As I write this, we have had power back on for almost 8 hours. Yes, we did do a happy dance of celebration at 3 am when the whole house lit up after a hurricane-induced outage of more than 48 hours.
Our outage was a “hardship.” Our home was really hot; we had to cook our eggs in a cast iron pot on the grill before they spoiled. My son mastered backgammon by flashlight. I was the first to volunteer for ANY outing that would take me out of the house and into blessed air conditioning. It was sad and frustrating to deal with my father-in-law’s constant requests for TV (he has short term memory issues).
In the scheme of things, however, we had it good. Our home is solid. Legions of utility personnel flowed into town and worked day and night to get us back up and running.
For families served by Unbound in Guatemala, the set of challenges is different. Because homes are often constructed of less-than-solid materials and methods. Because families rely upon day-to-day agricultural or other “get it as you can” work, a natural disaster poses daunting problems.
As this 2010 blog documenting the Unbound response to natural disasters in Guatemala documents, issues can include perilous roads, mudslides, volcanoes, and theft of personal property because homes are not secured.
For children like Jose, sponsorship can make a difference through providing food, health care, education, and support of his family’s efforts to make a living for themselves (via owning animals like chickens that produce eggs or by instructing a mom in a skill like sewing). In addition, Unbound holds two quetzales per child specifically to be able to respond immediately in case of disaster.
A home we visited in Guatemala — it always humbled me that the family put so much work into creating the welcome sign and the dad said “I am sorry my home is so small.” It was very large in hospitality.
Unbound does an incredible job of balancing its imperative to help families learn how to help themselves, with providing support at times when survival is at stake. That’s one of the many reasons we love Unbound and sponsor three children (a young adult woman in Guatemala, a young girl in Guatemala, and a little boy in El Salvador).
Meet Jose, age 7, from Guatemala, who is seeking sponsorship now:
Unbound shares the following about Jose:
Jose has fun singing and playing with toy cars, alongside his two brothers. He’s diligent in his studies and loves physical education.
At home, Jose helps his grandmother feed the pigs and he helps make the beds.
He and his family have lived with his grandparents for some time now. Their block home has a sheet metal roof and cement floor. His mother tends to the household chores.
Jose’s father is a mason’s assistant, but the work is unsteady. To augment his income, he also has a part-time job at a local store.
To help Jose:
If you are interested in sponsoring Jose, please outreach (at) unbound.org or call Clair, the Outreach Coordinator, at 800.875.6564 ext. 7309. I would also be happy to facilitate putting you in touch with Unbound.
Sponsorship is $36 a month. In the scheme of things, it’s a small investment which yields enormous results both for Jose and his family, for the good of humankind in general, and in the relationship you’ll develop with Jose and his family via letters (and, when fate really smiles upon you, VISITS).
You can also learn more about Unbound at their website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram.
I am part of an Unbound effort to help secure sponsors for 100 children by Christmas. Since Jose turns 8 on December 10, I’m shooting for about 15 days earlier than that for him to hear those happy words “you have a new friend.”
A neighborhood we visited in Guatemala. The families are VERY grateful to the sponsors and humbled us with such a grand welcome.
Wife of one, Mom of two, Friend of many. My pronouns are she/her/hers.
I love the way that you emphasized that Unbound was providing skills and renewable family resources like animals! We support children in a school in Africa for just this reason.
Thanks, Helene. And I am sure the children in Africa are a blessing to you! The “skills and renewable resources” are absolutely key. A friend does work with a province in Cambodia — she said the people are untrusting because so many non profits have come and gone, or started programs without adequate follow through. It’s not “help” if it isn’t something the recipients can’t truly take on as their own for the long term. One of the most important lessons …. thanks for your comment!
Sounds like a great group. And when I think of all the moaning and growing I do about power outages & other first world problems….sheesh. Glad you are spreading the word!
It is a great group! Having the opportunity to meet the children we sponsor (and their families) brought a whole new dimension to the experience. We are so fortunate. Thanks for commenting!