#WuquKawoq

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Meet Jenifer! 6-year-old Jenifer loves playing with dolls with her older sister, Lesly, who says Jenifer can be very mischievous and likes to steal her clothes and shoes. Jenifer enjoys going to school and was sad to miss classes for her hernia surgery, but excited to feel better again. Jenifer has big dreams for when she grows up; she wants to be a doctor, teacher, and an athlete. 

Jenifer’s operation went well, and now you will find her always smiling. She says, “I’m a happy girl, not an angry girl.”

Jenifer’s parents are thankful her surgery was a success, and they hope their little princess can continue to do well in school and achieve her dreams. 

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Meet Irma, one of our Nutrition Technicians! When asked about her favorite part of her job, Irma said:

“Each child is a story. The children in our program live within the means that their parents can provide, and although we encounter difficult and sad situations, the children continue to fight and recover little by little. Happiness, attentiveness, and love towards our children can also be the medicine that they need to be well and grow up healthy. I am thankful for the opportunity to live these beautiful experiences with the families in our programs, and especially with the children.”

- Irma, Nutrition Technician, Maya Health Alliance | Wuqu’ Kawoq

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Meet Melany! This happy one-year-old has reason to smile because she is gaining weight and growing taller with treatment for malnutrition from Wuqu’ Kawoq’s nutrition specialists. 

Melany’s mother reports that her daughter has flourished since starting treatment—Melany loves playing with her younger brother and their favorite teddy bear, and her favorite food is papaya. Melany’s mother says, “I am so grateful for the support being given to my daughter so that she can overcome malnutrition and get healthier.”

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Meet Andrea! Andrea studied Nutrition at the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, and received a Masters in Food & Nutrition Safety from the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala. She has worked for the past year as the Director of Wuqu’ Kawoq’s Nutrition Program, developing procedures for nutritional care and leading and training our team of 11 nutrition technicians. 

“My favorite part of this job is seeing when children who participate in our nutrition program grow in size and then become more active, playful, and intelligent,” Andrea tells us. “My motivation is having the opportunity to bring nutrition into Guatemala’s neediest communities, and to be able to make real change in the health of children who participate in our nutrition program.” 

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Meet Susana, one of our community health nurses! Susana works in the community of Chichimuch, Guatemala, helping families and kids like German, a 14-month-old little boy with malnutrition. Now that German is receiving treatment through Wuqu’ Kawoq, Susana is very happy to report that he is quickly growing and improving. 

Susana says, “I love my job! The great satisfaction of a day’s work is when a patient, a mother or someone from the community, says to me ‘Thank you!’ It’s a magical word that motivates me to continue working for those who need it most.”

One of Susana’s patients gave her this beautiful plant to say thank you for all she has done to help their family. 

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Let's meet Jenny, a nurse who attends to patients from our partnership women’s health program with Friendship Bridge|Puente de Amistad, a non-profit microfinance organization. "I like being a nurse because I can help people and be with them in the moments that they need me the most. That is, talk about the different problems that they have, especially for woman that are discriminated against and who suffer due to the machismo culture that exists. In one way or another, I can give them advice that will help them. I decided to work with Wuqu' Kawoq because they provide quality attention regardless of the distance between us and our patients." 

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Thanks to donor support, Maria received surgery to remove tissue on her eyes caused by a condition called pterygium. Maria says she can see much better now, and her daughters are happy to see their mother smiling and content. She enjoys picking coffee beans and tending to the flowers in her garden. “I love to see the sun’s radiant colors,” Maria tells us. “Now I feel more assured of myself. I can see better, and without difficulty. I love my eyes. Thank you for this help, and may God repay you.” 

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Sintia is a spirited little girl who loves to crawl around and play with her older sister and their toy doll. Her mother takes care of their family and household while her father works as an agricultural day laborer. Sintia is underweight and small for her age, and has recently started malnutrition treatment with Wuqu’ Kawoq, providing her with vitamins and food supplements as well as nutrition education for her family. Sintia’s mother says, “I see that my daughter is not growing well because she is always sick and we do not have the resources necessary to give her treatment. I would like to see her grow well so that she can grow up to be a good person, and study to be a nurse. I want to thank all of you for the support that my daughter will receive. May God bless you all.”

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Thirteen-month-old Andrés is an active and happy child who loves to sing and applaud. He likes to play with his sisters, who are always tickling each other. Unfortunately, Andrés gets sick often, and although his mom takes him to the local health center, he continues to get sick and his family struggles to cover the costs of medication. Andrés has started treatment for malnutrition with us, and is receiving micronutrients and food supplementation to help him recover. 

His mother says, “I am worried that my son will not grow well because we do not have the resources to get him treatment. Thank you for supporting my son. I wish for him to grow up to study, and that God blesses him with a good job so that he can be a great person.” 

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Sometimes we get creative to protect ourselves from the rain! Meet Karyn, one of our nutrition technicians and complex care coordinators. 

Karyn says, “I love my job because through my work I can reach people that no one else dares to see and treat diseases that the health system rejects and doesn’t treat. We travel to where patients are and care for them in the last moments of life. I like Wuqu’ Kawoq’s philosophy of doing everything we can for people who suffer from terminal illnesses so that they can have a dignified death without pain. I like that at Wuqu’ Kawoq we are innovators and pioneers of many things, like our nutrition program, 10 years ago no one was talking about this but now our work is spreading to other organizations who are changing their methodologies to make a difference in the lives of children.” 

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Claudia is an active, smiley little girl who likes to play with her older siblings. She is receiving formula to help her thrive and grow into a healthy baby. Claudia’s mother says, “Thanks to God and you all for your help, my daughter is no longer sick and I am seeing her grow well. My desire is that when she grows up she can study and graduate and become a teacher or nurse.”

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Meet one of our amazing community health workers, Ingrid Maye! Ingrid says, “Being part of a positive change in Guatemala is satisfying, each day motivated by the joy of arriving at a home and seeing the people of the community smiling with regards to our work.”

Ingrid travels to rural communities to visit with pregnant women and newborns everyday. She loves “being able to contribute to the prevention and reduction of maternal and infant mortality through our community leaders, midwives, with their knowledge and wisdom and ability to not lose their cultural identity while become autonomous people.”

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Meet Nester! Eight-month-old Nester lives with his family in the rural highlands of Guatemala. His family practices the local Maya religion and performs traditional rituals and ceremonies on the weekends. Nester loves playing with his older brother and their toy car. 

Nester is underweight and small for his age, and has recently started malnutrition treatment with us. His parents wish for their son to grow up healthy and strong, and treatment will give them the tools to help him maintain a nutritious diet. Nester’s mother says, “We are grateful for this help that our son will receive.” 

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Meet Lilibet! This bright-eyed beauty was born prematurely and is small for her age. At one month old she joined our nutrition program and began receiving formula to help her grow. Now Lilibet likes to play with dolls with her sister and doesn’t get sick often. 

Lilibet’s mother says, “Now I see the change in my daughter, and she is eating well.” 

With continued nutrient supplementation and nutrition education for her family, we hope Lilibet will grow into an active little girl! 

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Meet Damaris, one of our community health workers who works with pregnant women and midwives!

“What strengthens me the most is knowing that through the program in which I work as a health promoter, maternal mortality is decreasing and the prenatal care each woman receives in her community is improving,” Damaris says. “I really like visiting pregnant women, meeting newborn babies, and hearing their stories and the needs of each family. I love being able to share with our midwives and learn from their wisdom and cultural knowledge, and also be able to visit the different communities of my beautiful Tecpán.”

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Meet Cristina! Due to chronic malnutrition, Cristina is behind in her development and at 17 months was not yet able to sit or stand on her own. Two months ago she joined our nutrition program and is receiving food supplements to help her grow. Cristina lives with her aunt and uncle, who say she came into their family like a light and want to give her the best so that she can become a good person and be successful. Our nutrition technicians visit Cristina and her family every two weeks to provide food supplements and nutrition counseling, and we hope that with this support and the dedicated care of her aunt and uncle Cristina can grow into an active and healthy little girl!