Canalitos: How We Made a Fire Chief Cry in Guatemala

AMEDICAusa – Delivering the goods in Canalitos, Guatemala

Canalitos: Welcome to the “Red Zone”

The cantón of Canalitos, known in Guatemala City as Zona 24, is one of the poorest and most dangerous parts of a city already infamous for gang violence and extreme poverty. You venture there with some trepidation, and only with good reason. It is designated a “Red Zone“. Once denoting areas controlled by the insurgents during the civil war, Red Zone is now the term for particularly dangerous, crime ridden areas.

Canalitos Firefighters on scene with a 17 year old girl, victim of a gang shooting.

Emergency Services in Zona 24 are provided by the Bomberos de Canalitos. A small, very young Fire Department, their Facebook page is littered with posts of shooting victims to which they have responded. Since they have no fire engine, they run primarily out of a small “Ambulance”, a worn out Toyota mini-van. Formally the private vehicle of the Fire Chief, it is showing its age. Bucket brigades are used to control any fires. Independent of the two national Guatemalan fire organizations, they struggle for support. Asking a Quetzal (13¢ U.S.) a month, what few funds they have come in small donations from local residents.

Building a Fire Company in Canalitos

We do not do much work in Guatemala City. We have a relationship, of course, with the Bomberos Voluntarios and Bomberos Municipales, and both have their national headquarters in the capitol. But, by and large, the capitol’s fire companies, while underfunded, have more equipment and training than their rural counterparts. They protect, after all, the homes and workplaces of the country’s congress, bureaucrats and most of the nation’s wealthy.

Canalitos is different. Annexed into the city almost as an afterthought – Guatemala’s major watersource of is here – few of the city’s services are available to residents. Neither national firefighting group is really interested in investing in such a poor area. Of course, very little tax revenue comes out of the barrio, so it remains largely ignored by the government.

Enter Pablo Muralles and Angelica Garrido‎. Veterans of Guatemala’s Bomberos Municipales, they created a new fire department where none had existed. With the grandiose name “Asociación de Emergencias Medicas Bomberos de Canalitos” (ASEMBOC) they took on a small, run-down commercial building for their station While building the department, they recruited at-risk youth to form the core of their firefighting force. Creating an alternative to the gangs and violence is important to them.

AMEDICAusa meeting in Guatemala City with (L-R) Pablo Muralles, Angelica Garrido, and Marisol Martinez of ASEMBOC

AMEDICAusa Gets Involved

Guatemalans are a close people, even when far removed from home. Carlos Luna, a Canalitos native now living in Chicago, brought the fire department to our attention. Luna runs a large Guatemalan community group in the windy city, as well as “Marimba Luna Maya” an international youth music group. He also holds down an everyday job. Carlos is a busy guy. But he still has time to try and help out his native barrio. He contacted AMEDICAusa after hearing how we help the Guatemalan fire services, and put us in touch with Comandante Muralles. A meeting was arranged in Guatemala (to which the firefighters brought Rellenitos, one of my favorite Guatemalan foods) where we got to know the department and it’s challenges.

A Long Journey for Fire Equipment

Of the things Bomberos de Canalitos lacks, perhaps none are so important as protective gear for the firefighters. Helmets, coats, jackets, gloves and boots are difficult to find, and very expensive in Guatemala. Even more difficult is to find them in matching colors and styles to outfit an entire fire company.It is not at all unusual to find firefighters in 1960’s era fiberglass helmets, canvas jackets and gardening gloves. ASEMBOC had some, courtesy of Carlos and the Chicago Fire department, but not nearly enough. Could AMEDICAusa help them out?

We had received a great donation of black turnout coats and pants from Waldwick Volunteer Fire Department in New Jersey. An equal number of fire helmets, nearly new, came from the Huntington Volunteer First Aid Squad in Long Island, New York. Boots from Pennsylvania, gloves from North Carolina. Yeah, we can do it! But how do we get it to Guatemala?

It really Does take a Whole Village

About this time, Volcán Fuego erupted in Guatemala, and AMEDICAusa was involved in the relief effort. The aftermath of the eruption brought the chapín community in Chicago together in a relief drive for the folks back home. Donations of clothes, medical supplies, food and money were being raised, and a Guatemalan-American shipping company, ServiExpress, had even donated the shipping. Carlos Luna asked if I would be interested in coming to Chicago to speak and help out at their relief event. (He also promised me the best Rellenitos north of Tikal if I would do it.) Space could be found for some fire gear he told me.

Not wanting to show up empty handed, I managed to stuff enough sets of turnout gear, helmets, gloves and boots to outfit Canalitos into my little car and set out for Chicago.

Chief Angelica Garrido sheds a tear while receiving an AMEDICAusa equipment donation

“I may have caused

a Fire Chief or two

to cry during my career,

but never before in happiness”

– Neale Brown, AMEDICAusa

Fortunately the Guatemalan community of Chicago were spared the agony of my public speaking, but we loaded A LOT of boxes that night. Enough to fill a couple of tractor trailers with donated goods. Included in that haul were our firefighting equipment, soon to be on its way to Guatemala.

So, two emergency service agencies, one Chicago community organization, one shipping company, one Maryland based non-profit, several dozen volunteers, and several thousands of miles later, the firefighters of Canalitos are a little bit safer tonight. It makes me want to cry a little too.

Next we have to find them a better Ambulance…. anybody got one to donate?

No,really…I’m Serious. Call me.

Hard to say who should be towing who…

Claudia’s Dream – When Guatemala Sends Its Hope

I did not know Claudia Patricia Gómez González.

Claudia Patricia Gómez González, 20, Killed by a CBP bullet upon entering the United States

But I know many like her. A Mam (Maya) woman, born and raised in the small village of Los Alonzo, near San Juan Ostuncalco, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, she had already overcome long odds in achieving what she had.

She was, in many ways, a typical young woman for the highlands. Sitting astride two cultures, photographs show her in both her brightly colored traditional Maya clothes and those of the trendy modern world. She was barely five feet tall. Her parents were Lidia and Gilberto, and she had two younger sisters, who she helped care for. She was popular amongst her friends and had a serious boyfriend, Yosimar, to whom she planned to eventually marry. They exchanged loving selfies, and silly posts when she could afford cell service.

First though, she wanted to go to school.

Claudia was obviously bright and motivated. Not only did she finished grade school but had gone on to graduate from a local colegio (sort of a high school with a specialized focus) with a certificate in accounting.

Claudia Patricia Gómez González, Graduation Photo, 2016

A small thing, you might say. But in Guatemala, where many tens of thousands of children – particularly the indigenous Maya – never finish elementary school, where the simple school supplies are beyond their economic reach, it is no mean feat. When, as often is the case, a family must choose which, if any, of the children will go to school, the girls often lose out to their brothers. After all, it is reasoned, the girls won’t need school to raise their children, cook and clean and keep a household. But Claudia, called “Princesita” by her family, persisted.

Already bilingual, speaking her native Mayan Mam language as well as Spanish, she hoped to learn English as well. In a country with 23 official languages (of which English is not one) the ability to speak English well can be an economic godsend. She wanted to go to college.

But college costs money. Far more than her family could afford. So, Claudia was looking for work. She spent two years after graduation seeking a job, but none could be found. Not in her village. Nor in the nearby town of San Juan Ostuncalco, nor in the larger city of Quetzaltenango.

She could have tried in Guatemala City, of course. But the city has no better opportunities, and some of the meanest of the mean streets of Central America. The city eats rural indigenous girls like Claudia for breakfast.

She just wanted her modest dream. Education. A better life for her and her family. To make a difference. With the naiveté of youth, her strength, and the hope of something better, she set out on a 3000-mile journey to find it in the United States. Just to make enough money to help her family and later to return to Guatemala for school. She knew it was dangerous, but her father had made it, though deported back to Guatemala after a brief time. Her novio (boyfriend) was attending school in the U.S. as well.

“Mamita, we’re going to go on ahead. [to the U.S.] I’ll make money. There is no work here.” Were her last words to her mother.

Claudia Patricia Gómez González

Fifteen days later, having made it half way to her destination, and less than a half-mile into the United States, Princesita was dead, killed by a single gunshot to the head by a U.S. Border Patrol officer.

The details of the shooting are muddy. The Border patrol has already altered its original official story in multiple respects, and no longer claims that Claudia, all five feet of her, was assailing a border patrol officer. Witnesses state she was simply hiding in the bushes. Investigations continue. Some say that the conclusion is foregone, and nothing will be done. Many say she was simply one more “illegal”, and that alone justifies, somehow, her death. Sadly, in a week, her story will be forgotten by most.

Claudia Patricia “Princesita” Gómez González was not an “animal”. She was not a rapist, criminal or MS-13 gang member. She was, like most immigrants, simply trying to follow her hope of a better life for herself, her family and ultimately her native country by coming to the “shining city on the hill”.

Claudia Patricia Gómez González Shortly Before Leaving Guatemala for the United States

Claudia Patricia “Princesita” Gómez González certainly did not set out to be a martyr to a cause. She, like any other 20-year-old, wanted very much to live a long and happy life, work a fulfilling job, and be surrounded by friends, family and children.

We should, however, remember her name. Remember that Claudia Patricia “Princesita” Gómez González, like all immigrants, documented or not, was a real human being, not so different from our own children, trying to make her way.

I think, no matter your politics, your stance on immigration issues or how you vote, we can agree that the answer to Claudia Patricia “Princesita” Gómez González’s dreams ought not to have been a bullet.

BLACK FRIDAY SALE! 50% MORE KINDNESS WITH YOUR DONATIONS!

Double Your Caring and Kindness with your Gift to AMEDICAusa.

140,000 Children in Guatemala Can’t Go to School in Guatemala due to Poverty. Every $2 you give allows us to reach one more child.

Its that season again, and we’re all absorbed in the question of what gifts to give. I invite you to consider a gift that lasts a lifetime…give a child in rural Guatemala a chance at an education.

Our program is designed to get elementary age students into school, and keep them there, by delivering the basic school supplies that they would not otherwise be able to afford. While this may seem a relatively low-tech program, it is actually a simple solution to a very large problem in Guatemala. At least 140,000 school age Guatemalan children are not enrolled in school. The principal reason: an inability of the families to afford the simple school supplies needed for their children. Most of these kids are in the rural and indigenous sections of the country where we are most active.

AMEDICAusa school supply mission in Champerico, Guatemala

AMEDICAusa volunteers, usually led led by Silvana Ayuso, our Vice President in Guatemala, deliver the supplies directly into the hands of the children. Based on the UNICEF “School in a Box” concept, we have modified it to suit the needs of Guatemala. Pencils, pens, notebooks, erasers…you get the idea. Even a small toy and a treat are included. Simple things, but a great boon to those who often make less than a dollar a day.

Rather than just send a box of supplies to a school, we have individualized the packets to ensure that the supplies actually reach the children for whom they were intended, and broken it up into amounts suitable for approximately 3-4 months. This helps insure that the items get used by the students, not sold or ruined in the often-challenging climate. We try and reach each school we supply three times during the school year.

We use our funds frugally. AMEDICAusa buys all of our supplies from wholesalers in Guatemala. This is not only vastly less expensive than in the U.S., but also saves us shipping costs (often more than the supplies themselves), and gives a little boost to the local economy.

Guatemalan firefighters delivering school supplies – AMEDICAusa

Besides the obvious educational benefits, this program also often serves as our gateway into the rural communities. It is the rare visit where we are not called upon to see, treat and/or transport a sick or injured child. This allows us to introduce our medical programs. Many of our volunteers are from the local fire departments with whom we work closely in our disaster aid and training programs. They aid us in delivering the supplies and help introduce us to the local population. It also the best introduction to Guatemala for our U.S. volunteers who are invited to participate in the school supply delivery missions.

We are in the midst of our annual fund-raising drive for next year’s programs. We are also soliciting partner agencies to help support the missions. If you, someone you know, or a group would be interested in helping, please feel free to contact me any time. Browse our website and let us know if you have any questions, and please…Give generously.

Thank you for your kind consideration,

Neale

Neale S. Brown

President, AMEDICAusa, Inc.

Guatemala Hospital Saves Lives Despite Critical Shortages

**Babies, Sand and Machetes…*AMEDICAusa interns at the National Hospital of Retalhuleu***

A child clings to life in the Pediatric Emergency Room

There can be no observers here.
I am “bagging” a three month old baby girl. She has been brought into the hospital limp, pale and unconscious and with a obviously swollen belly. She hasn’t nursed for two days and was fussy and inconsolable yesterday. This morning her mother couldn’t wake her and rushed her into the emergency room tied to her back on a motorbike. Now she is no longer making an effort to breathe on her own.

She is in septic shock, likely the result of an intusseception, a rare intestinal condition that can kill part of the intestine and cause life threatening complications. Her life is dependent on a small tube inserted into her throat and continuing to squeeze the attached bag to inflate her lungs every few seconds. I took over the job of breathing for the baby when the nurse’s hands began to cramp.

The doctor and a nurse struggle to get an I.V. into the child. This is always difficult in a baby, much harder when they are in shock. I offer to start an inter-osseous line, a procedure we would commonly use in the States in this situation, but the hospital doesn’t have the necessary needles, and a regular catheter would likely break before penetrating the bone. I continue to breath for the baby. Finally they manage to place a very small IV. It will have to do. We’ll continue this until the infant goes into surgery and other staff will continue to manually breathe for her through the surgery and over the next two days. There is no mechanical ventilator available to take over.

Welcome to the Hero Hospital

The Weather Worn Sign of the Hospital Nacional, Retalhuleu, Guatemala
The first thing you notice here is the heat. Unsurprisingly, the western Guatemalan lowlands are hot in the summer. The daily afternoon thunderstorms raise the humidity to truly oppressive levels. A coastal breeze helps a little when outdoors, but it doesn’t reach into the hallways or exam rooms to provide even a little relief. Other than in the operating room, the air-conditioning doesn’t work.

Fanning with a notebook, Doctor Lorena Yancor. and student attempt to keep cool in the ER
The commercial fans installed to compensate are victims of overuse and age and have long given up the ghost. Doctors and staff have brought in a few personal fans here and there, but they are small, and ineffective beyond a couple of feet. The patients, family and staff, crowded in to cramped spaces, provide an additional source of heat…and without ventilation, a source of smells that are best left undescribed.

The Hospital Nacional of Retalhuleu is the primary source of medical care for the poorest of the poor in this part of Guatemala. Part of the country’s two-tier national healthcare system, it serves those who don’t have a regular paycheck: the campesinos (farm workers), the indigenous, and the unemployed. Like it’s sign, it is worn around the edges. Nicked and dented by uncountable stretchers, the paint could use another coat. But it is clean and kept so by a squad of mopping janitors, who make endless rounds of it’s floors. The hospital is chronically short of medicines, equipment and even routine maintenance supplies.

Reading x-rays by window light
There is one, elderly, x-ray machine to service the entire hospital and the waiting times are long. The films themselves are read through an open window…as the light-boxes generally don’t work. The lab, though reasonably well equipped, is dark…because they don’t have the florescent tubes to replace those burnt out. CT scans, MRIs, and the other modern diagnostic tools are a wishful dream.

The tools available here are primarily the hands, eyes and ears of the medical staff, and they are surprisingly good. Many of the senior staff have been here since the Hospital opened some thirty years ago. Eschewing the more lucrative practices they could have in Guatemala City (some 90% of all of Guatemala’s doctors reside in the capitol city), they continue to practice here where their talents can be put to the best use. All have become excellent diagnosticians and instructors for the medical students that often rotate through the hospital as part of their training.

AMEDICAusa is a supporter of the hospital, donating medicines and equipment in support of their efforts to treat the poor. (Among other things, AMEDICAusa donated most of the equipment for their gynecology clinic, where they had previously been forced to to exams on an office desk.) This time we brought several crates of pediatric medicines…and two talented students from the United States to serve a volunteer internship in the hospital.

The Pink Sand

Four kids come into the pediatric emergency room with their father. They range in age from 4-10. All have makeshift bandages, dishtowels, t-shirts, scraps of cloth, around their hands and feet. Dad is limping a little. A medical student unwraps one child’s hand and guesses she has a nasty skin infection of some sort. I look at the family. All the kids have the same infection and only on their hands and feet? Something isn’t right. I have another of the kids unwrap his hands. Under the dirty towel, and under the pink layer of calamine lotion that Guatemalans put on any type of skin disorder, his palms are shredded and blistered. Chemical burns?

A Child’s Chemical Burn in the Pediatric Emergency Room.
Dad is dressed in the unofficial uniform of a Guatemalan campesino, a farm worker. Worn, dirty jeans, a second hand t-shirt and a beat-up cowboy hat. A machete scabbard is on his belt. I ask if he lives in el campo. Yes, he says. He works in the fields. Do they use chemicals there? Yes, sometimes. Whats wrong with your leg? He points to the kids hands… el mismo..the same, he says. I call the chief pediatrician over and explain what I think this is. I ask the kids what they have been doing over the past couple of days. Playing in the new arena rosa… the pink sand…that they dumped near our house.

It is an industrial, urea based, fertilizer. Apparently, no one thought to tell the farm workers it was dangerous. The kids have been building sandcastles with it, and walking barefoot through the spillage. Dad has the same burns on his leg from repeated contact as he shoveled it into wheelbarrows.

Organized Chaos

The only formal waiting room in the hospital is in the outpatient clinic. All the other patients, for the emergency rooms, labor and delivery, OB/GYN and so forth, must wait patiently in the hallways, or under what little cover is available outside. Lines form in the hallways for each service, a mixture of patients and their families. All chat quietly while they wait. Well kids scurry about, playing improvised games underfoot. Mothers quietly nurse their babies while exchanging news with friends. None seem disturbed by the wait, even when the occasional fire department ambulance patient is rushed in ahead of them. They know the drill.

Dr. Gilberto Morales
Overseeing the operations is Dr. Gilberto Morales. A dapper man, he manages to appear calm and cool while nattily dressed in always-pressed shirt, tie and lab coat, despite the heat. It would be easy to rage in frustration at the job he is required to do, taking care of thousands of patients without sufficient resources, but he remains unruffled. He orchestrates the staff, building, equipment and patients with admirable restraint and aplomb. He has set up a rotation for our interns – Emergency, Pediatric Emergency, OB/GYN clinic, Labor and Delivery, and Surgery – where they will both learn the most, and be most helpful. After a brief tour of the hospital, the interns are handed off to the respective department chiefs.

Rites of Passage
In Los Campos, the communities of the farm workers, young boys at the age of 12 or 13 are given their first machete. This universal tool, kept honed to razor sharpness and carried in decorated sheaths, requires some practice to use efficiently and effectively. Like a baseball player with a bat, there are a lot of errant swings before mastering the hand-eye coordination necessary to hit consistently. The emergency room often sees those who have swung and missed.

AMEDICAusa volunteer Efim Oykhman repairs a machete wound
“Mario” is a thirteen year old boy who walked in to the ER with an embarrassed grin and his dirty, and now bloodstained, t-shirt wrapped around his right wrist. No longer attending school, he has joined his father in the fields of a local finca. He was chopping weeds out of a sugar cane field when an errant left handed swing hit his wrist, rather than the noxious plant he was aiming at. His is the third machete injury we have seen today.

It will be the first that our intern, Efim Oykhman, closes himself. He has assisted and observed in several previous procedures, and now is ready to do it himself. Under the watchful eye of the surgeon (called in to rule out any tendon injuries), he closes the wound with eight deft sutures, a little antibacterial ointment and a dressing. Mario goes home a little wiser, and Efim has successfully performed his first surgery. Both are happy…and a little relieved.

Treat ’em and Street ’em

Pediatrician Dr. Carlos René Jaime González, a native mexicano, very patiently explains to the parents of his tenth patient of the day that the pediatric emergency room is not where minor routine illnesses belong. First they should go to the local Clínica de Salud (Health Clinic) in their area. Second, for more serious problems, to the outpatient clinic. Only the really sick or injured are supposed to come to the pediatric emergency room. The lines to the emergency rooms are full of patients that really should be in the outpatient clinic on the other side of the hospital, but that area is full and the wait times are longer. Many of the patients have “self triaged” to the emergency room, and there is no staff to prevent that. The doctors are resigned to this, though it takes up valuable time. It also means that some very sick people are waiting outside, while less seriously ill manage to be seen first. Dr. Gonzales frequently checks the hallways to make sure a seriously sick or injured child isn’t waiting.

Dr Carlos René Jaime González and AMEDICAusa Volunteer Daria Smoliarchuk Discuss a Patient
The doctor’s at the Hospital Nacional don’t have the time to get to know their patients well. There simply isn’t enough time in a day to take detailed family histories nor fill out many forms. In Dr. Gonzales’ pediatric admitting room, the patients come in, get a quick once over and basic history, a rapid but thorough exam, then either medication samples off the shelves (yes, drug salesmen come even to Guatemalan ER’s) or a prescription for medicine from the hospital pharmacy (free) or their local farmacia if the hospital is out of medicines. Total elapsed time…maybe five to ten minutes for the average patient.

Few make it beyond the anteroom and into the three treatment beds in the pediatric ER. Those are reserved for those truly in need of emergency care. A asthmatic child working on his fourth nebulizer, a ten year old with a fractured arm, and our 3 month old with sepsis.

Our “Countess Dracula” Gets Her First Case

AMEDICAusa Volunteer intern holds retraction during surgery at Hospital Nacional Retalhuleu
Back in emergency a young woman comes in with severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and fever. She has been suffering symptoms for two days. Dr. Lorena Yancor, Chief of Emergency services, checks in on the patient demonstrating techniques for abdominal assessment for our interns, while I translate and explain what she is looking for and why. This is why our interns are here, to learn to examine patients without the diagnostic tools available in the States. The patient has all the classic signs of appendicitis . A surgeon is called and he demonstrates again the same skills, as well as a couple of advanced techniques to confirm the diagnosis. Off to surgery she goes for an emergency appendectomy. The surgeon asks our intern if she would like to assist. Daria, drawn to blood like a moth to flame, and who appears magically when ever a patient comes in with an open wound, readily agrees. As it turns out, the surgery was just in time, and was more complicated than first thought. As the surgeon opens the patient, her appendix ruptures.

Twin Problems for Hospital Births

Prenatal care is still a rarity for most women in Guatemala, particularly in the poor and indigenous communities. Often a woman will go through her entire pregnancy and delivery without any medical care at all. Health and sex education is lacking, brought here only by NGO’s like AMEDICAusa and it’s partners.

Birthing in Guatemala is often attended by midwives, comadronas, who are largely untrained in modern medical techniques. They often rely solely on traditional indigenous practices and beliefs. Some are very good, and have received additional training from NGO’s and limited government programs. As a consequence, many of the births done in the hospital are complicated, referred here by midwives skilled enough to recognize problem pregnancies.

During our intern’s rotations in the OB/GYN clinic, labor and delivery, and surgery, fully half of the births were cesarean and most of these births were performed on an emergency basis. Prematurity, age of the mother (both very young and very old) and undiagnosed maternal medical problems are common issues.

“Maria” is a 19 year old woman who came in to the OB/GYN clinic with painless vaginal bleeding in what appears to be her third trimester of pregnancy. She doesn’t know exactly when her last period started, but she thinks it was last November or December, either eight or nine months ago, and she has had no prenatal care.

Healthy twins delivered by emergency C-Section at Hospital Nacional Retalhuleu
This is her second pregnancy – she had a healthy baby girl two years ago. Maria has been “spotting” off and on for a couple of days, but has more bleeding today and is having some irregular contractions. Her external abdominal exam reveals TWO fetal heads and possibly two sets of heart sounds. She is sent for an ultrasound, which reveals not only twins at about 36 weeks gestation, but also Placenta Previa, a condition that threatens both her life and those of her babies. An emergency c-section is called for and our interns are there to assist.

Medicine in a Disaster Zone

Once delivered, our twins are moved to the neonatal ward. Like all the other wards, the patients here are grouped together in large rooms without walls or curtains to separate the beds. The neonatal ward is a stark reminder of the disasters that are often visited on Guatemala. A large fissure has appeared, running vertically down a structural wall. The crack is the result of a 6.6 earthquake that occurred in June and effected the stability of the structure. The epicenter of the quake was 35 miles from the hospital. One man was killed, crushed by a wall collapse about a kilometer from the emergency room. The entire neonatal unit is going to have to be moved for safety until repairs can be made.

Earthquake damage in wall (L) of the neonatal unit of Hospital Nacional Retalhuleu
Outside the hospital, ash and steam clouds can occasionally be seen rising from explosive Volcan Santiaguito some 15 miles to the northeast. The hallways in the hospital have discrete triage system markings denoting catchment areas for patients in case of mass casualties.

They are as prepared as they can be, but shortages of supplies and equipment are worrisome.

Did you know?

AMEDICAusa provides support and equipment to the Hospital Nacional of Retalhuleu and other medical facilities for the poor and indigenous peoples of Guatemala. We can’t do it alone. Your donations are what make our programs possible. Please give generously.

Be an AMEDICAusa hero and donate here.

AMEDICAusa, inc. is an I.R.S. 501(C)(3) registered charity, headquartered in Frederick, Maryland.

We are always looking for volunteers who wish to help in Guatemala. Get the details here.

6.9 Earthquake strikes Southwest Guatemala

Victim is rescued from Church collapse after Guatemalan earthquake.

Early Morning Earthquake claims at least one life.

Retalhuleu, Guatemala- A violent earthquake collapsed a portion of the Catholic Church in San Sebastian, Retalhuleu, Guatemala early this morning. 30 year old Juan Francisco Esteban Javier was sleeping inside the church. Though rescued alive from the rubble by firefighters of Retalhuleu’s 11 Compañía CBV, Javier later died of his injuries at the local hospital. Sadly, the first confirmed fatality in this morning’s severe quake. An elderly woman has reportedly perished of a heart attack resulting from the temblor in nearby Malacatán, San Marcos, Guatemala.

Landslides and Damage to Buildings widespread.

Retalhuleu’s Fire Chief, Salvador Matheu, said that the older Spanish colonial buildings were the worst affected. Firefighters and city officials have been surveying the damage throughout the city.

“There is damage to the Old Cathedral and the Governor’s Palace in the historic Central Square.” said Matheu. “and even some to the Fire Station. Newer buildings haven’t been damaged as much.”

Firefighters prepare to move leaking tank of chlorine gas after earthquake.

A chlorine gas leak at the city’s water treatment plant became the most immediate problem after the rescue. The earthquake had fractured a supply line from the supply tank to the plant causing an uncontrolled release of the deadly gas.

“We don’t have hazardous materials suits, so the best we could do was move the tank as far as we could from the houses nearby, while wearing our firefighting gear.” said the chief.

In the nearby town of Santa Cruz Muluá, a portion of the old Catholic Church collapsed and the municipal building was damaged. Maydi Aguilar, an official of the municipality said “We have reports of houses damaged and collapsed both town and in the villages but, thank god, no injuries reported yet.”

The main highway linking Retalhuleu with Quetzaltenango, two of Guatemala’s largest cities, has been blocked by multiple landslides and a possible tunnel collapse.

Officials Breathe a sigh of relief after earthquake.

Reports of serious damage are coming in from firefighters and officials all around the area of the earthquake. However, most of our reports have said one thing in common. It could have been much worse. San Cristóbal, Totonicopán reported damage to buildings, but no known injuries. Quetzaltenango, Guatemala’s second largest city reported extensive damage, but few injuries. Even towns closer to the epicenter, San Marcos, Malacatán and San Pablo, report few injuries, though the power is out in those areas. The epicenter of today’s earthquake was deep and in a relatively sparsely populated region of the country. This is thought to have limited the human toll. For comparison, the 1976 Guatemala Earthquake killed 23,000 and injured 76,000 more.

Experts say aftershocks are possible over the next few weeks and maybe as strong or stronger than the original quake. Residents of the region are being urged to take precautions.

Update: 9:32 pm EST: The Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology (Insivumeh) said that in 15 hours, they had recorded 39 aftershocks with magnitudes between 3.3 and 4.6 . Prensa Libre is now reporting five (5) deaths in total. The three additional deaths are said to be cardiac related. In addition, they report seven additional traumatic injuries. Fifty (50) known landslides have blocked roads and highways in the area.

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Why We Chose Guatemala and Why You Should Too

An indigenous woman donates to the local Fire Department in Champerico, Guatemala

Violence, Corruption, Poverty, War and Natural Disaster
have long been synonymous with the so-called “banana republics”. Historically, Guatemala has been no exception. There is poverty and need throughout the Americas, so why did AMEDICAusa choose this small country, rather than my wife’s suggestion of providing aid in the vineyards of Tuscany?

Certainly, there is need. The third poorest country in the hemisphere, an astounding 60% of the total population lives in poverty. In the rural and indigenous Maya populations, that rises to nearly 80%. Malnutrition is rampant, illiteracy more common than not and health care is largely unavailable. Obviously, a fertile ground for the efforts of an international charity. But, of course, that is true of other countries as well.

Wild Cacao at Takalik Abaj, an ancient Maya city which prospered in the pre-columbian chocolate trade.
It’s not because of the rugged beauty of the country, though it certainly has that. From the volcanic mountains of the central highlands, to the rain forest of Peten and the black sand beaches of the coast, the topography is challenging, exotic and gorgeous. It also hides the potential for the reoccurring natural disasters that periodically strike the country.

It’s not just because Guatemala is one of our near neighbors (Guatemala City is closer to Miami than is Chicago) and the people are fellow Americans in the larger sense. Though that too, might be justification enough.

It’s not even because of the large debt the world owes Guatemala for their ancient discovery of chocolate.

The Difference is in the People of Guatemala.

It sounds almost trite, but it is very true. Yes, people are people. There are probably just as many good and bad Guatemalans, by percentage, as anywhere else, and Guatemala is a diverse country with 23 official indigenous languages as well as Spanish. But what we have found is a wide spread desire, at all levels of society, to individually help make their country just a little bit better. This is markedly different than what we have found working in other countries in Central America.

Let me be clear. This isn’t the false bonhomie of someone getting something for free. After all, it is easy to be nice to someone giving stuff to you and yours for nothing. Rather this is the sincere, well intentioned partnership with the people that every NGO says they want, but few achieve.

The well-to-do “Gym Club” of Guatemala City, who donate their time and talents as translators and school program volunteers. The working poor who offer their labor and services for free just to be part of the effort to make things better. The Guatemalan firefighters, poorly paid and overworked, serving as our volunteers on their day off. All aid us delivering programs to rural villages and alert us to problems, such as special needs children, in the communities where we can help.

A group of the Gym Club volunteers at a children’s shelter in Sololá, Guatemala
The Gym Club Volunteers

A group of well-to-do members of an athletic club of Guatemala City, there is no obvious material benefit to their association with AMEDICAusa. They could be off jet setting around the world. Instead, they often spend their free time passing out school supplies to the poor children in a dusty little villages, or translating for instructors at fire and rescue classes across the country.

Fire Officer Wilfredo Morales volunteering to deliver school supplies near Santa Cruz Muluá, Guatemala
The Firefighters of Guatemala

Of course, it goes without saying that firefighters are all around good people. Perhaps no group in Guatemala is more overworked and underpaid than the Bomberos. Working a 24 hours on, 24 hours off shift schedule, you would think that they have given enough of their lives to their community. Instead, they often volunteer to work with us on their off days, and have been instrumental in identifying other areas that need assistance.

Don Chepe, Master Boatman, guides us to El Chico, Guatemala
The Working Poor

Nothing makes the point better than the experience we have had working with the day to day people of Guatemala. A couple of weeks ago, we were working in a small village in the mangroves of southwest of Guatemala. The village, El Chico, is inaccessible by road and can be reached only by a forty minute, somewhat difficult, boat ride from the nearest boat launch. We hired a boatman, Don Chepe, to take us, our volunteers, a couple of policemen for security and all of our supplies into the mangrove.

Its a long trip. Using a lot of sparsely available and expensive fuel, and he must wait hours for us to finish our mission. During the trip, he cannot carry the cargo or harvest the fish that would otherwise make up his daily wage. We readily agreed to his asking price of 150 quetzales (about $20) for the boat and a day’s work. Once he delivered us back to the beach he tried to refuse his fee. Just to be part of the effort. (Though a very kind offer, we of course paid him anyway.)

Hope and Change in Guatemala
have historically been distant dreams. Guatemala suffered nearly forty years of civil war and decades of systemic government corruption in that war’s aftermath. What makes the difference now?Perhaps it is the creation of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) and its success in rooting out much of the corruption that robbed the country’s treasury and ultimately its people. Perhaps it is the changing world technology, bringing a new outlook to old problems. Perhaps the Guatemalan people have just grown tired of waiting for change and have decided to take their future into their own hands.

An Investment in Guatemala’s Future

All charity is (or should be) an investment. The return on the investment is changing the lives and circumstances of the recipients for the better. Like all investments, this return is dependent on the dedication of all of the stakeholders to the ultimate success of the venture. On that basis, Guatemala seems a pretty safe bet.

AMEDICAusa volunteers at Nueva Cajolá, Guatemala

AMEDICAusa, inc. is an I.R.S. 501(C)(3) registered charity, headquartered in Frederick, Maryland.

We are always looking for volunteers who wish to help in Guatemala. Get the details here.

Donating to AMEDICAusa ‘s ongoing programs is easy. Get the details here.

Tens of Thousands of Guatemala’s Children Can Not Go To School

The village school house at Aldea El Manchón, Guatemala

Simple School Program Helps fill gaps in rural Guatemalan Schools

El Manchón, Retalhuleu, Guatemala – The little blue and white schoolhouse on the beach in the village of El Manchón (the Jungle) is incredibly picturesque. Touched by sea breezes on nice days, dotted by sea grasses, across a rough and rutted road from the thatched roof village, surrounded by palms and year-round flowers, it seems almost idyllic.

Aldea El Manchón

But look a little closer and you will note some things that are apparent only in their absence. There is no electricity, nor running water. The little school building is careworn. Gaps in its clapboard walls provide some light, but allow in rain and insects with equal alacrity. Within it’s tiny two rooms are some forty three children and two teachers who often struggle to make it through the school year.

The people of El Manchón mostly work the River Lxqulla (Lsh-cú-ya), poling shallow boats deep into its tangled mangrove jungle, in search of fish and shrimp. Others are campesinos (farm workers) on nearby fincas, harvesting sugar cane. Laboring in the intense heat of Guatemala’s pacific lowlands, none make much more than a dollar or two a day.

On such meager wages, the struggle for food, clothes and shelter demand the lion’s share of income. School books, pens, pencils and such seem a luxury.

AMEDICAusa always knew, from experience in villages like El Manchón, that many children in Guatemala are unable to go to school because they simply can’t afford it. Many families are forced to chose which, if any, of their children can go to school. Often this choice is made in favor of the boys, as has been traditionally thought that girls have less need for education. The new government study highlights the problem.

A young boy poles his canoa in search of fish, instead of going to school, near El Manchón, Guatemala.

An over-sized pick-up, accompanied by a cloud of dust and the ambulance from the nearest town, thumps and sways down the “road” that leads into the village. The ambulance, filled with Champerico’s off duty firefighters, isn’t here for a medical emergency. The firefighters have volunteered to spend their day off helping AMEDICAusa distribute school supplies to El Manchón’s children and then to another school deeper in the mangroves. Though the village is more than an hour’s drive from Company 13’s fire station, they represent the only emergency services in the area.

When the worst of the dust settles, AMEDICAusa volunteers and the firefighters unload and dust off the cargo from the bed of the pickup, and carry it inside the school. After introductions and a short classroom exercise, the children are each given a small bag. The bags contain all the basic school supplies for three months. Notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers, pencil sharpeners, crayons, and, for each, a rare lollipop.

The idea is simple. Provide enough school supplies to keep a family from having to decide between eating or sending their kids to school.

“Education here is key to escaping poverty.” said Neale Brown, President of AMEDICAusa. “Those who think these folk’s lives are simple and intellectually undemanding, need to understand the problems that confront their communities.”

“Expansion of sugar cane and palm oil plantations near the river have expanded their job market somewhat, but the wages in the fields are very low. It has given them some choices in where to work, but not the ability to escape poverty. Unfortunately, the new plantations require irrigation and a whole lot of water. Increasingly, this water is being drawn from the river, sometimes illegally, and has dropped the water flows in the river significantly. Robbing fresh water from the river removes it from the mangrove. It is increasing the salinity of the estuary, killing the trees, poisoning water wells, driving away the native wildlife and significantly harming the fishery. ” he says.

Fishing Vessel in Champerico in better days.

This challenge will be difficult to overcome for a fishing village. The area was hard hit by the decline of the fishing port of Champerico, whose jetty collapsed in 2003. The failed attempt at rebuilding the port in 2008 – 2010 did further damage to the mangroves, and worsened an already disastrous situation. The declining ecological conditions are just one more thing to contend with.

“El Manchón is not alone. Whether on the coast, in the lowlands or in the mountains, rural villages in Guatemala all face similar problems. Solutions to these problems will take an educated local population. The combination of local knowledge, tradition and education is the only way these communities can find the answers. Fortunately, the people of Guatemala are really motivated to make things better. Programs that help keep kids in school can really help them move forward.” said Brown.

The village’s future leaders studying at the El Manchón school

“It really didn’t take a government study for us to know that poverty was forcing kids out of school. We hear that all the time in the rural villages. It is good to know we are on the right track with our programs, but, if anything I think the census data understates the problem. “

New census reveals almost 150,000 Guatemalan kids not attending school

(Prensa Libre – Translated from Spanish) After consolidating the data obtained through the school census, the Ministry of Education (Mineduc) determined that of the 141,337 children who are not attending school, 37,706 are from San Marcos, Quiché and Huehuetenango.

By Yanira Alvizurez / Prensa Libre/ Guatemala

March 13, 2017 at 2:58 p.m.

The school census was carried out from January 16 to February 3 and was conducted in coordination with the departments of Education and local teachers. They visited homes near schools in 12,850 communities in both the urban and rural areas of Guatemala.

Juana Morales, a native of the village of La Puerta, Chinique, Quiché, says that poverty is one of the factors that influence school drop-out rates (Photo Prensa Libre: Héctor Cordero)

According to Mineduc authorities, the survey was designed for data collection, and the data was entered directly by teachers into the Educational Registry System (SIRE). They interviewed 20,412 people in urban areas and 120,000 in rural areas.

Minister Óscar Hugo López revealed that, after consolidating the data, it was determined that the Departments with the highest incidence of children between 4 and 15 years old who are not attending or enrolled in the school system are: Guatemala with 13,272; Huehuetenango 13,331; San Marcos, 12,996, and Quiché, 11,709. Followed by Peten with 9,456; Alta Verapaz, 9,669; Escuintla, 7,865; Chiquimula, 7,865, and Suchitepéquez, 7,103; Chimaltenango, 5,635; Totonicapan, 5,126; Baja Verapaz, 4,901; Santa Rosa, 4,780; Jutiapa, 4,669; Quetzaltenango, 4,624; Izabal, 4,236; Sacatepéquez, 4,098; Jalapa 3,155; Sololá, 2,487; Retalhuleu, 2,289; Zacapa, 2,241 and El Progreso 1,487.

He explained that of the total, 73,000 between 5 and 7 years, have never attended school, and they have no formal education. The remaining 68,000, between ages of 7 and 14 , had attended some degree of schooling but had to withdraw for a variety of reasons.

The official said that a very important problem identified is that in 371 communities visited there is no nearby school, and children must walk up to three hours to reach their establishments. In addition, 6,629 children with special educational needs were identified.

“The census did not represent significant costs to the budget of the Mineduc, since it was done with our own personnel,” said Lopez.

Government Efforts

The minister said that they will work on programs to improve access to coverage, including conditional cash transfers to support children who are not going to school for economic reasons, and the expansion of educational coverage, which will allow more six year olds to enter elementary school.

He explained: “With the support of teachers, supervisors and the Ministry of Social Development, it is hoped to obtain positive results in the short term for children outside the education system.”

Mario Chang, department director of Education in San Marcos, said that they recently implemented an awareness campaign to encourage parents to send their children to study, as enrollment for the school year expires on March 31.

Most Want to Go to School

Raquel Juan Mateo, from the north of Huehuetenango, who would be in eighth grade, says that his parents are engaged in agriculture and that there is not enough money for food.

“My dream is to be a policeman to help protect citizens, especially those with limited resources who, like me, have no right to education,” he said.

Francisco Juan Ramirez, 70, father of the boy, says that because of the poverty conditions in which they live, they do not have the money to buy school supplies.

“The education of children is not free; On the contrary, it represents an expense for the parents, that is why many are left without going to school, “added Maria Mateo, the boy’s mother.

Valentina Rodas does domestic work, as she is not enrolled in school (Photo Prensa Libre: Whitmer Barrera)

In the village of Colima Dos, San Pablo, San Marcos, live the Rhodas-Chilel siblings, four of the 12,996 children in the department who, due to lack of financial resources, left school.

“I would like to go to school, but my parents do not have the money to buy supplies, uniform and do homework,” said Valentina, 17, who can not read or write.

The family is joined by Pedro Morales, 9, whose dream is to be a teacher to support the poor children of the village of La Puerta Chinique, Quiché, where he comes from.

The mother of the child, Juana Morales, said that her husband works as a day laborer on a farm on the South Coast and earns very little.

With information from H. Cordero, M. Castillo and W. Barrer

Read the Story in Spanish at Prensa Libre

AMEDICAusa school supply mission in Champerico, Guatemala

AMEDICAusa’s simple school supply program makes it possible for more of the the poor and indigenous children of Guatemala to attend and stay in school. By providing basic school supplies directly to the children and helping the teachers with materials, we can make a big difference in the lives of these kids and their families. With careful allocation of donated dollars, we are able to do this at a very low cost, but it is not free. Your donation is critical to our programs. Each packet we deliver provides a child with the necessities for three months of school. Every $2 you donate allows us to reach one more kid. Your tax deductible donation can be easily and securely made through our donation page.

A Really BIG Bird Lands in Guatemala

AMEDICAusa – USAF C-17 Arriving with Firefighting Equipment in Guatemala City

Firefighters Greet Giant Cargo Aircraft on the Tarmac

Guatemala City, Guatemala – You really have to see a C-17 up close to experience the shear size of the thing. Second in size only to the Air Force’s C-5 Galaxy, the C-17 is capable of carrying enormous amounts of cargo over vast distances. Always a rare sight, this one appearing over Guatemala City is special for another reason. It is carrying a fully equipped fire engine and several tons of Fire and Emergency Medical equipment to the firefighters and paramedics of Guatemala.

The culmination of a year long AMEDICAusa project in cooperation with The REDS Team of North Carolina, and the Denton Program of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) this flight carried everything from band-aids to fire helmets for multiple Fire Departments and hundreds of Guatemalan firefighters. The supplies and equipment were donated to the effort by fire departments and rescue services from around the U.S.

We looked like children opening gifts at Christmas! – Chief Salvador Matheu, 11 Compañía CVB, Retalhuleu, Guatemala

Fire Crews awaiting the arrival of the Fire Flight from the U.S. – AMEDICAusa

Guatemala has 134 Bomberos Voluntarios and 88 Bomberos Municipales* fire stations spread through the country. Few of these departments – outside of downtown Guatemala City – receive much in the way of governmental funding. These 222 stations serve a population of almost 17 million people spread over 42,000 square miles of difficult terrain. (For comparison, the City of New York has 255 stations covering 8.4 million people in 305 square miles…The State of Pennsylvania has 1852 Fire Stations for 12.8 million people over 46,000 square miles.) All of the stations struggle financially to keep their doors open, and nearly all rely on second (or third) hand equipment, generally from the U.S. or Canada.

Unloading a fire engine from the C-17 in Guatemala

“I can’t deny that it was a big spectacle to see this huge plane landing and even more when they lowered the fire engine, it looked so tiny coming out of this big plane.” said Chief Matheu who helped AMEDICAusa coordinate the distribution of equipment at the Guatemalan Air Base.

Several Fire Departments get New Gear

Fire companies came from all over Guatemala to pick up the equipment allotted to them. For example, San Pedro 42 Compañía CBM received all new turnout gear – jackets, pants, boots, gloves and helmets – for it’s 40 firefighters. Retalhuleu 11 Compañía CVB received palettes of E.M.S. supplies, a new ambulance stretcher and leather rescue gloves. San Cristóbal, Totonicapán 121 CVB finally got a fire engine, turnouts and SCBA after ten years of trying.

Sorting Fire Equipment at the Air Base

“It’s a difficult job.” said AMEDICAusa President Neale Brown. “There is overwhelming need and we get a lot of requests for fire equipment. We work closely with the two national fire organizations as well as with the stations themselves to determine where we donate which equipment. Often it is a question of how we can do the most good for the most people with what limited resources we have.”

“Training is a big component of the program.” said Brown. “We have to ensure that the department receiving the equipment is well trained in its use, to make sure it is used safely and effectively. Some firefighting and rescue equipment can be particularly dangerous to operate. Before we donate such tools to a department we make sure that they have, or will, train with us in its use.”

AMEDICAusa runs an annual fire/rescue school in Guatemala.

Relationships with USAID and Other Agencies are Pivotal.

“Our programs would be much more difficult, much more expensive, and much less effective were it not for USAID, our donor departments and our NGO partners.” said Brown.

“Transportation costs alone would eat up most of our budget if we didn’t have Denton Program support. Many people think that programs like ours are paid for by the government as part of a largely mythical foreign aid budget. The reality is that the U.S. budgets less than 1% annually for it’s foreign aid programs, and most of that is in the areas of security and defense. A tiny fraction goes to humanitarian aid world wide. It worries us, and other non-profits, when we start hearing all the ‘America First’ talk. We depend on the equipment donations of U.S. fire and rescue departments and on the transportation afforded by the Denton program. I am heartened by the description that one U.S. Embassy staffer offered, that we are the best ‘good bang for the buck’ in terms of costs for humanitarian programs. “

The Denton Program offers NGO’s the opportunity to use military shipping at no cost . If there is space available on an aircraft or surface ship that is going to the desired country anyway, approved humanitarian aid can be used to fill that empty space. The bureaucratic process is generally slow, complicated and difficult, but is often worth the trouble for NGO’s like AMEDICAusa.

Get Involved!

There is an opportunity to help us with our next firefighting supply and training missions in Guatemala. The next fire engine is almost ready to go, but we always need more equipment, and cash donations to help with costs. Interested in being a Fire/Rescue instructor? Contact Us.

“FIRE FLIGHT” Air Force crew with AMEDICAusa and Firefighters in Guatemala

AMEDICAusa, inc. is an I.R.S. 501(C)(3) registered charity, headquartered in Frederick, Maryland.

We are always looking for volunteers who wish to help in Guatemala. Get the details here.

Donating to AMEDICAusa ‘s ongoing programs is easy. Get the details here.

*There are two different and separate national firefighting organizations in Guatemala. Bomberos Voluntarios or CVB (Volunteer Firefighters) and Bomberos Municipales or CBM (Municipal Firefighters) . Despite the names, both organizations have career and volunteer members and a very similar rank and organizational structure. The chief difference is in how they originate, whether organized initially by a Mayor (CBM) or by a private citizens committee (CVB). They are somewhat competitive, and sometimes duplicate services within a single area.

When One Child Grabs Your Heart

Pascualita with AMEDICAusa V.P. Silvana Ayuso and Hogar Feliz staff

Life is hard for every poor and indigenous Maya child in Guatemala.

San Andres Semetabaj, Sololá, Guatemala-

Sometimes though, one child’s struggle grabs your heart and you know you just have to do something.

We first met Pascualita during a medical mission at the National Hospital in Retalhuleu. She was being treated for a very serious, rare and incurable genetic skin disorder, Ichthyosis. The disease is often fatal to infants in Central America, who suffer dehydration, infections, chronic blistering, overheating, and rapid-calorie loss due to the condition. Rescued from a a mother that was unable to care for her, often abusive, and was using her for bait while begging in the streets, at four years old, she has already beaten the odds by simply surviving.

On her best days, smiling is physically difficult and painful. On her worst, she bleeds through cracked skin, suffers innumerable infections, and has near constant pain. Hot weather (plentiful in Retalhuleu) is physically dangerous to her as she dehydrates rapidly and sunshine makes her skin dry and crack even more.

Medical treatment of her condition is mostly supportive. There is no cure, and few medications exist to help treat the disease. Those drugs that do exist in the United States are experimental, ruinously expensive – even by our standards – and are unavailable in Guatemala.

The “Happy Home”

Dr. Gilberto Rolando Morales, an old friend of AMEDICAusa and the director of the Hospital Nacional de Retalhuleu, worked with the the local social services to find a suitable home for Pascuala. They finally found her a spot in a Hogar ( home in Spanish, but in this context a combination of a foster care, orphanage and day care center) in the cooler highlands of Guatemala. Casa Hogar Feliz, (the House of the Happy Home) a Norwegian run orphanage in Sololá had the room and staff that could care for her, but lacked the special skin creams and nutritional support needed for her continued care.

When AMEDICAusa was asked for assistance, we simply couldn’t refuse. Acquiring the necessary salves, vitamins and other supplies in the U.S., we brought them down to Guatemala and a new mission was born. Our Vice President, Silvana Ayuso, put together a team of volunteers and armed with toys, clothing, personal toiletries and even piñatas, brought not only six months of medical supplies to Pascualita, but a little bit of Christmas to all the children of the hogar.

It might not be an ground breaking effort – it won’t fix hunger, alleviate Guatemala’s poverty or even provide a cure for her underlying disease – but if it helps make Pascualita’s life just a little bit better, a little bit easier, we consider it a great success.

If you would like to help AMEDICAusa aid the poor, indigenous and forgotten children of Guatemala please donate here.

AMEDICAusa volunteers bring a little Christmas to Pascualita and Hogar Feliz in Sololá, Guatemala

AMEDICAusa, inc. is an I.R.S. 501(C)(3) registered charity, headquartered in Frederick, Maryland.

We are always looking for volunteers who wish to help in Guatemala. Get the details here.

Donating to AMEDICAusa ‘s ongoing programs is easy. Get the details here.

AMEDICAusa Receives Guatemalan Humanitarian Award

AMEDICAusa President Neale Brown receives the Monja Blanca Medal from Guatemala Minister of Defense, Maj. Gen. Williams Mansilla Fernandez.

AMEDICAusa Receives Guatemala’s Highest Civilian Award

GUATEMALA CITY– The Monja Blanca Medal was presented today to AMEDICAusa President Neale Brown. The award ceremony followed the conclusion of the organization’s annual FIre and Rescue Training School in Guatemala. The week long school brings together both firefighters and military rescue specialists from around the country to train in fire and rescue techniques. Provided in partnership with North Carolina’s REDS Team, the program enjoys wide support from both the military and fire service communities.

The medal, named for the national flower of Guatemala, is also a prestigious military decoration within the armed forces. It is awarded to those who provide exceptional humanitarian service to the people of Guatemala. Previous recipients have included Mexico’s Special Technical Rescue Team, members of CONRED (the Guatemalan Disaster Relief agency) and Officers of the military’s Unidad Humanitaria y Rescate (UHR) technical rescue team.

AMEDICAusa was recognized for their work in medical care, education, and disaster relief and training throughout Guatemala. Both Neale Brown and the Members of the REDS Team also received individual awards and certificates from the Ministry of Defense in recognition of their efforts on behalf of the people of Guatemala.

Neale Brown instructing firefighters in Guatemala (REDS Team Photo)

Humbled and Proud of Award

“This was a complete surprise and I am humbled by the award.” said Brown. ” I knew nothing about it until the ceremony had begun. I am, of course, proud of the work we do and all of the donors and volunteers who make it possible. Without the people who make it all work, like the REDS Team, we would not be able to accomplish what we have. Our job now is to continue to earn the honor every day.”

AMEDICAusa provides aid in three main areas. Besides working with the firefighters of Guatemala as part of their disaster relief efforts, they also work to provide medical care and educational support to the poor and indigenous peoples of the country. For the week after the ceremony, Brown and AMEDICAusa volunteers travelled to several different locations in Guatemala, distributing donated equipment and meeting with a variety of local officials.

Silvana Ayuso receives Monja Blanca Award

This is the second time that members of AMEDICAusa have been recognized by Guatemala for their efforts. AMEDICAusa Vice President, Silvana Ayuso, also received the award of the Monja Blanca in 2015 for her long and continued work on behalf of the people of Guatemala.

AMEDICAusa, inc. is an I.R.S. 501(C)(3) registered charity, headquartered in Frederick, Maryland.

We are always looking for volunteers who wish to help in Guatemala. Get the details here.

Donating to AMEDICAusa ‘s ongoing programs is easy. Get the details here.

AMEDICAusa, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) Tax Exempt Public Charity.
IRS # 81-0842688

Donations to AMEDICAusa, Inc. are tax deductible under IRC section 170.
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Canalitos: Welcome to the “Red Zone”

Building a Fire Company in Canalitos

AMEDICAusa Gets Involved

A Long Journey for Fire Equipment

It really Does take a Whole Village

Double Your Caring and Kindness with your Gift to AMEDICAusa.

Babies, Sand and Machetes…AMEDICAusa interns at the National Hospital of Retalhuleu

The Pink Sand

Organized Chaos

Treat ’em and Street ’em

Our “Countess Dracula” Gets Her First Case

Twin Problems for Hospital Births

Medicine in a Disaster Zone

Did you know?

Landslides and Damage to Buildings widespread.

Officials Breathe a sigh of relief after earthquake.

The Difference is in the People of Guatemala.

The Gym Club Volunteers

The Firefighters of Guatemala

The Working Poor

Government Efforts

Most Want to Go to School

Firefighters Greet Giant Cargo Aircraft on the Tarmac

Relationships with USAID and Other Agencies are Pivotal.

Get Involved!

Life is hard for every poor and indigenous Maya child in Guatemala.

AMEDICAusa Receives Guatemala’s Highest Civilian Award

Humbled and Proud of Award

**Babies, Sand and Machetes…*AMEDICAusa interns at the National Hospital of Retalhuleu***