August 3, 2011 – Guatemala City, Guatemala…Guatemala Union/IAD Staff
Some 240 families in Guatemala will soon be able to support themselves thanks to a partnership between the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Advent-Stiftung Foundation–a Swiss-owned, non-government organization. Both organizations donated thousands of dollars worth of tools and equipment during a special ceremony in the El Progreso Adventist School’s auditorium in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on July 20, 2011.
This is the third year of the partnership between the church in Guatemala and Advent-Stiftung for a project called “Live Better” (Viva Mejor). “Live Better” seeks to help needy families support themselves.
Peter Freuler, president of Advent-Stiftung, and Dr. Guiseppe Carbone, Advent-Stiftung director for Latin America, where on hand during the ceremony to donate dozens of industrial stoves, ice making machines, fumigating pumps, sewing machines, baking equipment, blenders, wooden equipment, clothing products, and more.
“Human integrity is built by values through education and morals,” said Dr. Carbone. “However, there is something that allows men and women to become whole and honest through work. The philosophy of the foundation is to allow men and women to be complete through a job.”
“A person who is not working can resort to social dependence,” he continued. “But the person who holds an honest job values his or her life.”
Pastor Guenther Garcia, president of the church in Guatemala, thanked Freuler and Dr. Carbone for providing a future and hope to hundreds of families in Guatemala during the past three years. Garcia also thanked the foundation’s leaders for their trust in working with the church and for their commitment to the economic success of the family.
“As a church, we hope to continue offering this service to those in need,” he said.
Pastor Garcia also thanked the church membership for participating in collecting thousands of dollars during its annual ingathering campaign. Thanks to the partnership with The Advent-Stiftung Foundation, $27,000 dollars worth of equipment will help needy Guatemalan families.
María López Ramos, a single mother of two, was thrilled to get an industrial stove during the ceremony.
“I want to thank the Adventist Church and the foundation for the stove,” she said. “It will be the means from where I can feed my children.” With the new stove, she plans to make and sell tortillas and meals throughout the day from her small home.
After to the ceremony, Advent-Stiftung and church leaders visited beneficiaries from previous years to check on their business efforts.
Maribel Rojas, a 2010 beneficiary of Guatemala City, was given $60 dollars to start a small business selling eggs.
“I would put the eggs in my son’s stroller and would go through neighborhoods selling eggs,” said Rojas. She said she also earned money selling shoes, and is saving up to start a typing school in her house so that her husband does not have to work at night as a bus driver. More than 80 bus drivers have been killed during nighttime assaults this year, said Rojas.
According to Gustavo Menendez, personal ministries and communication director for the church in Guatemala and coordinator of the partnership with Advent-Stiftung, Rojas is a perfect example of what a successful business venture can do to improve a person’s life through the project.
“Our goal is to help hundreds of Guatemalan families to improve their lives and offer them a future filled with hope,” said Menendez. He said that the foundation will also follow-up the project in the coming months.
Individuals who received their new equipment also got special training on how to operate a small business and were trained on the use of the tools, Menendez said.
The Seventh-day Adventist church and Advent-Stiftung have benefitted thousands of people for 15 years in Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Brazil and other countries around the world.
Based in Brazil and Switzerland, The Advent-Stiftung Foundation, donates $700,000 worth of working tools as well as Bibles every year.
For more information on the work of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Guatemala, visit http://uniondeguatemala.org/
