Dorie’s Promise is deeply committed to the welfare of Guatemalan children, encouraging their well-being from various dimensions. This is precisely why our efforts extend far beyond the confines of our home. Through our short-term mission program, we engage on a much broader scale.

This summer we hosted six mission teams, varying in size from five members to nineteen. Our teams arrive in Guatemala armed with a spirit of service and dedication essential for success. Through their efforts, a significantly greater impact is achieved.

Partnering with Local Communities

This year’s projects were in the communities of San Nicolás and Santiago Sacatepéquez. San Nicolás lies 25 miles south of Guatemala City on the border between the departments (similar to states) of Guatemala and Santa Rosa. Santiago Sacatepéquez is located 20 miles west of Guatemala City in the department of Sacatepéquez.

While these rural communities are not geographically far from Guatemala City’s economic center, the residents in these areas struggle with conditions that undermine their lives including poverty, lack of health care, and limited educational support. Their relative proximity to the capital city and great need demonstrates that hardship and extreme poverty are not hard to find in Guatemala.

Fortunately, for many years Dorie’s Promise has collaborated with these communities and fostered a relationship of trust between our staff and local leaders. This shared purpose allows mission team members who are unfamiliar with these communities to quickly integrate into local projects. The local communities warmly welcome teams and their support.

Making a Difference, 2 Days at a Time

Our projects are meticulously planned to yield helpful results in a limited timeframe. Typically, each project spans two action-packed days, during which our staff accompanies and guides the teams. This summer, teams focused on the construction of two homes and five kitchens, along with repainting a community center in San Nicolás.

Along with building structures, teams also provide additional supplies for families. Bunkbeds in new homes are immensely beneficial for community members who often find themselves forced to sleep on the ground, which exposes them to multiple health risks. Each of the five new kitchen spaces features wood-burning stoves with pipes that exhaust through the rough. In Guatemala, it is common for people to use wood as fuel because gas is too expensive. Not only are we furnishing these spaces, but we are doing so in a culturally relevant way that also eliminates pollutants inside the kitchen.

In addition, teams also distributed water filters and food baskets to families and served lunch to children at the community center. Their work and gifts supported the daily needs of families in these communities.

The families with whom we worked and all those whose children attend the community center in San Nicolás were very thankful for the support of our teams.

Children Are Our Priority

As an organization committed to vulnerable children, we envision a better world for all Guatemalan children. Most of the children in our home experienced extreme poverty and instability. Tackling the roots of these issues is essential. We dream of a future where children are not hindered by the lack of access to basic resources.

Solving these problems will not be easy but we are committed to making the greatest impact we can, one child at a time.