and broadcast on local television. When the restrictions allowed it, we took our participants for walks in small groups of eight. All 86 participants were provided food vouchers from March to December. Also, three of our most vulnerable patients learned how to check their own sugar levels and administer their own insulin.

Adolescent Health

BUDGET: $22,400

COORDINATOR: BETTY PEREZ

About the program: Our Adolescent Health program is designed to empower youth with knowledge about puberty, sexuality, contraception and gender equality. In 2020 in Guatemala nearly 100,000 girls under 20 gave birth, and sex education is very much seen as a taboo topic. The program is designed to empower youth to not only make sensible decisions about their bodies, but to become peer educators in their communities.

Achievements in 2020: Two videos made by our health promoters were broadcast on local TV about puberty; and sex, gender and sexuality. All of our 40 participants’ families were provided food vouchers from March onwards during the food crisis.

Scholarships Achieving Dreams

BUDGET: $30,500

COORDINATOR: PAULINA QUIACAIN

About the program: Our scholarship program targets children from San Pablo La Laguna, where 80% of all children drop out before sixth grade. Our students are selected based on financial need and academic ambition, and receive a scholarship to cover the costs of their education. However, our scholarship children are often not able to receive guidance in the home and in the schools in order to truly excel. Therefore, ODIM provides promoters to provide tutoring and enrichment classes to the children involved.

Achievements in 2020: Two students graduated this year; Petrona Maritza as a Preschool Teacher and Rosario as a Bilingual Secretary. This school year was full of challenges, from class cancellation to online homework, so we continued to support our students with reinforcement sessions (individual and in pairs) to help them follow through with this tough year. We also conducted workshops on topics such as Reading Strategies, Building a good CV, First Interviews, and a motivational workshop “I can do it!”. Furthermore, all of our students were provided food vouchers from May to December.

Medical Clinics

BUDGET: $134,500

CLINIC MANAGER (Medical and Dental): KIMBERLY CELADA

Our work: Our two medical clinics provide high quality, culturally competent, affordable primary health care to the populations of San Pablo and San Juan La Laguna. The providers include bilingual Spanish/Tz’utujil speaking nurses and a physician local to the community. Patients usually pay a donation of $2.50, though no one is turned away.

Achievements in 2020: Our clinics remained open throughout the pandemic, providing essential services to patients with diabetes, hypertension, pregnant women and family planning services. We implemented door-to-door medicine delivery for our most vulnerable patients. Our storeroom remained stocked with birth control, medicines, PPE (personal protective equipment) and cleaning supplies, despite the rising prices, and shortages.

Dental clinic

BUDGET: $21,000

Our Work: Our San Juan dental clinic provides cleaning, fillings, and extractions. Many people are accustomed to coming to a dentist for emergencies only, so we are working to encourage more preventive care, through checkups, cleanings and fluoride application. Our dentists are also collaborating with medical staff to ensure that our diabetic patients’ special needs are met.

Achievements in 2020: We were able to continue providing dental services in spite of the pandemic, but not without implementing strict protocols. To avoid crowds and protect the health of both employees and patients, we made our services available through appointments only. We were also able to buy special personal protective equipment for dental, and implemented a strict cleaning protocol.

ODIM has the only non-profit dental clinic in the region, and so it was essential for our dental clinic to continue to attend patients who have no other option.

HOW COVID

INTO

TURNED US

ENTREPRENEURS

with ANA SILVIA PIY

Tell us Ana Silvia, when did your project start and why?

The entrepreneur project started on March 30, 2020, shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic hit Guatemala. Water was very scarce in our towns, and not all families were able to wash their hands constantly as recommended by the health guidelines. The local economy was crashing while the price of hand sanitizer shot up; a bottle could easily go for Q30-Q40 ($4-$6) which corresponds to what someone could earn in a day working in San Pablo- and even then, it was nearly impossible to find a bottle. Witnessing the situation, we had to act. So ODIM and our scholarship students decided to start producing hand sanitizer based on the formulation recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). ODIM had reached out to a few important donors to help purchase the raw materials, and we started producing, labeling and distributing our locally made hand sanitizer around our town and in the neighboring communities. The standard 240ml bottles cost Q20 ($2.60) to make but thanks to our donors we subsidized them and put them on sale for Q10 ($1.30). This way, the people of our community could afford hand sanitizer and protect themselves and their families. Our 10 young entrepreneurs shared the small amount of profit that was made on each bottle.

Did you face any difficulties along the way?

From March to August, Isopropyl Alcohol was in high demand, and suppliers took advantage of this to increase the price of their products; in the beginning it cost us Q80-90/gallon ($10–12) but the second time we ordered, the product now cost Q110/ gallon (14$). To keep on selling our product at a low price, we had to cut down on our revenues unfortunately. We also faced misinformation and conspiracy theories in our community of San Pablo La Laguna, people who believed the pandemic was made up, and that this virus was not real. This impacted our sales a lot and we had to work harder to find new customers and business to sell our product to.

What is your proudest achievement?

By the end of 2020, we had reached 60% of our final goal, which is to sell a bottle of hand sanitizer to all members of our community in San Pablo La Laguna, while producing a local, low-cost and quality product. By October, each ODIM employee was given a bottle of hand sanitizer and we were also refilling the bottles to ensure our product was environmentally friendly. In November, we created our own logo and further developed our branding strategy, we also came up with a new product: the 60ml Pocket Spray Hand Sanitizer.

We are proud to have been able to generate a small income for the students and their families. The teenagers decided to save 20% of their income as a team, which will allow them to have a base fund and later invest in a new product or project. In 2021, the scholarship students plan to invest these savings into a new line of artisan and hand-crafted products, allowing them to continue receiving an income while strengthening their entrepreneurial and business skills.

Could you give us some key numbers of the program?

• In 2020 we distributed a total of 1,471 bottles of 240ml, of which:

• 985 went to San Pablo La Laguna

• 435 distributed between San Juan, San Pedro and San Marcos La Laguna

• 51 bottles were donated to people who could not afford our product

• We produced over 58 gallons of hand sanitizer in 2020, which were sold in bulk for churches, restaurants, ODIM’s clinics and other local health centers.

• From April to December, we made Q18,140 ($2,350) in sales from the hand sanitizer

How is the program helping the community as a whole?

In San Pablo La Laguna, there are no projects focused on entrepreneurship, and even less so for young people. The Entrepreneurial program has a double dimension benefiting our community; on the one hand, it addresses the health needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, and on the other hand, the program lays important foundations for young people who want to learn entrepreneurial skills. The income is also a plus for the students who want to support their families in difficult times.

Any last words?

To our readers, whether you joined the ODIM family as an individual, a company, a church, and have contributed in any way to our project, by simply reading about it here, talking about it or donating to our cause, I’d like to give you my heartfelt thanks. As part of the ODIM team, I am very proud and happy to work for my community and the people who need it most, having been able to provide a new opportunity for the students to grow on a professional level, prevent COVID, and take control of their futures.

ODIM’S COVID RESPONSE

PROVIDING SUPPORT for COMMUNITIES IN CRISIS

• We delivered an incredible 3,254 emergency food boxes

• We created our own Hand Sanitizer Co-op in San Pablo (see pg 7)

• We learned to produce videos! We made sure important COVID info was accessible for the public in their native language, Tzʼutujil.

• We worked in San Marcos and San Pedro La Laguna for the first time ever.

• We created a video in the Mayan language Kaqchikel for the first time ever.

• We took our education onto TV… and made 9 classes transmitted to an average audience of 1500

• We spearheaded collaborations with the local government health centers and government offices in San Juan, San Pedro, San Marcos and San Pablo.

• We delivered medication directly to the homes of vulnerable patients

• We created a network of NGOs around Lake Atitlán to share knowledge and improve our COVID response

• We launched a project to break down the taboo around COVID and held conferences with COVID survivors sharing their stories in both Spanish and Tzʼutujil

• We wasted no time in handing out 70 water filters to ensure families became more resilient as the economic crisis hit and our access roads were shut down.

PROVIDING SUPPORT for COMMUNITIES IN CRISIS

• We rallied the local community into supporting (not rejecting) families in quarantine, and delivered the food, masks, toiletries and medicines that they needed.

SAN MARCOS DISASTER RESPONSE

On the 6th of October 2020, a boulder tumbled down the mountainside of neighboring town San Marcos La Laguna, killing four people and destroying 12 houses. With the unstable hillside in danger of collapsing further, 1,000 inhabitants were evacuated and became refugees seeking shelter, food and support.

The ODIM team leapt to action, 19 staff members donated a total of 165 hours working in the ‘Crisis Kitchen’ to support their neighbors at a time of great need.

Photos by Nehemias Sancoy

CANʼT STOP WONʼT STOP!

Pre-pandemic, ODIM was hosting an average of 10 U.S. volunteer teams per year at our project in Guatemala. Volunteer funds made up about 25% of our income, and programs such as HIHI were specifically designed to be funded by our volunteers.

When the borders slammed shut in March 2020, we were heartbroken to know we wouldn’t be able to host our friends from afar, and we also started to panic about where we would find those extra funds that would no longer roll in with our visitors.

So here’s what you did to turn that around!

17 volunteers started giving online English classes to ODIM’s staff! A year later, many of these classes are still continuing, giving our employees a valuable chance to learn English, and giving our supporters a joyful experience to connect with someone at the project.

Many inhabitants from around the area started supporting ODIM like never before, donating food, money or setting up fundraisers to help us respond to the emergency needs.

And many of our teams decided that not being able to visit wasn’t going to stand in the way of them supporting the community. Whether fixing up our clinic to be COVID safe, donating PPE, paying for food baskets or ensuring our Healthy Mommy & Me program continued, the money kept coming in.

“I saw a Facebook post asking for volunteers to teach English online to ODIM’s nurses last year. Lockdown was in place, so I volunteered to work with Josefa, who lives in San Pablo, along with her husband, a teacher, and her son. It’s been an honor to be Josefa’s teacher and as we continue studying, our friendship deepens.”

— Cecile De Forest San Marcos La Laguna, Guatemala

Our volunteers from near and far are key to ODIMʼs work, whether or not you can come and visit us in Guatemala.

For more info about how to set up a virtual zoom call with your group, to become a voluntary English teacher or to start organizing your next trip to Guatemala, get in touch with Marta Xicay on volunteer.coordinator@odimguatemala.org

“I am living on these lands with these people so this is where I gave back. Anyone who is here for any extended period of time has the responsibility to give back to the community. It felt great to be able to support local families during the worst of circumstances.”

—Daniel Hansen, aka Rootflute, Music and Fine Arts Creator San Marcos La Laguna, Guatemala

“After 12 years of taking teams to work with ODIM, I was extremely disappointed not to be able to return in 2020. A part of my heart lives around Lake Atitlán. Father Dyer UMC kept close contact with ODIM by email, Facebook, a Zoom meeting and a personal video (in Spanish!) to show support for the hard-working ODIM staff. Our Outreach Committee and various individuals continued to send financial contributions because we believe that ODIM’s work is even more important during the pandemic.”

—Barbara Payne, Team Leader Breckenridge, Colorado

“ODIM and the pueblos around Lake Atitlán have become a place of great comfort, growth, and inspiration to me. Since 2010, I have led church youth/college volunteer teams to ODIM and now I bring my college classes to experience for themselves the magic of the people and the spirit around the lake.”

—John Mann, Assistant Professor Colorado College

“Our trip in 2019 was a perfect combination of service, adventure and connection, we can’t wait to return again in 2022. We, Dirty Girl Adventures, and our service team of 10 Chicas, discussed the needs and challenges faced by ODIM and made a commitment to continue with fundraising, despite our not being able to visit in person. We believe that the work being done by ODIM is life changing for families both today and for future generations.”

—Denise Selbee-Koch, Owner of Dirty Girl Adventures, Kansas

CREATIVE FUNDRAISING

2020 was an innovative year with many individual-driven fundraising initiatives! Cheers to your remarkable efforts!

• In May 2020, Paw Wow donated 700lbs of dog food to keep the animals from going hungry during the economic crisis.

• In September 2020 our Clinic Ambassador and longterm supporter Paula Sauder offered to match her community’s donations dollar to dollar: as a result, Paula inspired and doubled the donations of $2,550 sent by FUMC of Emporia’s congregation.

• Colorado College partnered with ODIM to create a unique marketing class for its students; the group shipped 300lbs of coffee to the US, created their own brands and marketing strategies and generated over $5000 in profits for ODIM.

• Vickie Eaton convinced her company Medtronic to continue helping diabetic patients over the world and together they raised $3,700 in donations and matched funds.

• When renovations were needed in our clinics to protect our patients and staff, Father Dyer UMC answered the call offering to cover all expenses. Their generous gift totaled $6,000 in 2020 and ensured our waiting areas, working spaces and clinics are well ventilated and apt for keeping measures in place during the pandemic.

• Friends of ODIM created our first Hike for Healthcare Event! 51 people took part at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas and helped raise over $10,000 for a new ultrasound machine in San Pablo. Thank you to our organizers: Greg & Karen Bachman, Jennifer Woerner, Barb Muench, and Jeannie Jensen

• Our Board of Directors started selling and shipping beautiful and functional Guatemalan cloth masks at $20 each. The initiative raised $7,500 over the holiday thanks to their support (and masks are still available!)

ODIM AMBASSADORS

Our Ambassadors are our most precious donors; pledging to donate $7,000 year on year to cover the complete cost of our medical clinics for one month. Our Ambassadors give us the ability to successfully plan for the future, safe in the knowledge that we will have funds for medical staff salaries, medicine and enough to pay the electricity bill!

$7000 Sponsorourclinics one month

Only 1 month remains! Please get in touch if you or your company could sign up for the month of December 2021.

PRESENT AMBASSADORS BY MONTH

FEBRUARY

MARCH

KAY SOETAERT

APRIL

PAUL COPPING, RIM ENTERPRISES

JULY

ANNIE ZANDER

PAULA SAUDER

PAULA SAUDER

MAY JUNE

PAUL COPPING, RIM ENTERPRISES

AUGUST

ANONYMOUS

OCTOBER NOVEMBER

CHRISTOPHER & MICHELLE FORTNER

KAY SOETAERT

SEPTEMBER

CHRISTOPHER & MICHELLE FORTNER

DECEMBER

CHRISTOPHER & MICHELLE FORTNER WE NEED YOU!

WHERE DO YOUR DONATIONS GO

REVENUES

For the fiscal year ending December 31st 2020 ($424,249.83)

Donations from Individuals

52% — $220,766.17

Grants

8% — $33,337.23

Donations from churches

9% — $37,680.77

Donations from ODIM Ambassadors

23% — $98,607.07

Donations from volunteers

5% — $22,426.64

Donations from patients

3% — $11,431.95

EXPENSES

For the fiscal year ending December 31st 2020 ($402,001.85)

Medical clinic

33% — $13, 567.65

Dental clinic

5% — $21,090.95

Healthy Mommy & Me

8% — $30,933.63

Adolescent Health

6% — $22,403.58

Diabetes

5% — $19,900.61

Student Scholarships

8% — $30,544.65

High Impact Home Improvement

7% — $27,302.66

Volunteers

2% — $9,689.63

Fundraising & Communications

7% — $28,837.61

Facility Care

9% — $37,607.62

Administration

10% — $39,123.26

SPECIAL THANKS!

OUR FINANCIAL PARTNERS

The British Embassy in Guatemala City

Northaven United Methodist Church Human Development Fund

The Advance | United Methodist Church Global Ministries

Cynthia Lynn Grubb Living Trust

Colorado College

Dirty Girl Adventures

Unique Batik

R.I.M Enterprise LLC

Medtronic

Ian Healey & the Collective Mission

PT Associates of Emporia

OUR MAJOR DONORS

Paul & Julie Copping

Kay Soetaert

Chuck & Clara Trimmer

Paula Sauder

Chris & Michelle Fortner

Dr. Martin Kanne

Barbara & Nick Payne

JoAna Dwyer

Mary Harris

Sandra Davis

Bill & Gayle Cole

Linda Foxworthy

Jeannie & Rich Jensen

Ron Wilhelm & Kim Batchelor

Jon & Irene Sparks

Jack & Marti Soper

Robert & Cecelia Resnik

Vickie & Kent Eaton

Chip & Cindy Luerding

Charles & Joanne Mills

Harvey & Terry Baxter

OUR TEAMS & CHURCHES:

West End UMC

East End UMC

Father Dyer UMC

Trinity UMC

Northaven UMC

St. Andrew UMC

Topeka Countryside UMC

Topeka First UMC

First United Methodist Church of Denton

University Park UMC

First United Methodist Church of Emporia

Platte Woods United Methodist Church

OUR LOCAL PARTNERS:

Centro Maya & Alma de Colores

Casa Materna

Hospitalito Atitlán

Cosmic Convergence

RootFlute

Mark Elmy & The Four Pillars

Daisy Shlakman

Paw Wow

Dirty Feet Missions

Water 4 Life

Tui’k Ruch’ Lew (Helping the Earth)

Vida

National Hospital of Sololá and the government health centers of San Pablo, San Juan, San Pedro and San Marcos La Laguna

OUR EXPERTS:

Dr. Brieanne Kohrt, The University of Denver & California State University

Teah Caine, MD

Manichanh Ratts, PA-C

Linda Foxworthy, FNP

HOW YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Give someone a chance for a healthy life!

$25

Fund a nurse for a day for the community

$80 Pay for healthy food supplies every month for one family for a year

$250

Make an educational video in Tzʼutujil for local TV

$350

Enroll a family into HIHI to receive education, a safe stove and a water filter

$1,000

Fund a staff scholarship to develop local skilled workers

$30,000

Fund our Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Project; to include access, education and fighting taboos

Give online at odimguatemala.org/donate or mail a check to Martha Stowe (see page 3)

BOARD

Organization for the Development of the Indigenous Maya is a US registered 501(c)(3)

Our Board of Directors is responsible for guiding the strategic direction of the organization, and is accountable for our actions — legally, financially and morally. The Board of Directors comprises:

Ron Wilhelm, Ph.D. President

Rev. Jeannie Jensen Secretary

Jackie Benjamin Treasurer

Jeremy Johnson, D.O.

Harvey Baxter, J.D.

Mary Harris, Ph.D.

Paul Copping

Amy Holly Ex officio

DID YOU KNOW?

Tz’utujil is one of 22 Mayan Languages spoken in Guatemala and is used by only around 100,000 people.

Most foreigners find it INCREDIBLY difficult to pronounce words... but here are some basics!

Thank you — Maltiox One — Juun

Hello — K’ooli Two — Ka’i’

Goodbye — Na’an Three — Oxi’

Good morning — Saqari Four — Kaji’

Good afternoon — Qa’j q’iij Five — Jo’oo’

Good — Utz

How are you? — ¿La utz aawach?

Fine thank you — Utz maltiox

KEY LEADERS

Our Key Leader Team is responsible for providing effective senior leadership to the organization, by developing our overarching strategy and ensuring its successful implementation. The Key Leader Team comprises:

Amy Holly Executive Director

Stephany Girón Director of Programs

Pedro Mendez Finance Manager

América Castro Human Talent Manager

Kimberly Celada Clinic Manager

Melyna Cholotío Manager of Community Health & Education Programs

Julieta Tzaj Assistant Manager of Community Health & Education Programs

Sarah Labelle Manager of Communications & Fundraising

Marta Xicay Volunteer Coordinator

For individual contact details go to www.odimguatemala.org/contact-us

ODIM GUATEMALA

Clínica Chuítinamit, San Pablo La Laguna, Sololá, Guatemala

Clínica Sanjuanerita, San Juan La Laguna, Sololá, Guatemala

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