Christmas
Milk ProgramSupport
our annual Christmas Milk Program and help brighten
the holidays for a poor family in Guatemala! Donations
are used to provide milk to the rural village of
Lemoa, Guatemala. A 2.5-kg cannister of premium
dehydrated whole milk can be purchased and delivered
for only $12.50. That will make five gallons of
4% milk, which will provide months of vital nutrition
to chronically malnourished children. Ordinary milk
is not commonly available in the area, due the lack
of refrigeration and poor health of the local cattle.
If
you would like support the milk drive this year,
please send in
your donation by the end of the year. You
can also make a donation in the form of an Alternative
Christmas Gift to a friend or family member.
A small team will be in Guatemala over the holidays
to distribute the milk. The children of Lemoa
thank you!
Distributing
milk in Lemoa (January 10, 2007)
Amounts
received in excess of that needed for the milk
program will be applied towards building a Student
Center in Lemoa.
Carla
Alexandra
Trip
Report - January, 2003
The
Christmas "Milk for Lemoa" program was a success!
Thanks to many generous donors we had $1700 to spend on
powdered milk for the village of Lemoa. We flew into Guatemala
City on December 31st, rented a van, and sped to the nearest
grocery store before it closed for the holiday. After
some quick negotiations with the store manager, we bought
120 cans of New Zealand Anchor and Nestlé Nido
powdered milk in 2.5-kg cans. We effectively cleaned out
the milk supply of the largest supermarket in the city.
Although
the rental van made loud rattling noises during of the
3 hour trip to Lemoa on New Years Day, we made it nonetheless.
We were surprised that it got us there as heavily loaded
as it was. Once in Lemoa we unloaded the milk at the
Catholic mission in the center of town. We were assisted
by staff and residents of the nearby Methodist orphanage
as well as by Maryknoll Sisters Helen and Lilli, who
live in the mission.
On
Friday, January 3rd we enlisted help from the orphanage
to put bows on all 120 cans and walk door-to-door in
Lemoa distributing the milk. It was quite an event,
and the children enjoyed it immensely. Elisa (the director
of the orphanage) and the Sisters introduced us to many
residents of the village that I had never met. Many
of the houses we located simply by following a faint
path into the middle of a cornfield. Everyone was glad
to receive the milk, and only a few of the older women
seemed unsure of how to prepare it. Thankfully Elisa
speaks the local indigenous language, K'iche, and was
able to translate.
A
2.5-kg can of Anchor or Nido will make about 5 gallons
of milk, which should last a family a few months. And
unlike the watery non-fat powdered milk we have in the
States, this is a full-cream milk that tastes terrific.
In addition to being vitamin-fortified, it's a special
treat for for the local children. They've always told
me they liked milk -- their families can just never
afford it.
Thanks
to everyone that supported this program! I have a feeling
we'll be doing it again next year.
Rebeka
Support
our annual Christmas Milk Program and help brighten
the holidays for a poor family in Guatemala! Donations
are used to provide milk to the rural village of
Lemoa, Guatemala. A 2.5-kg cannister of premium
dehydrated whole milk can be purchased and delivered
for only $12.50. That will make five gallons of
4% milk, which will provide months of vital nutrition
to chronically malnourished children. Ordinary milk
is not commonly available in the area, due the lack
of refrigeration and poor health of the local cattle.
Although
the rental van made loud rattling noises during of the
3 hour trip to Lemoa on New Years Day, we made it nonetheless.
We were surprised that it got us there as heavily loaded
as it was. Once in Lemoa we unloaded the milk at the
Catholic mission in the center of town. We were assisted
by staff and residents of the nearby Methodist orphanage
as well as by Maryknoll Sisters Helen and Lilli, who
live in the mission.
On
Friday, January 3rd we enlisted help from the orphanage
to put bows on all 120 cans and walk door-to-door in
Lemoa distributing the milk. It was quite an event,
and the children enjoyed it immensely. Elisa (the director
of the orphanage) and the Sisters introduced us to many
residents of the village that I had never met. Many
of the houses we located simply by following a faint
path into the middle of a cornfield. Everyone was glad
to receive the milk, and only a few of the older women
seemed unsure of how to prepare it. Thankfully Elisa
speaks the local indigenous language, K'iche, and was
able to translate.
A
2.5-kg can of Anchor or Nido will make about 5 gallons
of milk, which should last a family a few months. And
unlike the watery non-fat powdered milk we have in the
States, this is a full-cream milk that tastes terrific.
In addition to being vitamin-fortified, it's a special
treat for for the local children. They've always told
me they liked milk -- their families can just never
afford it.