The Mission
"Common Hope promotes hope and opportunity in Guatemala, partnering with children, families, and communities who want to participate in a process of development to improve their lives through education, health care, and housing."
The Program
Familias de Esperanza (Common Hope) includes four programs, which families can access.
The Education Program: The education program starts with early childhood education, a pre-school program, and ends with financial grants to students who wish to attend University. During the 2011 school year, Common Hope made education possible for 3,230 students and further benefited the education of 1,423 students more.
The Health Care Program: The health care program, which I was a part of includes basic curative and preventive health care, health education (including prenatal education, dental education, and education on diabetes and hypertension), dental care, nutrition services, and pharmaceutical services as well as community visits and health fairs. The health program serves all members of affiliated families from 15 Antigua valley communities.
The Education Program: The education program starts with early childhood education, a pre-school program, and ends with financial grants to students who wish to attend University. During the 2011 school year, Common Hope made education possible for 3,230 students and further benefited the education of 1,423 students more.
The Health Care Program: The health care program, which I was a part of includes basic curative and preventive health care, health education (including prenatal education, dental education, and education on diabetes and hypertension), dental care, nutrition services, and pharmaceutical services as well as community visits and health fairs. The health program serves all members of affiliated families from 15 Antigua valley communities.
The Housing Program: Common Hope also allows affiliated families to apply for the housing program. When accepted, Common Hope builds a provides safer and cleaner houses for these families, many of whom live in houses made of sheet metal and dirt floors. The family aids in the building of their own house along with Common Hope volunteers and coordinators. The housing project provides the family with concrete floors, a ventilated stove, and a dry, safe place to live. In the past six years Common Hope has helped 196 families achieve new homes and many more achieve new improvements such as latrines and other utilities.
The Family Development Program: Living in severe poverty affects families in many ways. Struggles such as alcoholism, unemployment, abuse, and low self-esteem often hinder families from being able to move away from the cycle of poverty. Through this program, Common Hope assigned one social worker to each affiliated family to work through these struggles and provide extra support.
The Family Development Program: Living in severe poverty affects families in many ways. Struggles such as alcoholism, unemployment, abuse, and low self-esteem often hinder families from being able to move away from the cycle of poverty. Through this program, Common Hope assigned one social worker to each affiliated family to work through these struggles and provide extra support.