Fall 2006 Report

1. Congratulations to our first graduate!
2. PV workshops address reproductive health
3. PV student starts clinic for indigenous women
4. Contribute through United Way
5. Requesting donor input and support for 2007
6. Email from student Gloria Lopez

Compiled by Christopher Curran based on communications from the students and board of directors of Project Victoria.

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1. Congratulations to our first graduate!

Great news from Guatemala—one of the original Project Victoria students, Gloria Lopez, is graduating this year! She has passed all the courses and completed the requirements to finish her accounting program, and she has already begun an internship at an accounting office. Gloria's commencement next month will make her the first student to reach the goal of graduation that we set out to achieve when Project Victoria was started two years ago. Please see her email at the end of this report for more information. Congratulations to Gloria!

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2. PV workshops address reproductive health

On July 14th and September 6th, 2006, two workshops on reproductive health were held for Project Victoria students and their families. Dr. Edwin Sanchez Soto from Hospital Robles in Quetzaltenango centered the talks around issues of sexually transmitted infections (their treatment and prevention) and teenage pregnancy. Dr. Sanchez Soto finished the talks with a quiz on the information covered, and Roland Elf from the Board of Directors reported back that there was active participation, questions, and commentary from the students throughout. Student Petronila Castro Acabal wrote a report on the workshops that can be seen, along with photos, here:

STI report

Thank you to Teah Strohzer of San Francisco, CA, who studied Spanish in Quetzaltenango, for providing the inspiration for these workshops. Teah’s organization, the Network of Lovingkindness, became a generous supporter of Project Victoria during Spring 2006.

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3. PV student starts clinic for indigenous women

We are proud to highlight the work student Isabel Guarchaj has done to establish a clinic for pregnant indigenous women in the community of Chirijox. Isabel is studying nursing with the support of a Project Victoria scholarship, and she was also active in relief work after Hurricane Stan in October 2005. Below is board member Roland Elf’s translation of a letter she wrote to organizations in Belgium and the Netherlands who are supporting the clinic:

CENTER OF ATTENTION TO CHILDBIRTHS OF INDIGENOUS WOMEN.
(Centro de atencion de Partos Indígena. C.A.P.I.) And Medicine Clinic of Chirijox.

The activities in the center are: attention at the birth, assistance after birth, family planning and education, and prenatal check-ups.

This work is being done in the community of Chirijox, Santa Catarina Ixtahuacán, department of Sololá.

History of the medicine clinic of Chirijox.
(Letter from the nurse Isabel Guarchaj Carrillo)

This clinic started in 2004 with a little medicine, 2 chairs, one for the patient and one for the doctor and nothing more. But now thanks to the help from other people we have a stretcher, a chair for the doctor, some lamps to examine the patients and a little more medicine. However, this is not enough and now we are going to start another project, which is a clinic where we are going to serve the pregnant women to have better health when giving birth. In this center the women don’t have to pay for anything, because this is a help for all indigenous women from many communities. Because of this we need more help, more then ever, from other people. It can be with equipment, money, or whatever is possible for a person or group can contribute. For this center we will need stretchers, cradles, easels, prenatal vitamins and vitamins for the babies. Everybody is welcome to this center or to the clinic of Chirijox.

The nurse Isabel Guarchaj Carrillo and the doctor Eddy Puac are inviting the Comadronas (the traditional Mayan medicine women in the Mayan language k'iche'; Ajkun) from Pacutamá Dos and Chirjox for education. All pregnant women and other people are welcome to visit the birth center and the clinic. Since the clinic and medicines are free for the patients, we are asking for your heartfelt help for this project.

The activities in the center are:
Attention at the birth
Control after birth
Family planning
Family education
Prenatal control

Sincerely,
Doctor Eddy Puac
Nurse Isabel Guarchaj Carrillo

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4. Contribute through United Way

Many businesses are about to embark on annual fundraising campaigns through the United Way. Contributions to Project Victoria (which functions as a Fund within the 501(c)3 Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation) can be made through the United Way—just include the address and phone number below on the contribution form you receive at work. As always, you can write a check to the Project Victoria Fund and send it to the address below at any time, but contributing through United Way may be a nice way to participate in your office’s fund drive. Please contact christopherjcurran@yahoo.com with any questions, and spread the word to your co-workers about Project Victoria!

Project Victoria Fund
Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation
200 1st St. SW
Cedar Rapids IA 52404
319-366-2862

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5. Requesting donor input and support for 2007

Thanks to all of you who have made possible the successes we are celebrating. Project Victoria began in late 2004 as we struggled to pull together funds to keep three students—Gloria, Felicia, and Petronila— from having to drop out of high school because their parents couldn't pay tuition. Over the past two years, we have grown to become a wide network of interested contributors currently supporting a group of 22 students in Guatemala. See photos of current and former students here.

The achievement of our first graduate, Gloria Lopez, is even more meaningful in light of her personal history. Many of Gloria's family members were killed when her village was massacred in the Guatemalan Civil War, and higher education seemed to be far beyond her reach when she was growing up in a Mexican refugee camp. (See her account here) Many people in her situation never attend school or have to leave primary school after a few years to support their families. For a country confronting the aftermath of a 36-year Civil War and the legacies of discrimination rooted in colonialism, the participation of people like Gloria in civil society is crucial. Her educational success gives hope to many others.

Project Victoria supports a range of students; Paulina Quisquina is one of our newer students who never had the chance to attend primary school until she received a scholarship from Project Victoria. She is 18 years old and recently learned how to write—see her pictured above with her first written words.

As the 2006 school year draws to a close in October, we are making plans for the school year that will start in January 2007. This is the time of year when I'm asking all of you to renew your connection to Project Victoria by contributing as much or more than you did last year. This will allow us to cover tuition funding for all the current students while also offering meaningful extracurricular workshops like those described in this report. The scope of what we are able to do will depend on the community of donors; if you are as proud of the students' progress as I am, please send in a check now! We currently have enough funding to support our group of students for about a third of 2007, and the earlier we receive donations this Fall, the more security the students will have that their hard work will be met with continued support. The Board of Directors in Guatemala and I will welcome your questions, comments, and suggestions directed to christopherjcurran@yahoo.com.

I will conclude this report with a translated excerpt of an email from Gloria Lopez, followed by the original text in Spanish. We can all be proud to share in her enthusiasm and to recognize the significant academic and personal growth she and all the Project Victoria students have achieved over the past two years. Thanks.

-Chris

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6. Email from student Gloria Lopez

September 9, 2006 from Gloria Lopez:

Hello Chris,

Regarding my studies, I thank God for granting me the intelligence and permitting me to progress through all my courses…I feel very happy to have been able to achieve this. It has come through much effort, but I’ve done it.

I’m very happy because I’m going to graduate. I have begun an internship in an accountant’s office and I passed all my courses. I’m very happy Chris.

Thank you Chris. I truly am grateful from the bottom of my heart. I know very well that you are a principled and quality person who has taught me to share with other people…I am very thankful for all of my academic achievements. I keep in mind that it has been difficult for me, but through many sacrifices everything has been possible, as you know. I wish so much that you could be there on graduation day, which will be such a special day for me and for all of you who have supported me. This is a moment of happiness and joy after a long struggle during this time of studying…there have been many obstacles, but all of them have been overcome and now the moment of triumph has arrived when I reach the dream I have pursued during the course of three years. Chris, I wish you could be here on that day.

Take care,

Gloria

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Hola Chris,

Hablando de mi estudio pues a DIOS le doy gracias por permitirme y por darme esa inteligencia de poder salir en adelante con todos los cursos....me siento muy feliz por haberlo logrado, me ha costado mucho esfuerso, pero todo he logrado.

Cris estoy muy feliz por que me boy a graduar.....te cuento que ya empece a realizar mis practicas en una oficina contable.......sabes saque en limpio todos los cursos.......estoy feliz cris........

MUCHISIMAS GRACIAS CRIS. LA VERDAD TE LO AGRADESCO DE CORAZON, SE MUY BIEN QUE ERES UNA PERSONA DE MUCHOS PRINCIPIO Y CUALIDAD EL CUAL ME A ENSEÑADO A COMPARTIR Y DEMOSTRAS CON LOS DEMAS.....ESTOY MUY AGRADESIDA POR TODOS MIS LOGROS ACADEMICOS TENGO EN MENTE QUE TODO ME COSTADO CON MUCHO SACRIFICIO PERO TODO A SIDO POSIBLE SABES, YO TANTO QUIERO QUE TU ESTUBIERAS EN ESE DIA TAN ESPECIAL PARA MI Y PARA TODOS USTES LOS QUE VERDADERAMENTE LO MERESECEN POR QUE LA VERDAD ES UN MOMENTO DE FELICIDAD Y ALIGRIGRIA DE UNA LARGA LUCHA HE HEMOS HECHO DURANTE LOS PERIODOS DE ESTUDIO.... HAN ABIDO MUCHOS OBTACULOS PERO TODOS SEAN AN PODIDO BENCER Y AHORA LLEGO EL MOMENTO DE TRIUNFAR OBTENIENDO EL SUÑO QUE HA PERSIGUIDO DURANTE TRES AÑOS........ CRIS NECESITO QUE TU BIENIERAS PARA ESE DIA.....

CUIDATE MUCHO...
GLORIA

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 Tax-deductible contributions to Project Victoria may be made to:

Project Victoria Fund
Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation
200 1st St. SW
Cedar Rapids IA 52404
319-366-2862