September 2017 Student Sponsor

Lan Vwa
Sponsorship Networkr
On Friday, September 15th, our students
celebrated Guatemala’s 196th year of independence
from Spain. They held the celebration outside the
classrooms at the Leiva’s farm house. They decorated
the entry way with palms and streamers, and
some of the students dressed in traditional, indigenous
clothing and performed a dance. Every year
as part of the celebration, they have a soccer tournament.
Our student council helped plan the event,
and with help from Karina, they had trophies made
for the award ceremony. The boys won 2nd place
and are proudly displaying their trophy at school.
Just like many people from the USA, they
are proud of their heritage and culture. Guatemala
is their country, and Joconal is their home. These
places have shaped who they are, and regardless
of where life takes them, that doesn’t change. When
we look at our students, we see a hope for Joconal.
We don’t know exactly with it will look like, but
that’s ok. It’s not our job to tell them. It’s their job
to realize it. That’s empowerment.
September
2017

Armando and Norma Leiva
Community Leaders
Armando and Norma Leiva have been investing in Joconal
for over 8 years. Armando was born and raised
in a village close to Joconal. As a teenager, he moved
to Guatemala City to pursue an education. There he
met Norma. They raised three incredible children and
taught them the value of education. With a calling to
Joconal, Armando and Norma poured much of their life
savings into starting a coffee farm to provide jobs for
the people in the village. They give so much, so the
people in Joconal can have dignity and provide food
for their families. Our school is located in their house
on the coffee farm.
Medical Clinic
An opportunity for our students to learn
This past summer Karina, our director in Guatemala, was approached
by a doctor and dentist from Guatemala that wanted to help with our project.
They heard about what was happening in Joconal and wanted to use their professions
to give back in their country. Karina seized this opportunity. This offer
to help was the perfect opportunity for our students to learn while meeting
needs in the community.
Karina and Lucia traveled to Joconal with Dr. Bernard Reyes, Dr. Cristy
Salguero, Dr. Rosa Mayorga, and Nurse Sharon Reyes on Friday, August 18th.
That evening our school was transformed into a medical clinic. With the support
of local doctors, businesses in Guatemala, and friends in the USA, Karina
and Lucia were able to collect donations of toothbrushes, dental floss, mouth-
3 out of 4
people in
Guatemala
do not have
access to
medical
care.
Tip!
Tip!

wash, medicine, and vitamins, all of which were
ready for the following day.
During the clinic on Saturday, the community
of Joconal came in waves to see the doctor
and dentist. Throughout the day, the doctor saw
90 patients, and the dentist saw 50 patients. As
people were waiting, they had a hygiene class in
the waiting area. The doctors covered things like
how to brush and how germs spread. For most of
the community, this was the first time anyone explained
germs to them.
For the people of Joconal, this was a huge
blessing, and for our students, it exposed them to
professions that many of them had not considered.
For the doctors and dentists, it was an opportunity
to use their skills to give back in their country. Our
team in Guatemala is continually looking for opportunities
for their students and the community. They
are great at seizing opportunities like this one.
Say
hello
Your student would love to hear from you. You have a picture of them. Why not
send them a picture of you! Let them know who you are and things that you like
review
to do. This is a great opportunity for them to learn about your culture and for
you to encourage them to keep up the good work.
In order to make things simple for you, we’ve created an email for your sponsorship
communications. No need to worry about your Spanish skills, your
Jhon Doe
Designer
email will go to our staff for translation before being sent to your student.
They want to StockInDesign
hear from you! Email: students@lanvwa.org
Subject: your student’s name

Wanted:
Individuals
passionate
about empowering
students.
Our board of directors is seeking candidates in the Asheville area to serve at
the board level. They would play a key role in sharing our mission in the Asheville
community and in fund-raising within the community. The ideal candidate
shares a passion for our mission, has the desire to see change, and possesses
the capacity to help.
Our board meets monthly via phone and online conferencing. Each member is
asked to give within their own capacity.
Get Involved
Check out all the ways you can help!
We love to share our mission!
Would you like to get your church or
community group involved in our mission,
but you’re not sure how? Right now,
we are looking for church and community
groups to partner with in order to
expand our mission. If you think your
group would be interested, just send us
a note. We’d be happy to give you materials
to share or come share with you.
Email kellymarie@lanvwa.org to get
started.
We are almost
there!
Lan Vwa is participating in
Global Givings fall accelerator.
This campaign is an incredible opportunity that could
completely fund our school for 2018! If we reach our goal
of $5,000 from 40 different donors by September 29th at
11:59 pm, we become a permanent partner on Global Giving.
This gives us access to funds from companies like Dell
and Google. Plus, they match monthly giving dollar for dollar.
Visit our project page: www.globalgiving.org/projects/
empower-students-in-the-coffee-village-of-joconal/
Visit us online LanVwa.org