tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59743850356173369452024-02-07T18:08:21.349-08:00CristinaShannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11075435295277180387noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974385035617336945.post-9067544921672388062011-11-30T14:11:00.000-08:002012-01-02T17:23:55.491-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Cristina and her elderly father, Eulalio, live alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her father works on a farm, but being 82 years old, there are many days he doesn’t feel strong enough to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They live on the side of a very steep mountain in San Jorge in a dilapidated house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This family has many needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since neither can provide regular income, they need a sponsor for food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The house is perilous and needs a retaining wall to provide protection from mudslides and the walls need to be built with cement block.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They need to have electricity connected as it is very dangerous to walk around in the dark in such a steep yard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The father, who has rheumatoid arthritis, does not have a mattress to sleep on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are more needs, many more, but these are the most urgent.</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><u>The Children</u></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Maria Cristina, 18, was born January 1, 1994.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her student number is 5 and she will be in 7<sup>th</sup> grade in 2012.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><u>Their Family</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Cristina’s mother was the second (and much younger) wife of Eulalio, but when Cristina was 7 her mother became very sick and died.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since then Cristina has been responsible for the home, preparing meals and also for caring for her elderly, and at time ailing, father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cristina has five half-siblings but they are all married now and do not help Cristina or her father with any of their needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The relatives from Eulalio’s first wife does not accept Cristina as a part of the family.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Cristina’s father is 82 years old and works on a farm although he can’t work every day because he isn’t strong enough anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has rheumatism that was diagnosed by the doctor, but he hasn’t been back for any follow up care and he can’t afford the medication prescribed to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His legs are often in pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has a bed but no mattress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Cristina just graduated from elementary school and is planning to continue her education to middle school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is very shy and quiet, looking down at the ground for most of the interview.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She started the interview in Spanish but prefers to talk in Kakchiquel, her native Mayan dialect so another translator was fetched.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><u>Their House</u></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Cristina and Eulalio live in a dilapidated house on the side of a steep mountain in San Jorge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their house is made of lamina, both the roof and the walls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it starts to rain she goes to her brother’s house and stays there until the rain stops and she is sure her house is safe again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They don’t have electricity or running water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She walks down to the public washing area in the center of town when she needs to wash clothes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has a water filter but no pila (a large cement sink).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kitchen is apart from the rest of the house and she cooks over an open fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was given a bed and mattress by her school sponsor and blankets by another donor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strike>When asked what her greatest needs are she said traditional clothes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was wearing her only nice outfit to the interview she said, and while there were no visible holes, it was far from new.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said everything else she owned was very old and too worn to wear.</strike><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <span style="color: #cc0000;">Cristina received a gift of a new traditional outfit in January 2012.</span> </span>She said she also needed help with her additional school expenses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often she can’t afford the materials she needs for a project and that is reflected in the grades she receives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They often don’t have enough money to eat every day and many days they can eat only tortillas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><u>Their Needs</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">$100/mo<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Food donation </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Build a retaining wall to protect house from mudslides</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Rebuild the house with cement block</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><strike>$150</strike><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><strike>Traditional clothes</strike> <span style="color: #cc0000;">Thank You! January 2012</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">$44 Mattress for father (need to confirm size)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Connect electricity </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Connect water</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">$118<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Pila</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">$170<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Onil stove</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>How to Donate</strong> </span></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">To use PayPal, click the button below to go to Mayan Families' donation page. Enter the donation amount in the Family Aid field. Enter <strong>Cristina #5</strong> for the Family Name. Specify the purpose of the donation in the Extra Notes box.</span> </span></li>
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<a href="http://www.mayanfamilies.org/DonateOnline" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ukGM1Os-VmgqXnnLNhv5VuWmb38PUZDWjOQUdqR114baJdn1NB7hl5e7pm8F23oow_c6uSpMj1OoEgw0Fe-VLi3R7N25NNS841nlyyn6h37oBZrj8xt1QOEFMdoOlu_SNHMfHmmjy0et/s1600/ImgDonate2.gif" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">To pay by check, include a note specifying <strong>Cristina #5 </strong>as the recipient and the purpose of the donation. Mail to:</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mayan Families<br />
PO Box 52<br />
Claremont, NC 28610</span></strong></span></div>
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</span>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11075435295277180387noreply@blogger.com0