Our Wish for 2016

If there were one thing that Children of the Americas volunteers could wish for in this brand new year, it would be this: We wish we no longer had work awaiting us in Guatemala.
Don't be mistaken: we love our adopted country. Some of us are so fond of it that we winter there, or have moved there full-time. Others find ourselves dreaming of the "Land of Eternal Spring" during our dreary stateside winters. When our feet are not firmly planted on "terra Guatemala", we miss the warmth of the climate and of the people. Wouldn't it be nice, we sometimes think, to just be able to go to Guatemala to soak in the culture, to visit with long-time friends and former foster children and to relax on black beaches or on verandas overlooking ancient volcanoes. 

The reality is that the need for donated medical care in Central America is just as pervasive as it was in 1986 when Children of the Americas was founded. Maternal and pediatric statistical parameters for longevity and all that encompasses a life of full capacity are improving thanks to concerted efforts and focus from organizations like ours. But the stark reality is that access to healthcare, no matter what developing country one lives in, is more difficult when financial means are meager. The poor are marginalized in all aspects of life, but the inability to acquire quality medical care is life hampering. 

This is where we shine. 
We receive, pack, organize and categorize supplies throughout the year. Our board meets, plans, communicates and strategizes weekly. COTA volunteers tweak budgets, work schedules and plan flights months ahead of time. All of this so that once a year, we can bring donated medical,surgical,dental and pharmaceutical care to our Guatemalan patients. 
Our methodology and the need for it speaks for itself. Last month we operated on 131 Guatemala women and children, saw 2,364 clinic patients and over 200 dental patients. Seventy-four Guatemalan citizens needed the expertise of our orthotics and prosthetics volunteers and our ultrasound specialist performed 226 scans for diagnostic workups. Prescriptions? The need was seemingly endless: 5,375 packets of medication donated.
Until the basic human need of health and well-being is available to all rural Guatemalans, Children of the Americas will continue do what we have done for thirty years:improving access to healthcare.