What We Do
VOLUNTEER
Our volunteer team made up of medical professionals, students and teachers from the U.S. travels every six months to visit a group of the villages we serve. During each trip we provide clinical care including medication for chronic diseases, birth control options, vitamins and preventative dental care for children. The work we do is made possible through our strong relationships and cooperation with village leaders and health promoters.
People Helping People
We are:
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Health workers
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Engineers
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Teachers
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Administrators
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College students
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And Kids!
During each visit we provide:
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Community Need Assessments
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Health Care Screenings
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Clinical Care
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Health Education
How We Do It
GVH is committed to working in partnership with villagers and their community leaders. Our goal is to create programs for Guatemalans sustained by Guatemalans. Once we reach a consensus with the community on their needs, we train them in the skills necessary to maintain the programs for themselves. We introduce and implement several programs to improve the quality of life for these villagers, including the construction of composting toilets, providing water filters, and educating on daily habits to reduce stress on the body.
We target all age groups, working in the schools to encourage healthy habits from a young age, and with adults during clinic and in group conversations around common health issues. We model our programs after the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) sustainable development goals, listed below. Unfortunately we cannot address each of these goals due to our small size. We instead focus on a few (circled) to target the main needs of the indigenous communities we work with.
