It is the end of another year of administrating our organization, and what a challenging one it was. Collectively, our board struggled with the loss of an adult child and the wedding of another; a husband’s surgery and a board member’s cancer scare; the loss of grant opportunities balanced by the generosity of donors who…
These photos are of the same FFF mother. I took the photo (below, center) two years ago while doing home visits with our team. The photo below that was taken two weeks ago. To keep these photos in perspective, Maria has the worst case of diabetes we have yet encountered in Guatemala. Diabetics that are…
Earlier this month, a volcanic event in Guatemala made the international news. For a tiny country in Central America that typically escapes public notice, being in the forefront of televised information indicated a significant and catastrophic incident had occurred, and indeed it had. CNN Article on eruption of Fuego Written records of devastation caused by this…
Giving monthly funds instead of donated goods is virtually unheard of in the nonprofit industry. To hand a Mayan mother cash and to trust her to utilize it wisely and for the benefit of the entire family takes a level of credibility we don’t often give our participants. Finding Freedom through Friendship volunteers work diligently…
Rearranging them did no good. Positioning them narrow-end-down was useless. My desire to have these avocados fit into the intended bowl was a wasted expenditure of energy. They were not going to stay where I wanted them to stay, no matter how determined I was for an artistic outcome. Working in developing countries feels very…
The number of Mayan widows FFF has to select from is longer than the financial resources to assist them with, but we moved Ana to the top of the list quickly. The need for suitable housing for her six children was acute, and the malnutrition indicators demonstrated by the small stature of her children were…