| Recently Returned Missioners |
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Daemian and Mary, along with their three children, worked with FUNDAHMER, our Project Partner in San Salvador, and lived in the rural community of Las Mezas, consisting of about 20 families. Daemian worked on the design and initial construction phases for two water catchment systems to collect and store rainwater utilize it for their daily needs during the dry season. He also began a program to build five houses in the community and replace the 20+ year old corrugated metal roofs on the remaining houses. And he and Mary together raised the funds necessary to help the community complete their church. Mary worked as a teacher in the local school, tutoring children during the week, coordinating and teaching an adult literacy program five days a week, and participating in and supporting the Women’s Committee.
Because Daemian’s sister died suddenly in December, 2007, he and his family returned to Massachusetts in July 2008 in order to adopt three of his sister’s children. However, Daemian and Mary are stilled very involved in, and communicate frequently with, the community of Las Mezas.
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Paul recently finished the final stages of his service with the youth of Santa Cecelia, El Salvador. Paul worked for the past year to engage these youth in activities to keep them off the streets and away from gang violence and drugs. Paul taught team and leadership skills through sports activities; tutored youth after school; set up an Internet education reinforcement program; and began a music program to provide opportunities for young people to develop their musical skills.
Paul returned from mission in October 2008 to the Milwaukee area and is now serving with the Easter Seal Society.
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Dan and Melissa and their two children, Helen and Monica, have spent the past two years with Fundacion Solar (VMM’s Project Partner) helping to improve the quality of life in eight communities or municipios by participating in an integrated watershed management program around San Marcos in western Guatemala. Dan worked on wastewater management and treatment projects for the municipios, designing environmental and engineering studies in collaboration with a local engineering firm. Discharges and solid wastes from the concentrated urban areas are the greatest source of contamination to the rivers.
Melissa worked on gravity water projects and sanitation programs with rural communities. The projects included the installation of individual household rainwater collection systems and cisterns in many communities to provide rainwater for family gardens and tree seedlings for reforestation. This project also included installation of new latrines. Dan and Melissa’s work also involved training workshops with community leaders on the maintenance and sustainability of the water system infrastructure.
The Morans returned to the Indianapolis area in November 2008 and will re-enter the engineering field.
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| Alicia served at the Hogares Santa Maria de Guadalupe orphanage in Santa Apolonia, in the northern part of the Chimaltenango department of Guatemala. The orphanage was created by the School Sisters of St. Francis (in Milwaukee) at the end of Guatemala’s 36-year Civil War, for children who are orphaned, abandoned or are victims of violence. The staff provide for the spiritual, physical, social and academic needs of the children until they are 18 years old. Alicia taught reinforcement classes to second, third, and seventh graders. And because the Guatemalan school system does not have a program for children with special needs, Alicia developed classes for these children at the orphanage. Alicia also used her nursing skills to help with basic health problems.
Alicia returned in November 2008.
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Betsie worked near San Martín Sacatepéquez, in Miramar, Guatemala for Clinica Hermano Pedro as a Community Health Nurse. Almost 90% of the population in this area belong to the Mayan Mam community. She assisted with the Food Security Program; helped to train midwives and health technicians; and worked with community representatives to explore programs to assist handicapped children. Betsie also helped to develop a survey of the needs of handicapped children and adults in the community in order to secure services for them from private and public resources. And she participated with community investigators in a survey of the elderly in order to understand the needs of the elderly and coordinate services from the municipality, from churches and families.
Betsie and her husband, Stephen, plan to remain in Central America.
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Kelley served with the SHARE Foundation in El Salvador as Grassroots Solidarity and Education Coordinator. Kelley was responsible for developing and growing the Theological School Consortium which used a liberation-based perspective to provide U.S. citizens with contextual education opportunities regarding SHARE’s community-based efforts for sustainable development and justice. Kelley also assisted with sistering-parish and youth delegations and developed written support material for the communities. And she served briefly as the Country Liaison for Engineers Without Borders.
Kelley returned in October 2008 to Colorado to pursue graduate studies.
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| Laura and Christine, friends from Boston College, both served at the Centro Cultural Batahola Norte (CCBN). CCBN is a technical training and holistic education center focused on the empowerment of women and youtrh in the community for social transformation. Laura and Christine developed a sustainable volunteer program that will specifically support the Center for years to come. They have created an English program for adults to help them secure better employment. They assisted ten women in developing a quilting collective to add to their families' income, and have helped to organize a Small Business Development course at the Center for those community members who want to begin their own small enterprise. In addition, they started a Women's Reflection group to address issues such as inter-family violence and self-esteem. And they began a youth group as a safe place in the community for young people to socialize and educate themselves and others about issues such as interfamily violence, drugs and alcohol.
Laura and Christine returned from mission in July 2009.
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