Nebaj, Guatemala

About The Location & History

It is said that the armed conflict in the country of Guatemala began in 1960 with a group of soldiers who wanted to rebel against the government and the army. Thus, warlike encounters began between the subversive group (guerrillas) and the army. The conflict increased and led to the death of many civilians. Don Tomás Guzaro, a Galician born in the village of Parramos, decided to help those affected by the crisis. There were about a thousand children who recovered nutritionally and several who were adopted because they were orphaned. Since there is no longer a written record, it is not known precisely how many of these children were orphaned, but thanks to Tomas and donors from the United States and Canada, food, medicine, and other supplies were provided to those affected.

Help Us Equip the Operating Room

The Hospital needs your help to take the next critical step: equipping the new Operating Room. This OR will be a lifeline for countless patients, providing essential surgical care that can save lives and improve health outcomes for the entire community.

Your support will ensure we can purchase essential items for the operating room, including LED OR lights, a phlegm aspirator, generators, an OR bed, trays/tables, oxygen piping, and the installation of the LED lights. In total, $125,000 (CAD) is needed to fully equip the operating room. Your donation will save lives by providing critical surgical interventions!

Poverty in Guatemala is widespread. With over 59% of the population in Guatemala living in poverty (these rates are estimated to be 80% for the indigenous population), this project will directly improve the health outcomes of thousands of vulnerable individuals. The poverty line is defined by the ability to purchase basic necessities such as food, shelter, security, etc. Over 40% of the population has no access to any health care services. Many patients do not wish to seek care from public health due to mistrust and poor quality of services. There is a great need for medical services, especially for young children, since 16% of all infants suffer from low birth weight, and 50% of all children are malnourished.

Who Are We Partnering With?

In 2005, Dr. Juan Pablo Noriega Herrera, who had recently graduated from medical school, decided to dedicate his life to ministry work. Two years later, he married Carolina Astorga Domínguez, a licensed chemistry biologist, who joined him in the ministry and began to expand medical services with a clinical laboratory.

In 2007, the Ministry of Health authorized opening of a school for nursing assistants. The number of students has varied each year from 40 to 100 students. More than 1000 students have graduated. It is a great blessing to provide work to so many people and provide a service to the community.

Juan Pablo and Carolina’s efforts have been focused on providing quality healthcare to the community. JP and Carolina managed to create sustainability in the effort within five years while employing over 30 staff using an older facility built initially as a feeding center during the civil war. In addition, they have also started a church, a hospital lab, and two auxiliary nursing schools (with over 1,500 graduates!)

What Is The Initiative?

Juan Pablo and Carolina approached ImpactHope in 2014 with a proposal to address the issue of infant mortality in the region by building a maternity ward and offering training for midwives. Eventually, it became clear that our efforts needed to be planned on a larger scale. Plans for a full-fledged hospital were developed, and since 2015, we have been actively involved in constructing a new hospital building. This is a 40+ bed facility, a USD 3 million project to serve the people in the area.

This Hospital, Servicios Medicos Vida y Esperanza, is currently running and accepting patients, providing healthcare and dental care while the new building is being built! Healthcare initiatives include medical consultation, clinical laboratory, care for the bedridden, ultrasound and X-ray services, food assistance for low-income families, education for workers’ children, and activities in the Cristo Salva church.

Transform Lives Through Nursing Education

In the remote villages of Guatemala, access to skilled healthcare professionals can mean the difference between life and death. The Nebaj Nursing Scholarship Fund provides a full scholarship for aspiring auxiliary nurses, equipping them to bring essential healthcare services to rural communities.

With $3,000 CAD, you can fully fund one student’s journey to becoming an auxiliary nurse. This scholarship covers tuition, uniforms, and training, enabling students to assist in pediatric care and deliver newborns, support surgical teams in operating rooms, create vaccination plans for entire communities, and provide critical first-line care for pregnant women and infants.

Special Project: Community School for Children of Staff

Under Carolina’s direction, affordable, high-quality English-speaking education is provided for children in the community, with special consideration for the children of hospital staff. Year after year, the Hebron Vida y Esperanza school has transformed the lives of these young learners. The children of hospital staff, motivated by the opportunities this school affords them, are inspiring their parents to continue their critical work at the hospital. The result? The hospital is better equipped to provide essential healthcare to those who need it most.

Now, we need your help to ensure this transformative journey continues. The school expects to welcome 30 eager students in 2024, ready to learn and grow. The upcoming school year requires funds to support seven dedicated teachers who play a pivotal role in shaping the futures of these young minds. We’re on a mission to raise $12,000 to support the school and these teachers, enabling them to provide a nurturing and enriching environment for these young minds. Your generosity ensures that these children receive a quality education, motivating their parents to remain devoted to their vital work at the hospital, ultimately enhancing the healthcare services provided to the most vulnerable in Nebaj. In the comments, designate your donation to ‘EDUCATION’.

Other Initiatives

In addition to the hospital, other efforts include:

Providing quality education for the children of the staff
Developing a women’s ministry that provides community, sewing opportunities, cooking classes, and more!
This has been developed into a support group for many women
Opportunities to serve their communities are increasing
Developing a community men’s ministry
Future plans include addressing the issue of clean water (due to Covid, this has been delayed)