Americas
Food distribution at Safe Passage – Guatemala
Safe Passage is a non-profit organization, working for the empowering and the education of the poorest children and families living in the communities located around the Guatemala City’s garbage dump, by creating opportunities and fostering dignity and self-esteem through the power of education.
Safe Passage has diverse needs and projects that must be covered each year. The Grand Circle Foundation’s grant supported Safe Passage needs to cover projects that we consider priority for our operations in order to provide a better service to our beneficiaries. Thanks to a donation they were able to provide adequate nutrition supplies to our 500 students from 425 families that lives around the dump and also in higher risk situation from the actual food insecurity.
Currently in Safe Passage we are distributing gift cards every two weeks to our 425 families, the objective of this distribution is that our families can buy groceries at a local supermarket. The gift cards purchase was made by the end of May and the distribution was made on June and both was possible thanks to Grand Circle Foundation.
Is important to mention that our families usually buy the most important groceries, such as: corn and wheat flour, nutritional atole, milk, corn flakes, cooking oil, beans, rice, sugar, different types of pasta, oatmeal. This food is specially selected to guarantee good nutritional support to their families in order to maintain the good health, especially in those who are in more risk: children and the elderly. This is the main reason why we keep looking for funds to continue with this support.
Regarding the current situation of the long-term quarantine in the country, the nutritional evaluation to our students that was planned, is going to be scheduled depending with the government dispositions.
Safe Passage believes that education is a great tool to break the poverty cycle; this is the main reason why we seek partners who are committed to our mission and this is why we consider Grand Circle Foundation as an invaluable partner.
On behalf of the students at Safe Passage schools, the staff and volunteers, we would like to thank all the OAT visitors during 2019, because they donated their time to visit our project, as well Grand Circle Foundation and its team for all the efforts to improve the quality of education and support with the actual emergency because of the impact of the pandemic in Guatemala.