[D9640general] [eFlash_Rotary] Digest Number 1028

Sat Jun 12 09:15:10 EST 2010

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<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eFlash_Rotary;_ylc=X3oDMTJkamlxcjFlBF9TAzk3Mz
U5NzE1BGdycElkAzI3ODYwNzYEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDY0MDg2BHNlYwNoZHIEc2xrA2hwaARzdG
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Messages In This Digest (2 Messages) 

1.         1895 : Rotary goes to the rain forests in Guatemala. From: Sunil 

2.         Correct link for video of message 1985 : Rotary goes to the rain
foo From: Sunil 

Messages 

1.
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eFlash_Rotary/message/1819;_ylc=X3oDMTJxZjVtb
TAwBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzI3ODYwNzYEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDY0MDg2BG1zZ0lkAzE4M
TkEc2VjA2Rtc2cEc2xrA3Ztc2cEc3RpbWUDMTI3NjI2Njk3Mw--> 1895 : Rotary goes to
the rain forests in Guatemala. 

Posted by: "Sunil"
<mailto:sunilkzach at yahoo.co.uk?Subject=%20Re%3A1895%20%3A%20Rotary%20goes%20
to%20the%20rain%20forests%20in%20Guatemala%2E> sunilkzach at yahoo.co.uk
<http://profiles.yahoo.com/sunilkzach> sunilkzach 

Thu Jun 10, 2010 6:28 pm (PDT) 

In 1991, Steve Dudenhoefer sold his successful landscaping business and
abandoned his comfortable surroundings in southern Florida, USA, to
dedicate his life to alleviating the plight of an indigenous community
in the rain forests of eastern Guatemala.

Dudenhoefer says about 60,000 indigenous Maya from Guatemala are living
in southern Florida, many of whom fled to the United States to escape
the violence brought on by a decades-old civil war. He observed
firsthand the challenges facing migrant workers from the Central
American country.

"I was struck by the tremendous sacrifice it was for these men to live
in the U.S.," says Dudenhoefer, who became a Rotarian in 1997, when he
founded the Rotary Club of Puerto Barrios, Izabal. "It was the only way
to ensure safety, health care, and education for their families back
home."

Dudenhoefer moved to Guatemala in 1991 to become a full-time volunteer.
While working at a local orphanage, he was struck by the needs of the
people there, particularly those of the Q'eqchi' Maya living in
the rain forests.

A year later, he helped establish Ak'Tenamit, an indigenous community
development organization that promotes long-term solutions to poverty
through education, health care, income generation, and cultural
programs.

The Ak'Tenamit community has a boarding school that supports 523
students from 100 villages, including 224 girls; a 24-hour clinic that
serves more than 25,000 people; a floating dental-care boat; a
restaurant for vocational training; and seven women's cooperatives.

"Basically the idea is to really work on the bottom-up development,"
says Dudenhoefer. "Instead of experts coming in from the outside to tell
people what they need, we help students understand the need to be able
to address it. Our students build their own classrooms; they grow their
own food. We want the villagers themselves to request latrines, water
filters, and to prioritize the education of girls."

After suffering through decades of civil war and military dictatorship
-- during which least 200,000 people, most of them Maya, were killed --
Guatemala found peace with the signing of a 1996 accord.

"Because of the bloody civil war, a lot of rural indigenous people are
stuck in a victim mentality that no matter what they are doing, they'll
always suffer. So they've developed an apathetic outlook," says
Dudenhoefer.

Now Ak'Tenamit -- with help from Rotarians, including Matching
Grants from The Rotary Foundation and donations from individual clubs
and districts -- is a safe place for them to live and work.

"I've visited a lot of Rotary clubs, and I can't think of when I ever
heard a no," says Dudenhoefer. "You know if someone is a Rotarian and
you ask them to help our needy people, they're going to say, 'Yeah, what
can we do?'"

On a visit to Ak'Tenamit last February, Rotarians from District 6440
(Illinois, USA) left some handiwork behind. They hiked through the rain
forest carrying water filters, which they delivered and assembled in
remote river communities. They also poured concrete, pounded nails, and
lifted framework for a school library.

Dudenhoefer notes Ak'Tenamit's increasing international
recognition as a successful indigenous community project. He was invited
to attend the 2010 Summit for Climate Change in Copenhagen, Denmark,
along with Lola Cabnal, vice president of the Ak'Tenamit
Association, and Jorge Bolom, one of the school's first graduates.
They participated in the indigenous peoples caucus and hope to earn a
seat so they can make changes from the bottom up, as they have in their
own, now-thriving community.

"I think it's kind of human nature to forget that we can all really make
a difference in the lives of others," says Dudenhoefer. "It's my role to
help people remember."

Source : Story by Ryan Hyland - rotary.org / Courtesy : eFlash_Rotary

See Video Rotary goes to the rain forests in Guatemala in
eFlash Community.

 <http://eflashcommunity.ning.com/video/rotary-goes-to-the-rain>
http://eflashcommunity.ning.com/video/rotary-goes-to-the-rain 

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

2.
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eFlash_Rotary/message/1820;_ylc=X3oDMTJxNjhjM
XNmBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzI3ODYwNzYEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDY0MDg2BG1zZ0lkAzE4M
jAEc2VjA2Rtc2cEc2xrA3Ztc2cEc3RpbWUDMTI3NjI2Njk3Mw--> Correct link for video
of message 1985 : Rotary goes to the rain foo 

Posted by: "Sunil"
<mailto:sunilkzach at yahoo.co.uk?Subject=%20Re%3ACorrect%20link%20for%20video%
20of%20message%201985%20%3A%20Rotary%20goes%20to%20the%20rain%20foo>
sunilkzach at yahoo.co.uk    <http://profiles.yahoo.com/sunilkzach> sunilkzach 

Thu Jun 10, 2010 6:54 pm (PDT) 

There seems to be a problem in the video link given in message 1985 :
Rotary goes to the rain foorest in Guatemala

The correct is link is given below

Rotary Goes to the Rain Forest in Gautemala 
< <http://eflashcommunity.ning.com/video/rotary-goes-to-the-rain-forest>
http://eflashcommunity.ning.com/video/rotary-goes-to-the-rain-forest>

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