Mission Trip 2010
MISSION MEMBER’S EXPERIENCES:
SEWING PROJECT CO-OPERATIVE IN VOLCANCITO
By Cecilia Bardsley, Sewing Project Coordinator
The Sewing Co-operative located in Volcancito, continues to be a viable close knit group. Although smaller in
number from last year this group has commitment to one another. The group has had some success selling their items
in the village markets and is encouraged by this. CCAMRE has a young women from Timushan Irma Gutierrez Suchite,
who travels to Volcancito twice per week to assist with sewing skills, machine maintenance, provides needed direction
and support to the members of the sewing group. Through encouragement, suggestion, dialogue and direction the
groups creativity, colour and texture sense, detail finishing and general group dynamics have flourished.
Over the past couple of years the group has made hand and shopping bags of various sizes, cell phone carrying
cases and baby blankets. This year we worked on baby booties with matching small stuffed animal toys, zippered
make-up/ carrying bags and fringed shawls. The group has almost earned enough money to purchase another treadle
machine.
The Sewing Co-operative in Volcancito is on the right path, with a solid group leader, new and improved skills,
roup commitment and a growing self confidence. It is my hope on our Mission in 2011 to start up a new sewing
group in the village of Peña Blanca.
By Brian Todd, Plumber
My trip to Guatemala with CCAMRE was quite a learning experience for me, it was almost surreal to see so much
harsh poverty in such a beautiful country. The people of the Merendon Mountains had so little, yet they were so
friendly and gracious for our help, they made it easy to want to help them. Being a plumber I was able to fix
the plumbing at the community center and modified the village storage tank so that overflow could be used for
irrigation. In a way, by making their lives better, I felt it made my own better as well.
By Dr. Richard Morris, Dentist
For the past two years, I have been privileged to work as a volunteer dentist for a tremendous organization
called CCAMRE. I have performed oral surgery on hundreds of poor and destitute men, women and children -part
of the Mayan Chorti people of the Merendon Mountains of Guatemala. CCAMRE, under the compassionate, relentless
leadership of Hilda Rossi and her highly qualified Board of Directors, have done a great deal over the last
number off years to help these people in terms of health, education and self sufficiency.
By Heidi Grover– Dental Group
This year our dental team travelled to Guatemala and performed dental services for the people in need of care.
Over a two week period Dr. Morris, Dr. Grover and Evan Pine a Dental Assistant from the Grover Dental Group
in Hamilton, and 4 dental students from the University of San Carlos of Guatemala saw over 360 people and there
were 652 teeth extracted. However, the great news is that we were able to add 2 new villages to our mission.
This was due to the fact that our dental clinic in La Union, donated by CCAMRE has been able to support some of
the need throughout an eight month period, the natives have healthier teeth because the education provided to them.
By Lina Rodriguez – Medical Group
This experience to me was a “wake up” call for all that we can do to make other people’s life better. I cannot
use only one word to describe my experience because it was a package of life experiences. My primarily work
was with the Women. I was able to meet their needs, their experiences as women in a Country where the “macho”
is in power, to hear their doubts, ideas and to share their feelings. I meet great women that allowed me to enter
to their most intimate aspects and share what they like and what they want. But most important I was able to show
them, to teach them that we have the right to a Healthy Sex Life. I want to thank those hundreds of women for
giving a meaning to my workshops, for opening up to me and for accepting that “pleasure” is also for them.
This experience was complete thanks to the great people that worked together not as a team but like a family.
I definitely will be back because my work with the women in Guatemala just began.
Andy, Joe and Brian - Agriculture and Construction
Andy, Joe and Brian helped the natives to fix the Multi Skills center’s window in Volcancito and with Brian’s
expertise they fixed all the plumbing. Andy as well was busy with the agriculture; he introduced a new seed
called Moringa (Tree of Life) that is new to the natives in those mountains if successful it will be a great
source for economic development and health benefits.
