Miracles in Action - Report #2 (in Spanish)

This report has clips from Magdalena's #15 school opening in Huehuetenango area.

It shows the "before" stoves and how much smoke is inside the houses. They interview Ann Fron (donor for School #12) her husband Frank Pravado (donor of the stoves for Ann's village) and Maureen and Jack Green who are building School #20 - which opens Jan. 2009.

Even if someone does not speak Spanish, these are very visual.

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Miracles in Action - Report #1 (in Spanish)

While this report is in Spanish, you will get some idea of the work being done.

It includes video coverage from Bob Hennessey's #14 school opening and me talking about Mom building the first school.

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Video About Miracles In Action

Please Help Us Obtain An American Express Grant To Continue Our Work

Your help is requested to help us to obtain an American Express grant. This year American Express is going to fund the winning projects with $2.5 million:

* $1,500,000 for the winning project
* $500,000 for the 2nd place project
* $300,000 for the 3rd place project
* $100,000 each for the two remaining finalist projects

The funding will be provided to the organizations that have been matched with the final five projects.

Please take a few minutes of your time to register and vote for our organization. There is no cost to you other than taking a few minutes out to help a good cause.

AE nominating instructions:

1. Go to http://www.membersproject.com/project/view/IH4YNF
2. Click on "Nominate This Project" under picture.
3. A window will drop down under where you clicked the Nominate button.
4. Click on "Sign up as a Guest Member" link.
5. On the page that comes up, enter the requested information.
6. Click "sign up" button
7. You will return to the original page where you started.
8. Click again on "Nominate This Project" under picture. This will enter your vote.

Thank you for your efforts and your help!

Penny

School of Miracles #18 in Captzincito, Huehuetenango

This is the story of School of Miracles #18 in Captzincito, Huehuetenango - 9-10 hours from Guatemala City. At 9,000' elevation it is freezing cold, and there is no electricity or running water. This is the little village we visited in the dark after San Antonio School #15's grand opening in January 2008.

BEFORE: The photo shows the mud floor, dark hut with wood benches, where lessons are given by one teacher . Girl wears a towel.

BEFORE: The girls and mothers often wear a towel on their shoulders to stay warm. They are too poor to afford sweaters and jackets. Everyone had chapped, wind and sun burned hands, faces, and lips.

DURING: Village men build their children a school in the cloud mist. The weather is often damp and cold at 9,000'.

AFTER: Students holding their AA First Class quilt and wearing the sweaters we sent for the girls. This warms my heart, and certainly warms up the children.

AFTER: This school was funded by AA Flight Attendant Marla Zell, who learned about my mother, Noreen Rambacher, leaving a legacy of learning, and wanting to do the same for her parents. Marla's parents (Edward and Maureen Talton) were educators. Both passed away in 2007.

Their daughter is honoring her parents with this gift that continues to give - the gift of education. A thousand thanks (Mil gracias) to Marla and Bob Zell - you are a Miracle in Action

For more information on funding the construction materials to build a school or how you can donate school supplies, books and supplies, contact:
Penny Rambacher
Miracles in Action
241 Countryside Dr.
Naples, FL 34104
239-348-0815
www.MiraclesInAction.org a 501(c)(3) charity

Letter to a Book Donor

Hi Linda,

Last week the Florida teacher volunteers returned from Guatemala, where they implemented a teacher training project that focuses on reading. Your donated books were a big part of the supplies we delivered and taught the rural Guatemalan teachers how to best use in teaching the students to read.

We are now planning the future of this project. It has worked well in two rural schools (both built with funds from Miracles in Action), and now we are ready to take the program to other schools. Of course we need lots of books.

The American teachers are developing a program using a Skype tele-training office in a large town nearest to our schools. Also, they are planning to film their lessons so that teachers without Skype tele-training can also learn how to teach reading.

Attached are a few photos of the kids reading the books you shipped. Thought you would enjoy seeing how your donation has benefited some very poor children, who are totally grateful for the blessing of books.

I know the kids look "rich" in their native dress, but in reality, these girls only own one or two traditional outfits, and they wear it every day, and night - they sleep in them too. They are woven by their mothers or grandmothers on a back strap loom.

The boys don't wear traditional clothing. Most of their fathers are farmers or laborers, and they are dirt poor, living on about $1 per day. I am sure you knew this, but if you share this email with your donors, they may not be aware of this level of extreme poverty.

Many thanks for making a difference,

Penny

Largest Project To Date: Vocational Center in Santa Cruz at Lake Atitlan

Hi Everyone,

This is Miracles in Action's largest project to date... we are helping to fund the construction of a vocational center in Santa Cruz at Lake Atitlan. Below is Amigos de Santa Cruz's Director-Pat Torpie's news, and a few photos from the ground breaking celebration. Donors for this project are John DeStefano, Janusz Subczynski, Noreen and Henry Rambacher, and Miracles in Action.

Local residents will learn trades to help their communities be more self sufficient, and earn a living from higher paid jobs. Again - helping poor people to help themselves.

If you are interested contributing towards this worthwhile project, we are seeking funds for equipment and furniture for the classrooms and workshops.

Thank you all,
Penny
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Message from Pat:

Hi Penny,

I wanted to let you know what a incredibly great success our Primera Piedra Ceremony was on Friday. I so wish you could have been there to see the faces of all the people young and old, gringo and indigenous, students, alcalde, judges, dignataries, old women, mothers with babies on their back all carrying blocks down to the building site where their new building will begin construction today. All had big smiles on their faces and in some cases tears in their eyes when the first block was laid. Lots of good feelings and tomales for all!

Miracle's commitment and support for this project was acknowledges and applauded.. when you come, I hope that Caroline can meet you here and show you around, though there really won't be much to see yet. Its all very exciting!

Pat

Who We Are

“Give a child a fish and he eats for a day. Give a child a fishing lesson and he eats for a life time.”
--Penny Rambacher

Why do we work in rural Guatemala?
Sometimes we are asked “Why not help the poor in our country?” In the US there are poor people, but there are also government and social programs to assist the poor. In Guatemala there are no such programs. The poor in Guatemala are at the level of "extreme poverty", defined by Economist Jeffery Sach (author of "The End of Poverty") as - when every day is a struggle just to be alive - no basics like food, water, and warm shelter, surviving on less than $1 per day.

The poor in Guatemala are not looking for a "hand out"; they are hoping for a "hand up". They want to educate their children, possibly learn a vocational trade, and have safe drinking water in a secure home. They do not want to leave their villages and come illegally to the US for a job, so their family can survive.

Where the idea started?
Extreme poverty can lead to poor families living at garbage dumps scavenging for something to eat or sell. They know no other way to survive. This highlights what they, and others, have done to "Help Poor People to Help Themselves.”

Because we are a volunteer organization, 100% of all donations go directly to our projects. Administrative expenses are funded by the sale of handicrafts produced in Guatemala's cottage industry.

Additionally, the sale of handicrafts provides the Mayan women an opportunity to earn an income from their home while taking care of their children. If not for the handicraft industry, these women would need to work hard labor in the fields picking coffee and corn for 12 hour shifts away from home.

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