February-March 2019

Good afternoon!

I wanted to send out an update about what's been going on with the Guatemalan breakfast program, Juntos Podemos Cambiar La Niñez. Since my last update in January, we have continued to grow as an organization, opening up our doors to include 4 more children! To date, we now serve 26 children free breakfast every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Our number of sponsors has increased to 20. As always, I thank each and every one of you for your continued support of my dream come true. Each child we bring into our program is another stomach to fill, heart to love, mind to educate, and life to change.

With the Guatemalan school year in full gear, most of the children receive breakfast prior to school. Some of the children study in the afternoon, so they tend to come later in the morning, anywhere from 8:00-9:30. It works out well since we’ve just about reached maximum capacity in our current space.

All of our school-aged children are enrolled in school, and many of them study at the public school a few blocks away from our location. We strongly urge the mothers to keep an eye on their child's grades. We want our children to perform well in school so they can continue to be a part of our program. When I return to Guatemala this summer, I would like to plan an education day for the mothers. The community we are building within our program is based on educating both our children and their mothers. The main topic I would like to focus on is nutritional, affordable foods for the mothers to prepare at home.

As with all organizations, Juntos Podemos faced a minor setback about a month ago. One morning, Lucy informed me that the stove began to malfunction as breakfast was being prepared. The stove we currently use is a gas powered stove top with four burners. We were able to get it fixed, but our plan is to buy a new stove with at least six burners by June. Gas stoves are preferred in Guatemala, due to the unreliability of the electricity's capability to withstand an electric stove.

Each month, we try to do something special for the children. Usually, it includes lunch with some sort of treat. To celebrate Valentine's Day, the children enjoyed a traditional Guatemalan lunch followed by cupcakes. Each child also received a small gift (hula hoops or action figures). No matter what we offer the children, they are so appreciative!

As we move into month 6, I am eager to get back to Guatemala to continue to build our program. The plan is to return mid-June or the beginning of July for a couple weeks. It is time we look for a new location to better accommodate our growing needs. I would love to find a little house to work out of. That way, we would have plenty of space to keep expanding our program. An extra room would be nice for any additional activities we offer, such as parties, educational sessions, or even medical uses. We are in contact with a local pediatrician to try to set up free check ups for the children.

I am humbled by the progress our organization has made in just 6 short months. God has truly blessed us with this opportunity to help more and more children and their families. There is nothing that brings me more joy than seeing positive changes happen in the country that I fell in love with 8 years ago. Through your support, prayers, and donations, YOU are a major part of this change. We might not be changing the world, but we are changing the worlds of 26 children. And that is what makes all the difference.

"I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples."-St. Teresa of Calcutta

Sincerely,

Victoria Masucci

Emiry (left) and her sister Fatima show off their new hula hoops!

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