Health Car e and Education in Guatemala ODIM ANNUAL REPORT 2018
CONTENTS
How we work. ODIM 101 Letter from the Executive Director Our impact! The Year in Review The year in ODIM. Program by program Dental Clinic Our Medical Clinics Diabetes - Let’s Walk Together Healthy Mommy & Me Scholarship program High Impact Home Improvements Adolescent Health Volunteer Program Fundraising ODIM Ambassador Program Where do your donations go Thank you! How you can make a difference
Photo: Katja Gryl
EDITORIAL STAFF Editor: Katja Gryl Graphic Design: Katja Gryl Cover photo: Anna Watts A special thank you to our printer Ralph Myers, Mpress © ODIM GUATEMALA 2019
TO MAKE A DONATION Online donation: www.odimguatemala.org/donate Check payable to ODIM: Martha Stowe 1527 Waterside Ct. Dallas, Texas, 75218 For information reach out to Amy Holly at executive.director@odimguatemala.org or Katja Gryl at communications.manager@odimguatemala.org
HOW WE WORK. ODIM 101 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 Juan and San Pablo La Laguna in Guatemala. Our services include two medical clinics staffed by bilingual Spanish/ Tz’utujil speaking nurses and a physician local to the community, 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 five 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 48 staff in the two communities of San Juan and San Pablo La Laguna – 20 full time employees and 28 part-time. 86% is made up of Tz’utujil Mayan staff, 10% are Guatemalan nationals (but not Tz’utujil) and 4% are foreign staff. 86% of our leaders and coordinators are women.
A LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 2018 was an exciting year for ODIM with the launch of our Adolescent Health Program, and our High Impact Home Improvements Program. These two initiatives address two of the most serious problems here in Guatemala; teenage pregnancy and lack of access to clean water. Both issues disproportionately affect poor and indigenous communities more than anyone else; and keep community members in a cycle of poverty, illness and malnutrition. The answer? A combination of education and access to solutions that work in the context of rural Guatemala; all designed, tested and implemented with an unbeatable combination of local knowledge and international expertise. It’s been so exciting to take these projects on, and I have been blown away by the passion and dedication of the local staff who are in the process of making our vision a reality. For me, a highlight of the year was being awarded a grant from the British Embassy, and being told our Adolescent Health Program was one of only three projects selected from applications from across the world. In a society where sex education is taboo, we are breaking the mold and empowering girls and boys with the facts over gender, sexuality and reproduction; giving them knowledge about their rights and arming them with the tools they need to become peer educators. Fundraising is always a theme when you work in a non-profit and we have been thrilled to be able to create various new fundraising schemes over the last year. We are now proud to be able to link up donors with individual moms and babies, to dedicate donations directly to our scholarship students and to offer major donors the chance to sponsor our medical clinics for an entire month. The response from donors has been uplifting – but we still feel as though we have a long way to go before feeling confident about the rest of 2019. For more about the shortfall that we have this year, check out page 24. In September I got the chance to tour Texas, Kansas and Florida, visiting some of ODIM’s most dedicated donors and taking part in numerous events. It was such a special experience to be welcomed into the homes, churches and businesses of ODIM’s community; it really struck home how we have been able to create significant, positive change thanks to a group of people who are passionate about improving the lives of the communities of San Juan and San Pablo. Never underestimate the power that YOU have to create that change. If I don’t know you yet, please get in touch! I’m looking forward to working with you in 2019 and beyond. Kind regards
Amy Holly
Photo: Katja Gryl
We achieved so much in 2018 because of your generosity! But there is still so much need. Please consider making a difference today. WE NEED SIX PEOPLE to donate $50 so we can hire a scholarship tutor for the rest of the academic year. WE NEED NINE PEOPLE to donate $150 so we can provide our nine current cases of severely malnurished moms and babies with weekly emergency food box for three months, to get them out of danger. Your contribution counts. (More info on page 28)
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OUR IMPACT! 6,698
THE YEAR IN REVIEW
MEDICAL AND DENTAL SERVICES 446 Family planning methods delivered 493 Prenatal consultations made by our prenatal nurse 586 Dental consultations carried out by our two dentists 129 Hearing test completed 6,698 Total clinical consultations 25% of the diabetics patients who had stopped coming to the clinic returned after we reduced the price of our conusltations
HEALTHY MOMMY & ME 96 workshops carried out by our Health Promoters 332 Mothers and babies benefited 1464 consultations weighing and measuring babies 64 mommies and babies graduated after completing 1000 days in the program 280 food vouchers given to moms in November and December
COMPLETED 1000 DAYS
SCHOLARSHIPS
9 students from San Pablo had access to full time education and tuition through our program 4 staff members received scholarships to continue their education at University and beyond 6 promising new students were recruited for 2019 8 out of 9 had an average of:
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POINTS OR HIGHER
DIABETES LET’S WALK TOGETHER
56%
CONSTRUCTION 4 Homes built by 109 volunteers
of the participants from San Juan and 47% from San Pablo had their sugar levels controlled
278 people living with diabetes reached 63 diabetes patients enrolled in our Let’s Walk Together Club 4 annual community workshops with 65 students. 1 health fair in San Pablo with the participation of 86 community members.
HIGH IMPACT HOME IMPROVEMENTS
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families were provided with water filters 8 stoves installed 20 people participated in 6 workshops about healthy living environments
ADOLESCENT HEALTH A total of 24 students graduated from the program
FUNDRAISING 248 individual donors donated $53K 10 churches donated $26.5K We received approx. $57.5K in grants
ADMINISTRATION
11,729
people benefitted from our work on a budget of $278,000. Only 8% went to administration. 7 new employees hired
THE YEAR IN ODIM Program by Program
Our Dental Clinic Budget: $ 6,262 Staff: Melissa RodrĂguez (Dentist) and Manuel GonzĂĄlez (Dental Assistant) Our work: Our dental clinic provides cleaning, fillings, and extractions. Many people are accustomed to coming to a dentist only in times of crises and so we are working to encourage more preventive care, particularly through checkups, cleanings and fluoride application. Our dentists are also collaborating with medical staff to assure the special needs of our diabetic patients are met. Achievements 2018: In 2018 we served 409 people and made 586 consultations. We expanded our opening hours from 1.5 days a week to 3 days a week. Finally, we started preparring for our Healthy Smiles program, focusing on oral healthcare and prevention from pregnancy and throughout childhood.
Photo: Katja Gryl
OUR MEDICAL CLINICS Budget: $87,213 Staff: Yaneth Cholotío (Administrator.), Dr. Georgina Monzón (Physician), Rebeca Álvarez (Nurse), Gloria Mendoza (Pharmacy and Bach Flower Remedies), Josefa Ixcayá (Laboratory), Concepción Ixcayá (Prenatal Nurse), Mónica Lejá and Aracely Mendoza (Receptionists). Our services: Our two medical clinics provide high quality, culturally competent, affordable primary health care to the indigenous populations of San Juan and San Pablo. The providers include bilingual Spanish/Tz’utujil speaking nurses and a physician local to the community. Patients usually pay a donation of $3, though no one is turned away based on ability to pay.
Photo: Emma Marshall
DON MIGUEL Health services in rural Guatemala Health inequalities disproportionally affect indigenous people in Guatemala, and hardest hit are the the population living in rural areas. Our two medical clinics are located in the small rural communities San Juan and San Pablo La Laguna in the westMiguel is always the first person you notice coming in to ern highlands of Guatemala. The region, which is the clinic; an orderly man, always dressed to perfection, predominately populated by indigenous Maya, has and with a presence that makes you wonder about the stothe highest levels of poverty and illiteracy in the ry of the long life he has led. He has been coming to the country, and the majority of the populations face clinic for 10 years now, to get help controlling his diabetes limited access to public services, including health, and high blood pressure. education, sanitation, and trans“I come mostly because of my high blood “In the past, my children had portation infrastructure. It is a rainy day in San Pablo, and the clinic is mostly dark. A shard of light filters in from the window next to Miguel’s seat. His head trembles under the weight of his great age, but he sits rank holding his stick and waiting patiently to see our doctor Georgina.
pressure. In the past, my children had to to take me to the hospital betake me to the hospital because of it. Now I cause of it. Now I just come Although the Ministry of Health just come to the clinic and the doctor knows to the clinic and the doctor has the legal obligation to provide how to treat me. I have also had diabetes health services, there are numerfor 26 years now, I have been taking care knows how to treat me.” ous barriers while trying to access of myself, but this disease cannot be cured. health care in public facilities. Public health services The clinic has helped me a lot, because the tests and the medin these areas are routinely understaffed, they work icines are normally very expensive.” Miguel turns 86 this year and although his physical condition is deteriorating, his mind is still sharp. He is very organized and has a lot of discipline when it comes to his treatment; he eats well, takes his medicine and never misses an appointment. Miguel lives up the hill in San Pablo with Elena, his wife and confidant of 69 years. Together they have eleven children, seven sons and four daughters, who are all married and moved out many years ago. “My children have their own families now and they need to look out for themselves, so they cannot take care of me anymore. That makes me thankful for the clinic, because I get help here.” He reminisces about when he was a farmer and a salesman, harvesting avocados in San Pablo and travelling all the way to Guatemala City to sell them. Today he grinds corn to make tortilla dough. And he jokes that one day we will hear a little more of his story.
with limited, low quality resources and often lack the medical supplies and knowledge needed to provide care. Access is further complicated by physical, economical and cultural barriers, as well as language access barriers, as many people only speak their indigenous language, while most medical professionals in Guatemala only speak Spanish. This is the context we work in and the reason we exist; to provide competent, culturally sensitive and affordable health care in the patients’ native language. Achievements 2018: One of our major achievements in 2018 is that we were able to give a scholarship to our doctor Georgina to study ultrasonography. In 2018 we also trained our staff to use our new immunology system, which enables us to give our patients a more precise and detailed diagnosis without having to need to send them out to other labs. We completed a total of 6,698 general consultations, 493 prenatal consultations, 68 Bach Flowers and 129 hearing tests.
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Photo: Emma Marshall
THE YEAR ACCORDING TO OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EDUCATION PROGRAM MANAGER For our Community Health Programs, 2018 was a year full of achievements and challenges. We were able to start two new and important programs: Adolescent Health and High Impact Home Improvements. This was achieved through the hard work of our coordinators and promoters, and the generosity of our donors. We worked hard to implement projects that are tailored to the needs of our communities. Another major focus in 2018 was to promote our community health programs to the public, engage more with our communities and raise awareness about the importance of our programs. This was done successfully through several health fairs in both our communities as well as by completing educational videos in Tz’utujil for local television. An important part of our work is always to train our staff to develop their skills and their capability to serve our community as well as possible. This was, as always, only possible to achieve with the help from our incredible volunteers. Our community health staff is very involved with our communities. Therefore, we continue to work closely with the clinic staff in order to refer emergencies, and to provide support in case we need to refer our participants somewhere else. We are very proud of our hard work throughout 2018: graduations, celebrations and community activities in all 5 of our programs, and we are excited to keep up the hard work in 2019, to make sure our social impact continues to grow. Stephany Giron Roncal Manager of Community Health and Education Programs
Photo: Anna Watts
Diabetes Program Let’s Walk Together Budget: $17,110 Staff: Coordinator Julieta Tzaj. Health promoters: Antonieta Quic, Olinda Leja, Armando Petzey, Wilmer Macedonio, Elvira Mendez, Adamary Mendoza About the program: Guatemala is facing a diabetes epidemic, and especially at risk is the large indigenous population living in rural communities. In fact, more than 25 percent of the indigenous people suffer from type 2 or pre-diabetes because of their genetics, diet and lifestyle. Through our Diabetes Program and our Let’s Walk Together Club we meet the many challenges of inciting lifestyle change and breaking down social stigmas with lessons on the disease in a supportive environment with healthy snacks, healthy cooking class, group exercise and a support group. Patients also receive monthly health consultations.
Achievements in 2018: We reached a total of 278 people living with diabetes, completing blood sugar tests, A1C tests, cholesterol tests, Microalbumin and Cystatin C. We carried out weekly house visits to monitor their medication, eating habits and physical activity. 63 of these medical diabetes patients were enrolled in our Let’s Walk Together Club, attending weekly workshops, walks, cooking class and receiving a monthly check-up. We completed 4 community workshops with 65 students from the public school in San Juan. Finally, we held a health fair in San Pablo with the participation of 86 community members who had their blood sugar tested, their BMI calculated and participated in talks about eating habits as well as in an exercise session.
Healthy Mommy & Me Budget: $39,855 Staff: Coordinator Rosario Lejá Guajan. Health promoters: Elsa Mendoza, Cecilia Hernández, Antonieta Cholotío, Patty Mendoza, Carmen Pérez, Sofia García, Alicia Ixcayá, Armando Petzey, Juana Piy, Yolanda Poron, Mirna Ujpan, Estela Ujpan About the program: Guatemala is facing serious challenges when it comes to malnutrition. Two thirds of the overall population live on less than US$ 2 per day. As a result, the prevalence of stunting in children under 5 is one of the highest in the world – and the highest in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our program Healthy Mommy & Me 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 4 intervention methods involved in this program: healthcare, education, supplementation and support groups.
Photo: Katja Gryl
ANDREA AND MARTA ELENA Lake Atitlan is a picturesque tourist destination for travelers all over the world. But beyond the boutique hotels and cafes a hard reality persists. Thousands of families live in poverty and the majority are extremely malnourished.
she tells us how her husband struggled with alcoholism before leaving her as the sole caregiver. So the food vouchers are a lifeline for her family, enabling her to give her children a healthy diet. And if she rations the food carefully, it will last an entire week. The remaining three weeks of the month, she makes ends meet by producing and selling hacky sacks in town. On a good day she earns $2 from which she buys vegetables to make a healthy soup for her children. But it is not everyday that Andrea earns enough money to buy food for the whole family.
At the northern shore of the lake lies a small town called San Pablo; home to the Tz’utujil Maya. Most men are farmers working in the mountains, while the women sell food or hacky sacks on the street and take care of the house. Work is very difficult to find here “Before I entered the program and most families live on less than $2 a day. As a result, eight out of ten - when my oldest children were children are suffering from stunted small – I thought giving them growth.
I always give my children food first, and if there is anything left then I will eat that. [crying] So there are days where I do not cookies or a bag of chips was get any food. But I am happy to see that a good enough diet for them” my daughter is a normal weight. I see This is where Andrea lives. Andrea is now that my oldest children weren’t, and 32 years old and one of our Healthy Mommy & Me participants. She lives in the outskirts of the they were always sick. Marta is never sick. That is how I see that town in a small 100 square foot clay house together with the clinic makes a big difference”. her three children: Andres (age 10), Natalia (age 8), and Marta Elena who is 19 months old. Like many families in This is also the reason why Andrea never misses a workshop, San Pablo, their one-room house just has enough space for and why one of Andrea’s favorite topics is nutrition. She has a small closet and a double bed where her children sleep, realized how important it is for her children’s development, while Andrea sleeps on the floor. In front of the house, she and because it teaches her how to provide her children with has a small fireplace and a shed with a bucket toilet. nutritious meals that are inexpensive. (contimues on page 17) Andrea joined Healthy Mommy & Me when she was five months pregnant with her youngest daughter, Marta Elena. That was, according to her, the best thing that could have happened to her family. Andrea is now three months away from graduating, she is attending Healthy Mommy & Me talks and support groups at the clinic, while Marta is being measured and weighed monthly and consuming nutrients that are crucial to her health and development. “The program has helped me enormously. Both with regards to the food supplements we receive, and what we are taught in the workshops. I have learned so much that I did not know when my two oldest were small, and I am already seeing a big difference between my youngest daughter and my two oldest children. That is why I value the program so much and why I always prioritize coming to the clinic before anything else” Andrea is especially thankful for the $5 food vouchers the participants receive once a month. She is a single mom;
Achievements 2018: 332 babies and mommies benefited from our work, we held 96 workshops and completed 1464 baby height and weight checks. Our promoters received a total of 15 trainings during this period on 15 important topics such as domestic violence, post-natal depression, WASH training techniques, first aid, breastfeeding and nutrition. We also launched a new voucher system in alliance with a partner NGO, Centro Maya, and during the months of November and December we handed out a total of 280 $5 food vouchers to our Healthy Mommy & Me families. 64 Healthy Mommy & Me babies graduated after completing 1000 days in the program, and one follow-up event was held with mothers and babies who graduated in 2017 to continue to track their progress and continue to build our community.
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“Before I entered the program – when my oldest children were small – I thought giving them cookies or a bag of chips was a good enough diet for them. Once in a while I could afford an instant soup. But when I started in the clinic I learned what was a good and healthy diet for my daughter, and I learned that it is possible to cook a healthy meal without spending a lot of money. I am very grateful for everything I am learning from the promoters in the clinic. When I go to the clinic it is to learn, and afterwards I go home to practice what I learned with my children.” Andrea also practices early childhood stimulation with Marta and she can see that it works. When she was pregnant she would talk to her stomach, just like she was taught at the clinic. Since Marta was born she has made sure to always talk to her, taking part in her curiosities and interests, and always answering her questions. She never did that with her two older children, and now she can see a big difference in their development. “My two older children didn’t grow up like she [Marta] is growing up, they didn’t have the same development. Marta is very intelligent and she is able to do much more than my older children. They never asked the questions she asks. She asks about her dad and siblings, and she is very curious and practices new things. My two oldest children didn’t show any recognition of their father or me, and they never asked any questions when they were her age. They weren’t active or eager to learn or play. They kept quiet and were always just sitting or lying there without doing anything. I see a big difference, and that is what I value and gain from participating.” Three months from now, Andrea and Marta will graduate as Healthy Mommy & Me participants along with 20 other moms and babies. On the graduation day, the community will celebrate all that has been learned with music and a healthy feast. They will play holistic games for mommy-baby bonding, and share quality time with the program coordinator, health promoters, and peers before proudly receiving a diploma to recognize all that they have learnt and achieved. Andrea is an ODIM success story, despite continuing to struggle through the reality of a life in poverty. Marta is in good health and Andrea is now learning to read and write in a local Adult Literacy class. At the end of 2018, Andrea was selected to receive a new house as part of our Volunteers’ Construction Program because of her dedication to Healthy Mommy & Me and the challenging conditions that her family lived in. At the time of writing, the house was just a few days away from being finished.
Ana with her three children Andres (age 10), Natalia (age 8) and Marta Elena (18 months) in front of her house in San Pablo.
Photo: Katja Gryl
Scholarships Pathway out of Poverty Budget: $12,788 Staff: Coordinator Paulina Quiacain. Teachers: Paulina Quiacain and Monica Lejรก About the program: Our scholarship program targets children from San Pablo La Laguna, where 80% of 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, children are often times not given the guidance or time needed in the home and in the schools in order to truly excel. Therefore, ODIM staffs 3 teachers to provide tutoring and enrichment classes to the children involved.
Achievements in 2018: We provided scholarships to a total of nine students. The students participated in 31 tuition sessions at our clinic in San Pablo, they took part in our cooperative program and carried out monthly community service activities. Our students were successful in their exams and gained between 71 and 76 score on average, two students graduated from primary school and another two from middle school. Finally, we recruited 6 new scholarship students for 2019. Photo: Katja Gryl
MEET PEDRO If you were to meet any of our scholarship students, you would never guess the hardships they face at home. Living in one of the poorest towns, in one of the poorest regions of Guatemala, their parents sometimes do not have enough income to buy food – let alone school supplies. With help from Paulina and our scholarship teachers, these children have the opportunity to reach their full potential and shape their futures. It is Thursday afternoon and our middle school scholarship students are gathered in the basement of our San Pablo clinic. Paulina starts off the day by asking the students what they will be doing during their Christmas holidays. Pedro raises his hand and start talking:
they can reach their full potential. The program couldn’t be more relevant in Guatemala – especially in the rural areas where we work. Official statistics show that only 86 per cent of children enrol in school. Unfortunately, in many poor communities, fees for tuition, textbooks, uniforms, and supplies easily consume a substantial percentage of a poor family’s income. For that reason, the majority drop out before 6th grade primary. Many also leave once they start helping their family by working; which in our region is typically around age nine. As a result, Guatemala has the second highest illiteracy rate in Latin America after Haiti.
“When I first started here, I felt that this was a place where they were going to help and support me. You need to take advantage of this kind of opportunity. Because as children we don´t “Earlier today, someone asked me to take care of a bull for them, know what our parents have to go through to get the money. as a job. I´m going to be doing this for a week. And I think How much they suffer. Even if it´s one Quetzal [approximately it’s good, because I know that the extra $0.15 cents]. Here in the clinic they give income will help my family. My parents “We have fun here, and we also you school supplies, everything that our were very happy when I told them that get to talk about our lives and parents can’t.” I was going to be earning some money give each other advice, which is during the holidays, because it will help Pedro lives in a small house close to the very helpful. Because this way them as well as me.“ evangelical church together with his fawe don´t focus on the difficult ther Felipe, his mom Rosario, and his Pedro speaks loudly and confidently. things we have in our lives.” three younger siblings, who all study. He is an ambitious young man – that’s His father is a construction worker assisfor sure, but he hasn’t always been. When he started in the tant and his mom takes care of the house and children. His scholarship program seven years ago, he would hide in the parents have never studied, so they are very grateful for the back of the class, and whenever the teachers asked him a opportunity Pedro has been given. question he would mumble and look at the floor. He first came to us asking for help with his studies when he was in Pedro is a top student. He is bright and he works hard – the 3rd grade and in 2018 he graduated from middle school. motivated by an ambition to help his family. He is a caring, His dream is to own a business, so in January 2019 he started responsible, and very active participant in our after school high school with a major in business administration. workshops and we are very happy to follow and encourage his continuous development. “You need to focus on your goals to achieve them. For example, I want to own or administrate a business. So that is the goal I “One of the new kids asked me if they were strict here. I told him am focusing on, to be able to achieve it. I will study Business that they weren´t, you just need to be responsible and honest, and Administration for three years in High School, and then I´ll go you need to respect and not discriminate anyone in the group. to university. I know of three universities in Guatemala and I Because this group is like a family, and now you are part of that need to apply and focus on getting into one of them.” family. We can´t insult each other. What I like the most about the program is that I get to spend time with the other kids. We Through the scholarship program we pay our participants’ have fun here, and we also get to talk about our lives and give tuition fees, school uniforms and textbooks. And if they don’t each other advice, which is very helpful. Because this way we have supplies for doing their homework, we will provide that don´t focus on the difficult things we have in our lives.” as well in order to remove as many obstacles as possible so 19
High Impact Home Improvements Budget: $4,025 Staff: Coordinator Hermenegildo Ujpan. Volunteer: Ashlyn Nuckols About the program: High Impact Home Improvements (HIHI) aims to prevent diseases caused by contaminated air and water amongst families in San Juan and San Pablo La Laguna by providing access to interventions for a healthy home environment. Families are provided with water filters and safe, smokeless and environmentally friendly stoves, and participate in informative workshops exploring the following topics: importance of clean water for health, importance of air quality for health, hand washing, prevention of accidents with kids in the home, and how to clean and maintain an Ecofilter. Achievements in 2018: Our pilot program High Impact Home Improvement project was successfully launched in 2018, thanks in large part to the support we received from West End UMC and GBGM. We successfully hired qualified local staff, carried out in depth research on how to deliver a successful program and recruited local families. Project outcomes includes delivering ‘Ecofilters’ (ceramic water filters) to ten families and smokeless and environmentally friendly stoves to eight families, who all participated in 6 health empowerment workshops.
Photo: Emma Marshall
Adolescent Health Budget: $15,153 Staff: Coordinator Betty Nicolasa Perez Cholotio. Health promoters: Judit Mendoza, Wilmer Porón, Alicia Ixcayá, Sofía García. About the program: Through our Adolescent Health program we empower youth to make healthy decisions regarding their sexual health and development. Sexual health is generally omitted from school curriculum and is a taboo subject in households of the communities where we work. We approach this subject as holistically as possible: including a range of themes such as healthy relationships, alcohol abuse, mental health, contraceptives, and sexuality. To maintain cultural sensitivity and break down the taboo, we work closely with parents to help them learn with their child as they navigate together the many changes that occur during adolescence. The aim of this program is to lower teen pregnancy, and create a strong cohort of participants confident in their ability to make decisions and who can educate their peers. Achievements in 2018: The curriculum was completed in April of 2018 having been developed and revised by local staff and numerous Guatemalan and International experts. Staff were given in depth training on anatomy, sex education, gender and how best to work with teenagers, A total of 11 students from San Juan and 13 from San Pablo participated in the first pilot group which began in May. All of the 24 students finished the program and completed the curriculum and it was hailed as a great success by the community and staff alike. The second cohort attracted many more students: 43 enrolled at the end of 2018 thanks to the support of the British Embassy.
Photo: Katja Gryl
VOLUNTEERING WITH ODIM “One of my favorite altruistic activities is volunteering. It gives you the opportunity of changing lives forever, including your own. International volunteering, with cultural exchange and providing service to communities in need as a way of giving back to society is an experience that we should all embrace in life as much as we can.” – Pam Arreaga, Volunteer Coordinator
Volunteer program Budget: $28,249 Staff: Pamela Arreaga (Program Coordinator), Miguel Ujpan (Construction Manager), and Milton Monroy (Translator and Assistant) What we offer: ODIM works with two different types of volunteer teams. The medical teams are comprised mainly of medical professionals who spend five days attending to patients and coaching staff. Our construction volunteer teams work in the town of San Pablo La Laguna to build and repair houses for families in need. Achievements in 2018: In 2018 we welcomed a total of 121 volunteers to our clinics and communities. 109 construction volunteers in 10 teams built three houses in San Pablo, one in San Juan and repaired and revitalized our clinic facilities. We also received 12 medical proffessionals who supported our medical clinics and dental clinics, as well as building the capacity of local staff. 23
FUNDRAISING FOR HEALTH CARE 2018 was an incredible year for fundraising and grants. Here are some of our highlights.
Our largest grant was from GBGM: $39,780 for our Healthy Mommy & Me Initiative and part of our pilot project HIHI.
The British Embassy awarded us a grant to launch our Adolescent Health Program; with a focus on lowering teen pregnancy.
We successfully launched two new sponsorship programs; connecting donors with Diabetic patients, and pregnant mothers.
In total we received donations from 248 individual donors, 3 foundations, 10 churches, 5 corporations, 10 volunteer groups and 5138 patients
Our #GivingTuesday campaign on November 27th 2018 raised a total of $16,897 for our diabetes program in 2019.
Our Executive Director Amy Holly helped raised $16,403 for our Healthy Mommy & Me Initiative and Medical Clinics during her US tour in September.
In 2018 we were proud to have the British Embassy fund our new Adolescent Health Program. We also continued to work with GBGM to fund our Healthy Mommy & Me initiative, while funds from GBGM and West End United Methodist Church helped us kick-off our new HIHI program. We also continued to partner with Duke University and Saint Vincent College, who undertook a month of research to determine the impact of our Healthy Mommy & Me program so far, and who provided a baseline study for our HIHI program. “The Healthy Mommy & Me program is having a measurable impact on childcare practices that are important for early childhood development. For example, Healthy Mommy & Me mothers are offering key complementary foods at earlier ages, which contributes to better nutrition and dietary diversity and they demonstrate greater awareness and emphasis on active interactions with their children, which contributes to better cognitive development.” – Elaine Bennett, Associate Professor at Saint Vincent College. We were lucky to have received donations from 248 individual donors, 3 foundations, 10 churches, 5 corporations, 10 volunteer groups and 5138 patients. Executive Director Amy went to the US in October 2018 to meet new and old friends of ODIM, and to raise money for our Healthy
Mommy & Me initiative and medical clinics. Together they raised $16,403. Finally, we were happy to see our supporters coming together to raise funds for our diabetes program in 2019 for #GivingTuesday. Together we successfully met and beat our fundraising goal of $16,000, raising a total of $16,897. “It was amazing to see how our diabetes patients stepped up to raise funds for their own program when they joined us in a hike to the top of a mountain on #GivingTuesday. Everyone who participated was so excited to see that it actually helped and proud that they contributed to the campaign.” – Katja Gryl, Communications and Fundraising Manager While GBGM approved a major grant for ODIM in 201819 focused on Maternal and Child Health, this funding also comes to an end in May 2019. This means that we are urgently looking for funds to cover our program from June 2019 and onwards. If you would like to sponsor a mom ($50/month), a group ($1250/one month) or the entire program ($7,500/one month), reach out to Development and Communications Manager, Katja Gryl at communications.manager@odimguatemala.org 24
ODIM AMBASSADOR PROGRAM 2018 was also the year we started our ODIM Ambassador Program. This program offers the opportunity to corporations and individuals to sponsor our clinics for one month, ensuring that we can keep the lights on and the doors open to our clinics, and that the communities of San Pablo and San Juan la Laguna have ongoing access to the basic medical care that most of us take for granted. As such, the ODIM Ambassadors are the lifeblood of our organization. It cost $7000 to sponsor both our clinics for one month. With this money, we are able to provide high quality care to approximately 600 patients. It covers medicine, lab tests, home visits, salaries of the Doctor, our Nurses, and our Receptionist, the costs of electricity and keeping the clinic clean. It covers the COMPLETE cost of the two clinics for 1 month. Right now we have seven months of 2019 covered, which means that we are looking for five corporate partners who will each sponsor our clinics for one month and ensure that we can continue to provide access to medical care for the 20,000 people in our two communities; we can do a lot with precious little.
$7000
Spon
sor o one ur clinic mon s th
“Recently I got to see first-hand the joy in eyes of children, the hope in eyes of women being led by peers to a better way of life, the homes no longer filled with smoke, the love of people for each other and me! That’s what ODIM brings and why I give.” - Paula Sauder, ODIM Ambassador Could we add your name, or the name of your company to our list?
JANUARY
Kay Soetaert
FEBRUARY Paula Sauder
MARCH WE NEED YOU
APRIL
WE NEED YOU
MAY
RIM Enterprises, Paul Copping
JUNE
Kay Soetaert
JULY WE NEED YOU
AUGUST WE NEED YOU
SEPTEMBER
Christopher and Michelle Fortner
OCTOBER
Christopher and Michelle Fortner
NOVEMBER Christopher and Michelle Fortner
DECEMBER WE NEED YOU
To partner with us or for more information go to www. odimguatemala.org/business-ambassador or contact Amy Holly on executive.director@odimguatemala.org
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WHERE DO YOUR
DONATIONS GO REVENUES
For the fiscal year ending December 31st 2018 ($291,452.63) Donations from Individuals 35% - $102,121.86 Grants 20% - $57,481.48 Construction teams 13% - $37,308.00 Donations from churches 13% - $39,060.94 Donations from corporations 8% - $22,493.40 Donations from volunteer groups 6% - $17,962.75 Donations from patients 5% - $14,897.00
EXPENSES
For the fiscal year ending December 31st 2018 ($278,068.2) Medical clinic 31% - $87,213 Dental clinic 2% - $6,262
Construction 10% - $28,249
Healthy Mommy & Me 14% - $39,855
Communications & Development 5% - $13,811 Facility Care and Management 11% - $31,285
Adolescent Health 6% - $15,153
Administrative 8% -$$22,317
Diabetes 6% - $17,110 Student Scholarships 5% - $12,788
High Impact Home Improvement 2% - $4,025
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HERE’S TO
YOU!
What a year it has been, with you behind us.
A special thank you!
To our major partners, the foundations, churches, engaged volunteers, corporations, and institutions who support us. To the sponsors supporting our clinics and the people we serve, supporters who will step up whenever we have urgent needs and the regular givers who are investing in long-term sustainable change: You are the backbone of our organization and our work simply wouldn’t be possible without you.
OUR FINANCIAL PARTNERS General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) British Embassy West End United Methodist Church
We also wish to thank the associations, companies and community organizations who have made in-kind contributions in the form of services or counsel. Their partnership enables us to always aim higher and to actively engage and mobilize the population of San Juan and San Pablo La Laguna. Finally, we raise our hat to our staff in the two communities where we work. Your professionalism, talent and enthusiasm are nothing short of remarkable.
OUR MAJOR DONORS Christopher and Michelle Fortner Kay Soetaert Paula Sauder Paul and Julie Copping Chuck and Clara Trimmer JoAna Dwyer Harvey and Terry Baxter RIM Enterprises Ron W. Wilhelm, PH.D. Kim Batchelor Barbara Payne Stanley N. Payne Linda Foxworthy Dr. Ryan LaSota Mary and Bob Harris Dr. Martin Kanne Kyle & Catherine Rutledge Dale and Molly Tampke Dr. Tom and Pat Mais Wamego First United Methodist Church Trinity United Methodist Church Northaven Church Topeka United Methodist Church Father Dyer United Methodist Church High Point First United Methodist Church West End United Methodist Church First United Methodist Church, Denton We value the contributions of all our donors, large or small. Our apologies for any unintended omissions.
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HOW YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE Give someone a chance for a healthy life!
$50
$80
Enrolls a pregnant woman in our HealthyMommy & Me initiative
$1250
Covers the costs of an entire Healthy Mommy & Me group (25 women) for one month
Covers the cost of a scholarship student for one month
$400
Pays our doctor’s salary and 110 medical consultations for one week
$4500
$7000
Will allow us to launch another Adolescent Health group in San Juan
Keeps our two clinics open for one month
Give online at odimguatemala.org/donate or mail a check to Marta Stowe (see page 1)
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 of: Ron Wilhelm, Ph.D. Rev. Jeannie Jensen Jackie Benjamin Mary Harris, Ph.D. Harvey Baxter, J.D. Jeremy Johnson, D.O. Paul Copping Amy Holly
President Secretary Treasurer
Ex officio
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 of: Amy Holly Pedro Mendez Yaneth Cholotío América Castro Katja Gryl Stephany Girón Roncal Melyna Cholotío Pamela Arreaga Dr. Georgina Monzón
Executive Director Business Manager Clinic Administrator Manager of Human Resources Manager of Communications and Fundraising Manager of Community Health and Education Programs Assistant Manager of Community Health and Education Programs Volunteer Coordinator ODIM’s Physician
For individual contact details go to www.odimguatemala.org/contact-us
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ODIM GUATEMALA Clinica San Juanerita Zona 0, Barrio San Juanerita San Juan La Laguna, Solola Guatemala odimguatemala.org OdimGuate guatemalaodim guatemalaodim
