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Organization hosts fundraiser to help Mayans in Guatemala
By VALERIE JONES
One local non-profit organization has a specific mission: help the indigenous Mayan population in Quiche, Guatemala.
Sending Out Servants (S.O.S.) is a Catholic Lay Mission that promotes educational and medical assistance to the Mayas in Guatemala.
“S.O.S. Ministry of Presence is able to respond to the expressed needs of the Mayas – not out of pity for them or from its own self-interests, but from a true spirit of solidarity with the Mayas in their desire to improve the quality of their lives,” said Leo Mejia, assistance programs coordinator for S.O.S. “The assistance is offered in such a way that empowers the Mayas and maintains their human dignity by never doing for them what they can do for themselves.”
Mejia said the organization was driven to help those in Guatemala.
“Guatemala is the third largest country in Central America, and it’s a country of such beauty, yet it is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere,” Mejia said. “It suffers from an uneven distribution of wealth and opportunities for its 11 million people. (Guatemala) is where God has called His founders just as He as has called others to be His arms and voice to those in need in other places.”
One of the ways S.O.S. offers Guatemala educational assistance is through The Guardian Angel Education Fund, a scholarship program for poor Mayan kids that allows them to obtain an education beyond 6th grade.
“Because the Guatemalan government only provides education up to the 6th grade, there is no hope for indigenous Mayan children in the rural areas to obtain further education,” Mejia said. “Our scholarships provide funds for tuition, transportation and lodging, when needed, from grades seven through 12.”
S.O.S. also pays the salaries of the teachers of a rural middle school in Quiche, and in the past three years has provided enough computers to establish two computer labs in Quiche.
“Being geographically closer to the Sun, the Mayas are exposed to more intense UV rays,” Mejia said.
For this reason, S.O.S. Assistance Program has supplied Vision and Eye Screen Teams with prescription glasses and sunglasses to distribute to the Mayas. Each year, S.O.S. dispenses approximately 150-200 pair of prescription glasses and sunglasses and arranges for 16-20 cataract surgeries.
S.O.S. will be hosting a fundraising gala, Light of Hope, on Saturday, Feb. 28 from 6:30 to 12 midnight at the InterContinental located at 2222 West Loop South.
“It will be an evening of elegance, fine dining and entertainment to raise funds for S.O.S. assistance programs,” Mejia said. “There will be live music and live and silent auctions.”
Ticket prices are $150. For event information, contact Tony or Diana Rodriquez at 281-379-3012 or tondianatx@aol.com. For ticket information, contact Marta Mejia at 281-955-2449 ext. 17 or marta@quantumsur.com.
To learn more about S.O.S., visit www.sendingoutservants.org.
Sending Out Servants (S.O.S.) is a Catholic Lay Mission that promotes educational and medical assistance to the Mayas in Guatemala.
“S.O.S. Ministry of Presence is able to respond to the expressed needs of the Mayas – not out of pity for them or from its own self-interests, but from a true spirit of solidarity with the Mayas in their desire to improve the quality of their lives,” said Leo Mejia, assistance programs coordinator for S.O.S. “The assistance is offered in such a way that empowers the Mayas and maintains their human dignity by never doing for them what they can do for themselves.”
Mejia said the organization was driven to help those in Guatemala.
“Guatemala is the third largest country in Central America, and it’s a country of such beauty, yet it is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere,” Mejia said. “It suffers from an uneven distribution of wealth and opportunities for its 11 million people. (Guatemala) is where God has called His founders just as He as has called others to be His arms and voice to those in need in other places.”
One of the ways S.O.S. offers Guatemala educational assistance is through The Guardian Angel Education Fund, a scholarship program for poor Mayan kids that allows them to obtain an education beyond 6th grade.
“Because the Guatemalan government only provides education up to the 6th grade, there is no hope for indigenous Mayan children in the rural areas to obtain further education,” Mejia said. “Our scholarships provide funds for tuition, transportation and lodging, when needed, from grades seven through 12.”
S.O.S. also pays the salaries of the teachers of a rural middle school in Quiche, and in the past three years has provided enough computers to establish two computer labs in Quiche.
“Being geographically closer to the Sun, the Mayas are exposed to more intense UV rays,” Mejia said.
For this reason, S.O.S. Assistance Program has supplied Vision and Eye Screen Teams with prescription glasses and sunglasses to distribute to the Mayas. Each year, S.O.S. dispenses approximately 150-200 pair of prescription glasses and sunglasses and arranges for 16-20 cataract surgeries.
S.O.S. will be hosting a fundraising gala, Light of Hope, on Saturday, Feb. 28 from 6:30 to 12 midnight at the InterContinental located at 2222 West Loop South.
“It will be an evening of elegance, fine dining and entertainment to raise funds for S.O.S. assistance programs,” Mejia said. “There will be live music and live and silent auctions.”
Ticket prices are $150. For event information, contact Tony or Diana Rodriquez at 281-379-3012 or tondianatx@aol.com. For ticket information, contact Marta Mejia at 281-955-2449 ext. 17 or marta@quantumsur.com.
To learn more about S.O.S., visit www.sendingoutservants.org.
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