I am pleased to report another successful year and thank all those who have helped to perpetuate and strengthen the Las Gaviotas programs. Without your generous contributions and support, it is simply not possible to assist those impoverished young men and women who currently rely on Las Gaviotas for educational assistance.
HISTORY OF LAS GAVIOTAS
While living in Mexico in the early 1970s, I became a first-hand witness of pervasive poverty. I quickly learned that along with the extreme poverty came a lack of educational opportunities for the young people. And without the financial support necessary to realize their educational goals, those young men and women, whom I had grown to love deeply, were inevitably destined to continue in the cycle of poverty.
Determined to help in some small way, I initiated an educational-assistance program in a small Huastecan Indian village in the jungle, south of Ciudad Valles. This program allowed every girl and boy in the program to complete his or her education through the fifth grade—something that was simply not possible without financial assistance. These educational opportunities provided those wonderful children the chance to escape poverty.
From those humble beginnings over 40 years ago, Las Gaviotas was born. And I am pleased that—due in large part to the generosity and support of many of you—Las Gaviotas has expanded its programs to other countries in Latin America and has assisted hundreds of young men and women in achieving their educational goals and escaping the chains of poverty.
GUATEMALA PROGRAMS
Las Gaviotas currently has three programs in Guatemala: one in Flores, another in the Mayan Uaxactun village deep in the Peten jungle, and the last in Huehuetenango. These programs combine to support over 110 recipients who receive tuition grants, books, educational supplies and, in some cases, school clothes. Many of our recipients in Guatemala have gone through the program, have completed post-elementary schooling, and have gone on to higher education.
MEXICO PROGRAMS
PERU PROGRAMS
Las Gaviotas currently has a program in Manchay, an area in the outskirts of Lima, and another small project in an orphanage in the Sacred Valley above Cuzco. While the Sacred Valley program is still in its early stages, the goal is to expand the scope of that program going forward. The two programs in Peru currently provide educational assistance to over 50 recipients.
MISSION OF LAS GAVIOTAS
Without the assistance provided through Las Gaviotas, the young men and women participating in our programs would not be able to receive the education that much of the world takes for granted. Each of our programs has an excellent director who freely provides of his time and talents to ensure that the allotted funding is properly distributed for the benefit of our recipients.
As we enter another year, the mission of Las Gaviotas remains the same: to assist young men and women in achieving their educational goals and qualifying for careers that will allow them to break the cycle of poverty. As Las Gaviotas seeks to very thoughtfully and cautiously expand its programs going forward, the ability to do so depends entirely on your continued support. My hope is that this message will offer you a small glimpse into the life-changing benefits that Las Gaviotas provides its recipients and that you will be inspired to participate in our mission. Every dollar contributed to Las Gaviotas goes to fund our programs and is used directly to benefit the lives of our beloved recipients. I offer my sincerest gratitude for any support that you are able to provide and assure you that our participants are the most grateful of all.
For more information on Las Gaviotas and how to participate in our mission, please visit the website at lasgaviotasfoundation.org.
Thank you again for your support,