Nancy Lijewksi graduated from Lake Michigan College in 1982 and has been a nurse for 30 years. She has worked in NICU, general surgery and spent 10 years working in plastic surgery and reconstruction at Dr. Nicholas Retson’s office in Indiana.

Dr. Retson is also an Esperança volunteer and has completed over 30 surgical missions around the world. “I remember seeing one of Dr. Retson’s presentations about volunteer medical mission trips in the 1990’s, but I had young children at the time so I tucked the information away for a later date, “ recalls Nancy.

Her first trip with Esperança was in 2000 and she has completed nine trips since then to either Bolivia or Nicaragua. In Bolivia, they see lots of burn reconstructions because many of the Bolivian people work over open flames. She recalls a case where five sisters were huddled around a gas stove to stay warm when it exploded and all five girls were badly burned. The doctors often cannot help a burn victim’s appearance, but they can help them functionally by opening scars over their eyes to help them see again.

“I went into medicine because I want to help people,” said Nancy. “The Esperança trips are worthwhile because the people are so grateful for our work and it makes me feel good to know that we are improving their quality of life. These people have very little, but they are so gracious and share with one another.

Thank you, Nancy for helping Esperança and the people of Bolivia and Nicaragua. We appreciate your hard work and commitment to our programs.

Sandy has worked as a nurse since 1987 and has experience in obstetrics, pediatrics, gynecology/urology, operating room nursing, pain management and plastic surgery. Currently, she’s with Tatum Highlands Medical Associates in Phoenix, AZ.  She is also recently completed her RNFA through the National Institute of First Assists.

Sandy has participated in three mission trips to Nicaragua with Dr. Foltz (nominee for AZ Business Magazine 2013 Health Care Award) and Esperança. She recalls how the conditions in Nicaragua are poor and the people there don’t have access to medical care or supplies.

Sandy and Dr. Foltz see about 30 cases a week during each mission trip.  Sandy collects medical supplies throughout the year to take on her trips and usually is able to obtain over $1,000 in donated supplies each trip.

“I like to work with Esperança because they are so organized and have such a good reputation,” says Sandy.  “The support staff on the ground in Nicaragua is wonderful too. Esperança makes good use of its resources. I have never seen a nonprofit who is such a good steward of their money and resources.”

In the 27 years that she has been a nurse, Sandy says she finds the medical mission trips the most rewarding because it allows her to get back to the basics and really focus on each patient.  Whereas, in the U.S., a nurse has plenty of office work and paperwork to accomplish each day too.

Thank you, Sandy for your hard work and commitment to our programs!

Guess what month it is… May and May is National Nurses month! We as an organization owe so much the nurses that volunteer for us and transform lives! This month we will be highlighting some of the most dedicated professionals and saying thank you for all that they have done to transform lives.

Recently, Esperança had surgical patient, Margarita Quezada from Nicaragua, visit the United States for a special surgery that would transform her life. Dr. Diane Sklar, a GYN surgeon who has volunteered with Esperança’s Volunteer Surgery Program for 8 missions, completed a surgical mission to Nicaragua in 2012 and met this particular patient for a consultation. She learned Margarita had previously suffered from a massive fibroid in her uterus for 7 years! She had surgery to remove the fibroid but because of the damage that the fibroid had caused she still was experiencing complications. Despite several operations, doctors were unable to repair the damage that the fibroid had caused. Dr. Sklar recommended that she come to the United States for the final procedure to repair her condition. Through your support, and the efforts of Dr. Sklar and Kaiser Permanente, the pro bono operation was scheduled. Esperança was able to arrange a medical visa for the operation, and Margarita’s life was going to be changed forever!

The fateful day arrived, and Margarita was on a flight to San Francisco in good spirits. The introduction to a major city like San Francisco was an eye opening experience for Margarita. Coming from the small village of San Rafael del Norte, she had never been to a city of this magnitude, let alone outside of her country. But, after many years of enduring debilitating health issues and several unsuccessful medical procedures in Nicaragua, she was prepared to face any challenge knowing that Esperança’s supporters were thinking of her. When Esperança first spoke about the possibility of creating this opportunity, she said that with her faith she knew that the doors would open and make it happen. Six months later, her faith was rewarded.

The first day in San Francisco was a flurry of doctor appointments and exams. The appointments passed with no complications or issues, and the next few days were spent exploring the city. The sights included the beach, visiting the Golden Gate Bridge and just exploring all that the city has to offer.

The night before surgery Margarita was nervous, but her commitment to transform her life allowed her to be at peace. She passed the time making a stack of homemade corn tortillas for her post-surgery meal. That night she slept well, and in the morning she packed a small bag of clothes and the essentials she would need for her stay at the hospital.

Margarita was calm as she headed to the hospital, and lightened the mood by making jokes about finding a husband in San Francisco. The Kaiser staff was prepped and ready for her, and she quickly moved from registration to preparation for surgery. She started to get a little nervous but calmed herself by quietly praying, and she remembered that Esperança volunteers and donors had been working together for the past six months to give her hope.

Her surgery took about five hours, Kaiser staff and Esperança staff waiting eagerly to hear the news. Was it successful? Is she okay? Five hours later, her surgery was complete, and Margarita’s long journey was rewarded. Her complications were a thing of the past and she was presented with a bouquet of flowers and smiling faces. Despite being in some pain and a little groggy, she asked, “Are these for me?” and held the flowers in her arms and returned a smile.

After two weeks of recovery, Margarita was able to return to her hometown 100% healed! Thank you to Dr. Diane Sklar, Dr. Robert Karoukian, Dr. Arturo Martinez and the Kaiser staff for transforming a life. What an incredible gift. Thank you everyone for your support, which allowed this amazing journey to become a reality!

More than fifteen students at Arizona State University’s Polytechnic campus in Mesa will abstain from modern-day luxuries and challenge themselves to live on two dollars a day and in cardboard-box houses outside the Student Union from April 11-13, 2013.

The Two Dollar Challenge, a national experiential learning exercise and poverty action program, is designed to give students an opportunity to step out of their daily lives and reflect on the challenges of living in poverty.

This challenge is different from the average charity drive for three reasons: it asks students to live by rules designed to simulate poverty, to raise funds for the cause of their choice and it gives them the experience to become passionate leaders in the eradication of global poverty.  The ASU students have selected to raise money for Esperança during the challenge.

“When our team of skilled doctors make volunteer medical mission trips to countries like Bolivia or Nicaragua, they are always shocked at the living conditions,” said Tom Egan, executive director, Esperança.  “To call attention to how thousands of people live globally is very important.  We’re honored to be a part of ASU’s Two Dollar Challenge and hope it brings awareness to poverty throughout this country and internationally.”

Good luck to those students participating and thank you for selecting us as your beneficiary!

For more information about how you can get involved or learn more please contact  Jared Leslie at jared@esperanca.org or call 602-252-7772

Meet Antonio, a subsistence farmer with six children doing his best to survive in northern Nicaragua. He and his family work the soil all year round on their 5-acre plot growing things like rice, corn, beans, bananas and anything he can afford in an effort to feed his family and maintain his way of life. But tragically, Antonio and many others like him are fighting a losing battle. This month Esperança, Bob, Judy and an anonymous donor will be giving Antonio and others a hand up!

You see, rice, corn, beans and even bananas are very common crops in Nicaragua. None of them fetch more than a few cents per pound at the market. All totaled Antonio and his family makes less than $1 a day for all their hard work. Here in America a family of 7 is considered impoverished if they make less than $34,930 a year. It’s hard to imagine how anyone, let alone Antonio’s family, could survive on $365 a year, even in Nicaragua. The sacrifices they must make to stretch their income are enormous. Every year tools break, random crops fail, and they come closer and closer to losing everything they have.

But fortunately for hard-working families like Antonio’s, treats like chocolate can also be used to find a sweeter way to live.

Antonio’s family lives in a very unique place, and as such there exists a unique solution to his problem. Nicaragua is located within 20 degrees of the equator, a narrow band on our planet that supplies just enough heat and humidity to grow a very special tree in vast numbers – the cacao tree. The beans of this tree when roasted and refined create cocoa, the main ingredient in chocolate.

Because of its high demand around the world, the price that cacao beans fetch at market far outstrips any other crop Antonio is capable of growing. Devoting just 2 of his 5 acres to this new crop, he can produce 2,500 pounds of cacao beans a year. At the going price of $1 a pound, he can expect to see a more than 684% increase in his profits, while retaining 3 acres to continue to feed his family!

But a high market value also means that families like Antonio’s have no hope of affording the seeds they need to make the switch on their own. I’m asking you today to help me give these hard-working people a hand up and hope for the future by affording them this unique opportunity. Not only will the extra funds enable them to keep their farms, it will also allow them to eat better, improve their homes and even allow their children to attend school.

In short, this crop has the potential to save their future and drastically improve their lives.

This month we have a special opportunity. Thanks to our friends Bob, Judy and an anonymous donor, all gifts this month up to $10,000 will be matched dollar for dollar, effectively doubling any gift you give toward this project! $500 is required to provide one family with the seeds, supplies and training to start planting 2 acres of cacao trees on a small farm. But because of this matching gift, only $250 is necessary to change the lives of a whole family! The best part is, once these trees mature, they will produce a harvest every year for the next 20 years! That means your gift today is one that will continue to give back for a whole generation!

Three years ago, Antonio’s family, along with 70 others, were selected for the opportunity to give this wonder crop a try. Today I’m proud to say that their future is looking bright. Their trees are finally mature and ready for the first harvest – just in time for Easter!

To Support Antonio and others like him and his family Click here

Esperança in the Running for the Goodmans Eye for the Good GuyS Board Governance Award from Esperanca on Vimeo.

Help us to transform our office just by voting at www.goodmansgoodguy.com voting ends on March 22nd. Goodmans Interior Structures is searching for the most effective board of directors of a nonprofit organization and rewarding them with a brand new $20,000 collaborative work environment including new furniture!

Esperança Announces Participation in Statewide Day of Giving

Esperança is one of the expected 500 nonprofit organizations to participate in in Arizona Gives Day, an online fundraising initiative, scheduled to take place today, Wednesday, March 20. Presented by First Bank, Arizona Gives Day is a 24-hour online fundraiser aimed at bringing together communities across the state, to raise awareness and financial support for a variety of nonprofit organizations throughout Arizona. Arizonans are encouraged to help make a difference by investing in the nonprofit of their choice.

“AZ Gives Day is a great opportunity for us to share the mission of Esperança and the hope that we give to so many.” Said Tom Egan President and CEO of Esperança.

From midnight until 11:59 p.m., supporters of Esperança can go on to www.AZgives.org  and show their support by selecting Esperança to receive the  charitable contribution. All online donations during this effort will go directly to support improving health and providing hope for families in the poorest communities of the world through sustainable disease prevention, education and treatment.

For more information, visit www.AZgives.org or call 602-252-7772.

About Esperança:

Since 1970, Esperança has been providing programs to improve the health and well being of the world’s poor.  Headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., this international nonprofit provides volunteer surgical missions, health education, training of community health workers, home building, clean water projects, micro enterprise, agricultural development, dental treatment and prevention programs, and sends donated medical equipment and supplies to project sites around the world. Esperança’s goal is to build clean, sustainable and healthy communities worldwide.  To learn more, visit: www.WeTransformLives.org.

This past week in San Francisco a UHAUL POD full of dental supplies and equipment was donated to Esperança! A local area family called to alert Esperança that their father had passed away,  but they wanted his legacy to continue. You see, when he returned to the U.S. after WWII he gathered all of his resources and began his dream of opening a dental practice. With all of his hard work he opened his doors and for years ran his dental practice and loved every minute of it. When he passed, his family could not bear the thought that the equipment and supplies that had brought so much joy to their father would be laid to rest. The donations included dental supplies, patient chair, x-ray machine; it was pretty much the entire clinic! And now with them being donated to Esperança his supplies will go towards a greater cause.

This donation will be included in the 40ft container going down to Nicaragua next year. Esperança staff commented on the beautiful moment for the family; “Once it was all loaded, we hugged the family and there were tears in their eyes. They were so sad to have lost their dad but so happy to know that his supplies would still be put to good use.” Thank you to all of our donors and all that you make possible.

Our dental programs are making an impact right here is Phoenix as well. In a recent report to the Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation, Esperança was able to educate 1,387 children and 460 parents, on the importantance of oral health and techniques. As you know Oral Health month has just passed, but Esperança will continue to educate and transform families.

The 2013 National Nutrition Month theme is “Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day.”  Esperança knows there are thousands of Arizona families who struggle to provide nutritious meals for their families each day.  According to a FRAC report, 29 percent of Arizona households with children experienced food hardships in 2010, which is defined as not having enough money to buy needed food during the previous twelve months.

Esperança also knows many families need help determining what makes a healthy and nutritious meal.  Thanks to a grant from Dignity Health, BHHS Legacy and Arizona First Advised Fund, Esperança is able to provide nutritional classes to children and parents in low income areas throughout Phoenix.  The goal of the program is to address obesity and chronic illness such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.

Each month, Esperança holds classes at various locations such as Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCA’s, churches and the Golden Gate Community Center to teach about 50 parents and children.  The program focuses on teaching families how to live healthier lives by learning about food portions, choosing healthier options, taking small steps to achieve success.  The classes also include cooking sessions where participants practice what they have learned by making meals together and going on a supermarket tour.

“Adequate nutrition is critical to maintaining health,” said Tom Egan, president and CEO, Esperança.  “Malnutrition increases both the risk of contracting disease and the severity of any illness. Growing children are especially vulnerable.  We’re proud to provide educational classes domestically and internationally to try and combat this problem.”

To learn more or contact Jared Leslie at 602-252-7772

Last night, Dr. James Foltz was recognized as a finalist for the 2013 AZ Business Magazine Health Care Awards.  AZ Business magazine honors people from the Valley’s health care system who bring quality care to men, women and children across the Valley.

The event brought together hundreds of Valley’s leaders and healthcare professionals.  We were proud to be there to honor Dr. Foltz’s volunteer work with Esperança.

Dr. Foltz, a gynecologist at Abrazo’s Paradise Valley Hospital, has been donating his time and talents to Esperança for the past four years.  He has served as a lead surgeon on five mission trips to Bolivia and Nicaragua.  His last mission took place in February 2012 when he and his team provided 42 consultations and performed 32 surgeries during one week in Nicaragua.

We applaud all of the finalists and winners work.  There were many worthy nominees and we enjoyed being a part of the event.

For more information on the event and the finalists, please visit www. aznow.biz/health-care-leadership-awards

Congratulations Dr. Foltz!

Congratulations to Dr. James Foltz on his nomination for the AZ Business magazine 2013 Health Care Award.  AZ Business magazine honors people from the Valley’s health care system who bring quality care to men, women and children across the Valley.

Esperança proudly nominated Dr. Foltz for the award and appreciates the outstanding work that he continues to do for our organization.  During a 2012 surgical mission, Dr. Foltz, a gynecologist at Abrazo’s Paradise Valley Hospital, put his medical practice on hold for a week and paid his own way to Nicaragua to perform surgeries on indigent women.

The awards ceremony will be held on Thursday, March 7, 2013 from 6-8pm at the Arizona Biltmore.  Rep. Paul Gosar will be the guest speaker.  For more information on the event and the finalists, please visit www. aznow.biz/health-care-leadership-awards

Join us in wishing Dr. Foltz good luck!

Since 1999, Esperança has been working in the Phoenix area to provide underserved families with resources, health services, and preventative education.  Thanks to a grant last spring in the amount of $10,000 from the Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation, Esperança has expanded their Oral Health program to pre-school and elementary children in Phoenix.  They are now providing oral health education to children ages 4-12 in the Isaac and Cartwright school districts and parents of 0-5 enrolled in Head Start/Early Head Start.

Esperança works in communities and neighborhoods that have a high health risk due to the over-representation of many illnesses like diabetes and obesity, and limited access to health resources. The majority of families that live in the community are low-income and uninsured.

Accessing health care information and resources is difficult for families due to barriers such as language, transportation, literacy levels, and cost. Preventative dental care is considered a luxury, and due to financial hardship, many family members are forced to share toothbrushes and forego annual cleanings and x-rays.

Key Facts:

 More than 3,000 adults and children in Central Phoenix participated in oral health education workshops and training.

52 families graduated from the obesity prevention curriculum

Over 1,580 health screenings were provided to uninsured and low-income families.

 Isaac and Cartwright school districts have a student body that is 90%+ Latino, and more than 70% of students are eligible for free lunch. Lost school due to dental pain and poor dental hygiene are ongoing issues for these districts.

For more information contact us at 602-252-7772 or learn more at www.WeTransformLives.org

Brothers Mark and Max Kartchner have been volunteering with Esperança’s Surgical Missions since the 90’s! Mark is the surgeon, and Max is the anesthesiologist. Their work as a family has been felt in 22 missions with Esperança, with a total count of over 1,400 people saved! The two brothers have never fallen short of amazing, making an impact in the world with every mission they have been on.

We as an organization have been lucky to have had such a dynamic family dedicate so much of their time to our cause. It is with a sad goodbye that Mark and Max are hanging up their surgical masks and retiring as volunteers for Esperança. The lives changed will stand as a testament to their selfless work, and Esperança is truly grateful for their service.

Thank you to Dr. Diane Sklar, Dr. Robert Karoukian, Dr. Arturo Martinez and the Kaiser staff for transforming a life! In this unprecedented case, Esperança with the help of Dr. Sklar, Dr. Karoukian,     Dr. Martinez and Kaiser Permanente, we were able to bring Margarita, a 42 year old woman fromm Nicaragua  to the San Francisco to undergo a much needed procedure to repair a fistula that could not be repaired in Nicaragua.  Two weeks ago Margarita underwent the surgery that lasted a full three hours! The procedure was a grand success and now all the complications Margarita was facing have been repaired.

These past two weeks have been a strict regime for Margarita to ensure a full recovery. In that time she has not been alone on her journey to recovery, Luis our Nicaraguan partner staff member has been there every step of the way to offer support. Now we are pleased to say that Margarita and Luis have safely arrived to their homes in Nicaragua! Finally we want to thank everyone for their support that allowed this amazing journey to become a reality! For more information about Margarita and her trip click here 

The night before surgery, Margarita seemed to be at peace. She made a stack of homemade corn tortillas for her post-surgery meal. She slept well, and she packed a small bag of her clothes and essentials for her few nights at the hospital.

As she headed to the hospital, she made jokes about finding a husband in San Francisco, but then said that she missed her home too much to stay.

The Kaiser staff were all expecting her, and she quickly moved from registration to preparation for surgery. She started to get a little nervous but calmed herself by quietly praying.

Esperanca surgical volunteers, GYN surgeon, Dr. Diane Sklar and anesthesiologist, Dr. Robert Karoukian, came to see her right before surgery. Their presence brought her comfort since she knew then and had met them earlier this year in Nicaragua.

Her surgery took about 3 hours. Kaiser staff and Esperanca staff waited eagerly to hear the news. Was it successful? Is she okay?

Five hours later, we received the news. Her surgery came out perfectly! We were then able to see her. She loves flowers, so we brought her some roses. Despite being in some pain and a little groggy, she asked, “Are these for me?” and held them in her arms with a smile.

Margarita will stay for two weeks in San Francisco to recover. Although her surgery went well, she will need time to properly heal before she can travel safely. Thanks for reading and we will continue to keep you posted about her recovery! If you are in the Bay area, we invite you to come visit her too. click here to learn more about Margaritas story

The day is here! The long awaited day of surgery has come for Margarita.

46 year-old woman from Nicaragua, who desperately needs surgery for an ureterovaginal  fistula that resulted from a very difficult surgery, performed by volunteer surgeon. She will travel to San Francisco courtesy of Esperança, an international nonprofit whose mission is to improve the health and well being of the world’s poor and the Lion’s Club of San Francisco .  Upon arriving, she’s scheduled to receive pro bono healthcare from Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center.

The surgery, equipment, supplies and doctor’s time will be donated by Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center.  Esperança will cover the travel costs and any transportation and while the patient is in the United States. The patient will remain in the San Francisco area for approximately three weeks.  During her recovery period, Kaiser Permanente will provide follow-up care.

Dr. Diane Sklar, a gynecologic surgeon, who has volunteered her time with Esperança for seven years will perform the surgery with Dr Arturo Martinez , a Kiaser urologist.   She has completed eight volunteer medical missions outside of the United States with Esperança and is passionate about giving back to those less fortunate.

Dr. Sklar completed a medical mission trip to Nicaragua in May 2012 and met this particular patient for consultation.  She learned that the Nicaragua doctors were unsuccessful in attempting to repair the patient’s fistula and due to the difficulty of the procedure,  and availability of specialized equipment at Kaiser, Dr. Sklar recommended she come to the United States for the final procedure to repair her condition.

Tom Egan, president and CEO of Esperança notes, “Dr. Sklar and her team are committed to the poor and uninsured regardless of where they are from.  This woman has lived with Massive fibroids in her uterus for more than seven years.  The fibroids were symptomatic and made her look 6-months pregnant and has made her a social outcast in her small village.  She has never married or had children Dr. Sklar’s willingness to provide quality care to her in the United States is her only hope of being cured.  It’s truly remarkable what Dr. Sklar and her team are willing to do to help.”

“In our country there has been much discussion and debate about our healthcare system. Whatever your beliefs on that discussion are, we still have the best healthcare system in the world.  The families and children that we see in the developing world have either never seen a doctor before in their life or as in the case of this woman, the system in her home country is not capable of helping her,” added Egan.

The Kaiser Permanente team will consist of Dr. Sklar, Dr. Robert Karoukian, anesthesiologist, who has done 3 trips with Esperanca in both Bolivia and Nicaragua and Dr. Martinez, urologist.  The estimated value of this donated surgery is $50,000 and an additional $5,000 in travel and lodging costs.

Margarita arrived San Francisco in good spirits! After a very long day of flying, she and our Nicaragua Surgical Program Coordinator, Luis, arrived late at night (2am Nicaraguan time). It was her first time on a plane, and when asked how it went, she nonchalantly responded that it was “normal.” Her belongings were packed in one floral suitcase. In it, she included an apron, coffee from her small plot of land, and some homemade tortillas.

This was a life-changing trip for Margarita. Coming from the small village of San Rafael del Norte, she had never been outside of her region in Nicaragua, much less left her country. But after many years of enduring debilitating health issues and several unsuccessful medical procedures in Nicaragua, she was prepared to come for healing despite the sacrifice. When Esperanca first talked to her about the possibility, she said that she knew that God would open the doors to make it happen. Six months later, it did.

Her first day in San Francisco she went to several doctor appointments and met with both the urological surgeon, Dr. Arturo Martinez, and gynecological surgeon and Esperanca surgical volunteer, Dr. Diane Sklar,  an incredible medical professional who made this humanitarian trip possible. All the appointments went well, and the next few days were spent getting to know San Francisco before her surgery date.

She went to the beach, visited the Golden Gate Bridge and took in all the sights.

Margarita is a strong and confident woman. Despite the incredible cultural shock, she has taken everything in stride. She loves her typical Nicaraguan food: coffee, rice, beans, tortillas and banana, and insists on cooking meals for everyone. Her one request? That we take a picture of her with this cute poodle.

On Tuesday, Margarita will have her long-awaited surgery. We will post another update as soon as we hear from the doctors!

to read the background of Margarita Click Here

Northridge Academy High School, students held a group social conscience project, where they chose a problem that existed in the world that they wanted to help solve. They prepared a ten-minute multimedia presentation which used this to persuade a panel to fund the charity they thought best helped solve the problem. Nearly thirty groups educated students and the panel about the extent of the problem, the causes of the problem, our connection to the problem, and possible solutions to the problem. Because of the professionalism, creativity, courage, and rhetorical power of their presentation Eric, Mallely, and Irene were able to raise money for Esperanca for the express purpose of providing safe, clean drinking water to villages in Bolivia that lack access.

The purpose of the project was to show students the power they have to make a real difference in the world through their intention, action, and mastery of language and communication. To see how you can help too, contact:

Jared Leslie

602-252-7772

jared@esperanca

Doña Apolonia Palacios Sequeira, born in the community of the Hermitage of Saraguasca, over half a century ago, where she still lives in her simple house surrounded by her eight children, who are already parents. When Doña Apolonia Palacios Sequeira was born there was a shallow well in the community where her family and neighbors were supplied with water. Almost 30 years ago, the well that had supported the community went dry! For as long as the well has been dry, the trek to find water is up to two miles away, with a 400 meter vertical hike. It is so difficult that one person ventures at a time, one traveler even broke their leg attempting to retrieve water for the community

In the summer of 2008, the community, with support from AVODEC / Esperanca, built a well rim, where old well once stood, which allows the rain supply to be caught for the 25 families living in the community. But with water consumption, the supply for summer is rationed to 20 liters per family for their needs but villagers must travel great distances to wash clothes and bathe.

Doña’s dream is to have a water supply service to her community so everyone can wash and bathe without having to walk miles with the risk.

Esperança has constructed almost 80 wells and water systems in the villages within this region of the country, providing rural villagers with access to clean water for a lifetime. The families are anxious to have access to clean water, and are eager to begin. In a recent community meeting, each family member committed to participating in the construction process, which includes transporting the construction materials, digging trenches, laying pipe and helping install home water faucets. Women and children want to participate too!

The total cost of this project is $25,000 which will allow Esperança to purchase all the materials, provide the needed technical assistance, and train and oversee families. This comes out to only $125 per person. The end result is 200 men, women, and children having access to clean water for a lifetime right from their home! With the New Year comes many exciting goals and plans… please help us bring clean water to the Las Hermita in 2013.

Guess what! We made it!!! Thanks to the generous match program for 2012 from Robert and Rita we were able to match up to $100,000 before the end of 2012! Thank you all of those that donated for HOPE!

100% Matched all purchases will be automatically doubled!

DON’T FORGET THAT 100% OF YOUR PURCHASE IS MATCHED!

That means that two families in Nicaragua will receive chickens or two low-income children in the U.S. will receive an oral health kit! Your impact doubles!!!

VIEW CATALOG

Our mailing address is:1911 W. Earll DrivePhoenix, AZ 85015

www.WeTransformLives.org  

Tuesday is here! Help us to share Esperança with as many people as we can and give hope.

We will be encouraging people through social media to give a year end gift through our online donations. We have a long time donor who has offered to match all gifts up to $100,000 from now until December 31, 2012.

Please take a moment and donate for hope! CLICK HERE TO DONATE