My wife, Betsy, and I have been working with Beyond the Walls in the U.S. and Potter's House in Guatemala, two organizations devoted to helping the 11,000 people who live in and around the Guatemala City Garbage Dump, of which more than 6,500 are children! Potter's House provides tutoring and other assistance for elementary and high school age children and also helps those fortunate enough to enter college. Three students from the dump won scholarships to colleges in the U.S. last year, and we were able to outfit them with books, supplies, and laptop computers. We also gave laptop computers to several high school students.
In 2009, more than 70 people from Northern New Jersey are paying their way to Guatemala on trips put together by Beyond the Walls. They will build small (10' x 16') houses and pour concrete alleyways in the Guatemala City Garbage Dump where the people scavenge for a living. They will also hold baseball and soccer "camps," set up a temporary medical clinic, and conduct Bible camps for young children. One of the most important factors in getting youngsters out of the dump is education and a vision that it is possible and we've found that the best way to provide this is with laptop computers and access to the Internet. So if you have a laptop (not an ancient 386, but one that at least runs Windows 2000, MS Word, and Excel; and that has a CD-ROM, USB port, and built-in wireless) that you could donate, these youngsters would be so very grateful. [Above: Betsy presents a laptop to the boys of the Perez family.]
Although not as well-known as "One Laptop Per Child," this program is becoming a moving force in Guatemala. It starts with you, the laptop donor, getting a laptop computer to me (David Ahl, 12 Indian Head Road, Morristown, NJ 07960). I then pass it to another volunteer, Raul Caceres, of Computer Pro Inc. who puts on Spanish language application software. My wife, Betsy, of Beyond the Walls will get the computer to Guatemala where Potter's House will put it into the hands of a needy student. You can e-mail me for more information at DaveAhlNJ@aol.com. Laptops qualify as donations for tax purposes and Beyond the Walls, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, will give you donation form at the end of the year.
Our Goal: 2,500 Laptops in 5 years (by 2014)
By the way, you can see some of the great work of Potter's House in the photos from our last missions trip to Guatemala at mhcmissions.org.
Meet three of the students who entered college with help from Potter's House!
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Victor
When I was in 7th grade I came to Potter’s House. It was the place God had prepared to change my life. They gave me a scholarship in a Christian school, and I was able to graduate from high school. In this place I not only found a way to continue studying but I found help spiritually and emotionally. I have worked hard to get where I am now, and I thank God for the opportunities he has given me. |
Rosita
My parents told me they would help me just in elementary school, not because they didn’t want to but because they couldn’t. I asked Jesus that he would help me with my education because I wanted to be better in the future. God answered my prayer, and Potter’s House gave me a scholarship. I graduated last year as a bilingual secretary. I’m studying English because I want to improve my life and help my family and my community. I have seen the Lord’s blessing in my life. I want to take advantage of every opportunity that God has given me. |
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Jamie
When I was a child... I wanted to go to school. My dad started to work very hard so that he could send me to public school…. Then my mom enrolled me in the Potter’s House [tutoring program]. I was happy, but I wanted to study in another school because in the public school there were gangs and many bad people. So I started to pray to the Lord, and he answered me in 2002. I got a scholarship from Potter’s House to study in a Christian school. Thanks to the Lord and Potter’s House, last year I graduated from high school—the first in my family ever to do so. The Lord has been wonderful to me! |
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