La Vida Spring Newsletter
UK
Registered Charity number 1115796
LA VIDA has been established to raise money for specific health
and education projects throughout Latin America.
2006 - A lot
to live up to!
We launched ‘La Vida’ in September
2006 and by the end of the year we had had astounded ourselves
by raising just over
£27,500,
greatly exceeding all our expectations. Over half of this money
was raised by holding a very studious and successful ‘School Disco’ event in
St. Pauls Cathedral School in October - pigtails and prefect
badges abounded although the cane was optional..... The
Trustees would like to thank everyone again who donated their
time and money.
This money has now been sent Brazil
to fund ‘The Ponseti Technique Clubfoot Project’ which
will allow all of the 7000 Brazilian children born with
clubfoot
each year access to a trained orthopaedic surgeon who will be
able to treat them with the Ponseti technique, which has a 94%
success rate. This money will make a huge difference to the
lives of thousands of children and families throughout Brazil -
a thoroughly worthwhile cause.
We also contributed £225 to the operation of Maria Daisy Quinto
from Medellin, Colombia. Daisy's operation on her ankle was a
complete success and she in now in rehabilitation, attending the
clinic classes to learn how to walk again and she should be back
at work in March. This means her two children will be able to
continue attending school. Great news as education is their only hope of
getting out of the slums in which they currently live.
Fundraising Events for 2007 - Can we beat it?
1st July 2007 – The
British 10k London Run. 18 willing souls have signed up to
run to raise money for La Vida through sponsorship.
8th
November 2007-
Casino Royale Charity Night – SAVE THE DATE –
don your Bond black tie or fabulous Vesper Lynd frock and see if
the cards fall in your favour. Roulette, black jack, poker, raffle, silent auction, drinks,
canapés, live band and dancing!
Projects for 2007 - Where it's heading?
So far we have identified a number of exciting projects in Guatemala
and one in Brazil to support this year and we are looking
to raise around £30,000.
Helping malnourished newborn babies
-
£2300 per year needed for 5 years
Given the high level of poverty and
the lack of social support programmes, LA VIDA has selected a
project to help malnourished newborn babies at the San Juan de
Dios Hospital in Guatemala City. Currently the paediatric
department does not have the budget to carry out education for
mothers on how to feed children and the hospital admits 2000
malnourished newborn babies every year which they need to feed.
This project will also teach the mothers the importance of
breast feeding and help fund artificial milk provided for babies
whose mother cannot breast feed.
Rebuilding a school in the State of
Quiche, Guatemala
-
£3000 - £5000 needed
Located in the very poor
countryside in Guatemala, this school currently consists of 2
walls, no desks - basically nothing. This project is to be
supervised by Ing. Belia Meneses de Paiz, from the Ministry of
Education in Guatemala.
'Schools for the future'
and
Escuela
Republica de Francia in Guatemala City
-
£1000-£3000 needed
Providing computers and basic
materials for schools: whiteboards, playground equipment, build
a fabricated room, among many other things.
Brazil
-
Orphanage 'A Casa Jose Antonio de
Freitas Lar Guarani' in Xerém, Rio de Janeiro
-
£12,000 needed
Xerem
is a small town in the county of Duque de Caixas, roughly 45
minutes drive from Rio de Janeiro.
This orphanage looks after 60
children and is under threat of closure. A group of local
Brazilians from Rio de Janeiro have been providing support,
including food and cleaning materials, for the last 7 years and
now they are looking into how they can contribute further to
prevent the orphanage from having to close.
