Kids Needing Your Help!!

           Kids Being Kids Photo by M Barrett Miller

While the focus of my friends at Avivara is primarily on education and working with schools, Guatemala often challenges them with needs that go beyond education. Such is the case with the village of Xeatzan Alto. A little over two years ago a slow moving landslide developed underneath the village, and since then large crevasses have opened up, destroying the foundations and walls of houses and in the school. 

Avivara has met with the village elders about their situation, and have taken film crews, civil engineers and other visitors to the village to see and document the ongoing destruction (see photos and powerpoint below). Unfortunately, it is likely that the situation will only get worse as the rainy season here continues to erode away the ground. 

The village leaders have met with local and national government officials, but so far there has been no response from them indicating that there would be any assitance forthcoming to the village. So, the people of Xeatzan Alto have asked Avivara to help publicize their plight as well as help them raise money as a down payment on other property where they can move their entire village. (Their current property is owned communally and they would like to keep their families together and their community intact.)

Because this is a slowly developing disaster, there won't be coverage on CNN, the BBC, or even in the local Guatemalan media. But, the danger is immanent and the need is there.

Article 25 of the United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights states:

"Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and his family, including food, clothing,housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livlihood in circumstances beyond his control."

You can help the children of Xeatzan Alto not be denied this basic human right. 

If you would like more information regarding the situation in Xeatzan Alto, please feel free to Avivara or Let Kids Be Kids.

http://www.avivara.org/images/Xeatzan_Alto_Relocation_PP.pdf

Thank you

M Barrett Miller
Let Kids Be Kids