We are happy to announce that we have enough money to pay the final instalment to Habitat for Humanity Guatemala and the handover to EDELAC will be in mid-April. The inauguration of the Hogar will be 2 April, attended by representatives of the Hovde Foundation, who generously provided the grant that paid for the purchase of the building and about half of the subsequent renovations and construction.
This is an exciting moment for EDELAC and Quetzaltrekkers as it represents the culmination of a lot hard work, fund raising efforts and generosity on the part of the volunteers and EDELAC staff, former volunteers and clients. The Hogar Abierto Expansion Project (HAEP) has undergone many changes, but the aim has always been the same - a bigger, better and permanent home for the Hogar Abierto so that we can better help more children. A massive thank you to anyone who has donated money in the drive to finish construction of the Casa Perry Hovde - this project would not have happened without such generosity.
 |
| Nearly finished! |
However we are not resting on our laurels... The final step of the HAEP is to furnish the new (soon to lose that tag!) Hogar with new everything! Ranging from important things that are currently lacking (an oven), to things that we will need more of with an increased capacity (computers) and to things that need replacing (worn out mattresses and sofas, a fridge that works) - we want the best quality of life for the children. A new home so why not new furnishings?
The children themselves are taking the next step in fundraising. On 5 May they have organised a race, La Carrera de las Sonrisas (The Race of the Smiles), with all the kids committing to run a certain distance (between 8 and 22 kilometres). We are asking for people to sponsor them per kilometre, with all money raised being used to furnish the new Hogar with all the trimmings! Using Indiegogo, we have created a platform to allow you, the generous reader and soon to be donor, to sponsor (or just donate) individual or multiple children in this race. There is also a snazzy video!
Indiegogo charges a higher fee if an organisation fails to make it's fundraising target. For this reason, the target was initially set at a tenth of what we need to raise. We have already hit our initial Indiegogo target to complete the construction, and now we only need another $11,000 to completely furnish the new Hogar with beds, shelves, seats, a stove, a refrigerator, and all the other basic necessities.
So follow this link and sponsor one of the Hogar kids in raising money for the new Hogar! A hearty thanks to anyone who sponsors or who has already sponsored the Hogar children!
