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HELPS International - Guatemala


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HELPS International, was organized as a 501-(c)(3) non-profit in 1983 in the state of Texas and is a legally recognized Guatemalan relief/development organization dedicated to assisting the people of Guatemala and Latin America.

See the HELPS International webpage here

[top] [end]History

In the early 1980's, Guatemala was involved in a civil war with the northern highlands being one of the major centers of conflict. Because of the war and the remoteness of the location, the local populations had virtually no transportation, communication or medical assistance. Many communities were without food; potable water, electricity, and many families were displaced.

Working with other NGOs in the implementation of its programs, HELPS programs were initially established as direct relief, oriented to bringing necessities such as food, clothing, and blankets. Additionally, small volunteer medical/dental and construction teams were brought from the United States to these remote areas.

The organization enlarged its programs through the years to include: construction of homes for war widows, airstrips, schools, and water systems. Medical programs that include local pharmacies and sophisticated medical/surgical teams that operate throughout the highlands, educational and literacy programs, special projects, community and economic development.

HELPS believes in the involvement of volunteer groups in the implementation of its programs. Medically, HELPS operates through volunteer chapters in the United States with main chapters in Minnesota, Michigan, California, Texas, Oregon, and Guatemala. The US Navy has also sent military medical personnel on HELPS medical teams. HELPS has its main office in Dallas, Texas and its field office in Guatemala City.

In the area of Community Development, initially these groups came primarily from the church community in the United States. However, through the years, civic and business groups have also become involved.

The HELPS ONIL STOVE is a "state of the art" stove. It is proving to be a major agent of change. It gives respiratory health for women and children, provides burn prevention and positive environmental impact as it requires up to 70% less wood, and gives economic and structural opportunity as the women have more free time.

The HELPS COFFEE PROGRAM is designed to bring economic improvement to the lowest levels in society. HELPS also believes in community banks and agricultural programs to assist the people of Guatemala and Latin America.

HELPS actively seeks relationships and involvement with churches, NGOs, and the Guatemalan and US private sectors and Governments.

[top] [end]Personnel

HELPS' President from its inception is Mr. Stephen W. Miller. Mr. Miller is also President and CEO of Dillon Gage Incorporated, a brokerage and investment-banking firm with its home office in Dallas, Texas.

HELPS co-founder with Mr. Miller is Mr. Paul Townsend, a Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) translator in Guatemala, who has been the inspiration behind HELPS International. For his work for Guatemala, Mr. Townsend received the "Orden del Quetzal," the highest recognition awarded by the Government of Guatemala.

HELPS Medical Programs have been overseen since their inception in 1987 by Dr. Paul Schultz, a board certified Plastic Surgeon and partner in the Midsota Plastic Surgery Group in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

HELPS Educational Programs are managed by Mrs. Lois O'Neal. Mrs. O'Neal has a Masters in English Literature and a degree in Education. Utilizing her educational experience, she has put together a team of US and Guatemalan educators to implement the HELPS educational plan.

HELPS Special Products Program is run by board member, Mr. Donald O'Neal. Mr. O'Neal is an engineer and retired business executive. He is the director and developer of the HELPS ONIL stove program and operates his division with the help of Mr. Richard Grinnell in Guatemala.

Guatemalan Director is Mr. Juan Carlos Cheves. He is a Guatemalan business executive and the implementer of the HELPS programs in the field.

Public Relations and Fundraising are handled by Mrs. Michelle Hollaender in the US and Mrs. Coralia de Aguilar, in Guatemala.

Logistics Manager and USA Administrative is Mrs. Rita Martin. She can be reached at (972) 386-5172 or rmartin@....

[top] [end]Organizational philosophy

HELPS is a philanthropic, international, non-governmental organization committed to assisting the people of Guatemala and Latin America through programs in education and literacy, medicine, and projects of practical and social concern and spiritual value.

HELPS believes in the integrity of the Latin American communities. Through its programs, it attempts to create independence from outside assistance. In order for these communities to be self-sustainable and for HELPS assistance not to be any longer necessary, they will need social and economic development, a local education, a medical system, and assistance for the indigent; all independently operating within the local social and economic systems.
  • HELPS works in the local communities to develop an integrated approach to community development.
  • HELPS works only with communities that request assistance and share the responsibility for change, since each community has its own culture, needs, and responsibilities.
  • HELPS promotes involvement from outside sources that work in a variety of projects. They include:
  • Improving living condition through water systems, latrines, and stoves.
  • Developing education systems and bringing exposure to the outside world while respecting and protecting indigenous history and culture.
  • Monitoring and assisting these people to integrate into the larger Spanish Culture.

[top] [end]Medical program

The Medical Program began in 1987 with an eight person plastic surgical team in the little town of Chajul. HELPS has dramatically expanded its medical outreach, which represents the most famous part of the HELPS program.

HELPS operates in Guatemala in the areas of San Crist? Alta Verapaz, Uspant? Joyabaj, La Tinta, Huehuetenango, Las Casas, Nebaj, Playa Grande, R?Hondo and San Marcos. For the past fifteen years, sophisticated 65 member medical/surgical teams have visited these areas. These teams are composed of general, ObGyn, plastics and eye surgeons, dentists, pharmacists, operating room and recovery nurses, general practitioner physicians, anesthesiologists, kitchen and engineering personnel and translators.

Since 1987, these teams have performed:
  • Over 5,500 General and plastic surgeries
  • Over 12,000 Eye surgeries
  • Over 80,000 Medical examinations
  • Over 24,000 Dental procedures
  • Over 7,400 Eye clinic consultations

In 2003, ten medical teams, totaling approximately six hundred medical personnel visited Guatemala.

[top] [end]The Rodolfo Robles award



In 1999, the Government of Guatemala presented HELPS with the "Rodolfo Robles Award" the highest award given to civilians in medicine.

[top] [end]Medical program - Guatemala

Guatemala is currently suffering a health care crisis. Guatemala has 8 million people in its public health care system. The Medical Budget amounts to $32 per person in comparison to $3,500 in the US. These funds are spent in the main cities, with the rural areas having very little to no availability to health care.

HELPS beliefs are the following:
  1. HELPS believes in providing, to the best of its ability, first class, US hospital standard health care to the people of Guatemala and Latin America.
  2. HELPS believes that it must provide surgical and general care assistance to as many of the rural population as possible. This alleviates the needs in the rural areas, creates a positive health care attitude for these patients, and hopes to lessen the burden on the major medical centers.
  3. HELPS believes in assisting the Guatemalan and Latin American governments and Health Ministries by rallying NGOs and US Government involvement in helping with the current health care crisis.
  4. HELPS believes in developing an indigenous based health care system using first line telemedicine technology to create a health care system for the majority of the country.
  5. HELPS believes in developing a rural or local based health care system. In order to create a long-term health system, it must start with a program of local health promoters. The first one has already been developed in the area of Santa Avelina, Guatemala. Currently, promoters work in home hygiene programs and receive training for more sophisticated work. Sixty families have already enrolled in the program in the town of Santa Avelina, Quiche.

[top] [end]Special projects

HELPS International believes in promoting special projects that break the cycle of poverty, promote good health, improve the environment, and empower the individual to create a positive change in their community

[top] [end]Stoves

Since the beginning of the HELPS medical involvement, burns, particularly with children, respiratory problems, and hernias became a major concern to HELPS. After studying the issues surrounding the burns and respiratory illness, it became clear that the three stone fires burning inside the homes caused these problems.

The HELPS ONIL STOVE was developed by Mr. Don O'Neal to solve these problems and it has been an overwhelming success. After extensive field-testing implementation, the stove has proven to:
  • Take the smoke out of the house, reducing the carbon monoxide levels to OSHA acceptable levels.
  • Eliminate the burns to children caused by falling into an open fire.
  • Reduce wood consumption by 70%.
  • Provide women two days a week in time to be involved in economic, social, or other activities.

Working with other NGOs such as the US Peace Corp and World Vision, the HELPS Stove Program is now being implemented throughout the country.









[top] [end]HELPS Integrated program of community development

A cornerstone of the HELPS development philosophy is that Helps believes in an integrated approach of the different HELPS programs to assist communities.

In 1983, the Community Development program consisted of construction teams brought from the church community in the United States. In addition to reworking six hospitals, these construction teams built over 400 homes for widows and orphans, ten potable water systems for various communities, and an airstrip. They also, built five small schools and one large one in Santa Avelina.

In 2004, and beyond, HELPS is recruiting volunteer groups from the US to implement projects ranging from house floors, stove implementation, school construction, and other community development projects.

HELPS believes in working with individual communities that request HELPS assistance and that work within a system of mutual responsibility. Any one of the HELPS program taken by itself will not be able to sustain the change necessary to break the chains of poverty and despair. HELPS believes strongly that only by integrating these programs will the people have a chance.

HELPS has had programs in the San Cristobal and IXIL areas of Guatemala and is actively seeking groups of volunteers and or supporters that will work on Projects such as:

  • Potable Water systems, concrete floors for houses, or other Community Development Programs.
  • "Community Sponsorship Programs" These programs carry a real responsibility, as the group will be implementing in a certain community various different HELPS programs in areas of education, health care, economic programs and special projects such as the stoves.

[top] [end]Economic development

HELPS International supports economic efforts that promote opportunity and individual freedom. HELPS works in areas of the national economy, but its programs are designed to help the "second" or poverty economy that is found in the countryside.

Poverty creates a "Circle of "Despair" that lasts from generation to generation. Its seeds were one of the major contributors to the 36-year conflict that tore Guatemala apart. HELPS believes that economic changes are necessary in order for Guatemala to have real and permanent growth.

HELPS beliefs and programs involve:
  • Assisting families and small businesses with "Micro Credit Loans." These loans are made to women and they provide opportunity for each to create their own world and to respond to their God-given opportunities.
  • Assisting the already existing agro-business and other local industries so they can become more efficient and productive. These changes involve initially working on the most basic levels of traditional economic activity and after trust is gained, begin systemic changes that will bring prosperity.
  • Creating "Marketing Outlets" for the products of Guatemala that range from agricultural to hand-made products.
  • Developing Internet marketing strategies that give Guatemalans equal access to world markets.

One area of special interest to HELPS is economic assistance; therefore, it developed its private labeling of "HELPS" Guatemalan Coffees.

Currently, Latin America and other coffee producing regions are in economic crisis because of the world's wide increased coffee production. Even though, Guatemala has some of the best quality coffees in the world, mass unemployment and starvation became widespread throughout the country and Latin America.

Therefore, HELPS "private labeled" its own coffee. The philosophy behind the HELPS coffee is as follows:

  • HELPS buys 66% of its coffee from the small producer and from big farms that follow a program of "Social Responsibility."
  • HELPS pays, ultimately to these producers, approximately, 76% more money for their coffee than the normal market price.
  • HELPS sells its "Private Labeled Coffee Line" here in the US and the profits made by each sale go back to Guatemala through the different HELPS programs.

HELPS plans on expanding this program to develop specialty coffees much as the wine industry has done with its product.

[top] [end]Education program

HELPS International believes that Educational Development is essential to the future of Guatemala.

Guatemala has 26 different Indigenous groups, many of whom only speak their native language. Integration of these groups into the commercial Spanish culture has been an unrealized goal of the Government that uses education as the main integrative force.

HELPS has worked informally since the early 1980's with Mayan women and children in the development of literacy and education. Since 1983, HELPS focus has been to teach the native languages found in the Indigenous populations of Guatemala. Initially, HELPS worked in Chajul and Cotzal in the Ixil triangle.

A literacy program was started in Cotzal which was made up of three teachers, each with two classes and a maximum of 25 students (150 students total). The following year, Santa Avelina, Cotzal, and Ojo de Agua were added to this program, each one with a teacher.

HELPS "partnered" with another NGO, The Summer Institute of Linguistics, to implement the Organization's literacy programs. These programs were designed for the children of the area and saw major percentages of communities become literate.

Through continued support and leadership from the community, HELPS added additional teachers during 1985-1986, a period of high activity in eight villages. After achieving program goals, the programs were reduced in 1989 to three towns. However, in the 1990's the system was expanded in Chajul, (Chajul partnering with CONALFA), Chel, Santa Avelina and Cotzal.

HELPS Education Programs began with literacy classes that taught native reading and writing. Today it has developed into a system of K through sixth grade.

At present, HELPS has made a strong commitment to long-term literacy and education. With the town of Santa Avelina as its base, HELPS has built a two-story school building that will serve as an educational headquarters for the area.

While currently having 125 students, K through 6th grade, this center will serve as a computer training area and center for administrating a series of small one-room schoolhouses in villages surrounding Santa Avelina. This school is designed to be the prototype for a school system throughout the highlands.

HELPS believes:
  • That the poor and Indigenous of Latin America deserve and can be educated.
  • That education is not only a national concern, but also a local concern that needs to be embraced by each community.
  • Local teachers have to be trained and developed. These teachers will be working within their local communities.
  • That each community should have pre-school through sixth grade and in time, expand through high school.
  • That students need to be tri-lingual reading and writing in their own native language, Spanish, and English.
  • That the education system needs to be positive and preserve local industries and other cultural assets.

HELPS Education Vision: Rural, indigenous students in Guatemala can compete educationally with more advantaged children if they have access to the type of Educational Initiative outlined below.

HELPS Eduction Mission: To train teachers and parents in rural, indigenous schools how to effectively educate their children using the HELPS Educational Initiative.

[top] [end]The ABCD's of HELPS Educational Initiative

A. Early childhood education
B. Proven reading approach and materials
C. Latest computer technology
D. On-going teacher training

[top] [end]Key Components of the HELPS Educational Philosophy

  1. Parental involvement is a key to success.
    • "Parents as Teachers-Born to Learn" early childhood education program
    • Active PTA and encouragement of parental participation in the school
    • Teachers visit homes of grades K-6 three times a year.
  2. Early childhood education from birth is essential.
    • "Parents as Teachers-Born to Learn" early childhood education program
    • School-centered and home visits for 4-year-olds
  3. Children learn to read best in their first language.
    • Start reading in Indigenous languages
    • Transition to Spanish as soon as possible
    • Use reading recovery materials and approach
  4. Fluent spoken and written Spanish is fundamental. English is necessary for students with university goals.
    • Passing grade on oral and written Spanish language exam at the end of 3rd grade pre-requisite for entering 4th grade.
    • Summer language camps
  5. Teachers need on-going training throughout the year.
    • Assessment of skills.
    • In-service opportunities monthly and during vacations
    • Accountability
  6. Computer use as a skill and as a tool is basic.
  7. Character training, based on Judeo-Christian beliefs, matters.
    • Ethics
    • Non-victim
    • Community service
  8. Literacy, at every opportunity, for everyone.
    • Books available
    • Oral histories and legends written in the language of the community
    • Adult literacy
  9. Healthy, well-nourished students learn faster and better.
    • Stoves
    • Incaparina
    • Hygiene
    • Head washing
    • Physical education
  10. Appreciation of indigenous culture and art is important.
    • Music
    • Art
    • Traditional art forms such as weaving

[top] [end]Plan For Future Development in Guatemala

In almost every area of measure, whether economic, social, or medical, the country of Guatemala is falling further and further behind the rest of the world. The current and future population growth will amplify Guatemala's current problems that literally get worse and worse each day. It is a vicious cycle that must somehow be halted, and then reversed. A solution that is self-sustainable and that will address the complicated cultural, economic, medical, and social needs is urgently considered indispensable!

Managing the complex problems that stifle growth and development is a challenge. The challenges are further compounded by Guatemala's vast diversity of culture and language.

Combining these current issues with population growth creates the urgency of planning a "comprehensive solution."

There are two Economic and Social worlds in Guatemala:
  1. The affluent and prosperous world that is known to the educated and elite class.
  2. The poverty class that is represented by the majority of the population. (57% poor, 27% extremely poor)*. This group may be subdivided into the poor Latin ethnic group and the Indigenous Group. The Indigenous culture is unique as it contains some 23 sub-groups, each with its own language and culture.
    1. Salaries: 2.9 million Guatemalans live with less than $30 (Q240) per month (Data from FUNDESA)
    2. Employment: 60% Underemployment; 170,000 new per year. 200,000 unemployed in the Coffee Business (Data from FUNDESA)

By working for over twenty years with the indigenous and poor classes in Guatemala, HELPS recognizes how necessary it is to preserve the uniqueness of all these native cultures. Given this diversity, as HELPS seeks to bring these groups into the developed world, any plan that is prepared, not only has to be comprehensive to the medical, educational, and social needs of these impoverished people, but it must at the same time allow them to maintain their uniqueness. This plan would have to have certain platitudes, while understanding that each community or group will have their own differences.

HELPS works closely with Local and National authorities and institutions and believes in networking within the Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs).

The HELPS integrated approach to address these issues falls into the following four areas:
  1. MEDICAL OUTREACH: The country of Guatemala has a population of over 11,000,000 people, with some 8,000,000 falling into the public health care sector. With decreasing budgets and a growing population, the health care system is in crisis. The people in the countryside traditionally come to hospitals only when very ill, crowding already crowded facilities that are unable to handle the demand and family support groups. HELPS programs in health care involve the following:
    • SURGICAL TEAMS: For curative problems, HELPS believes in taking surgical teams to the people in the countryside. Since 1987 HELPS has brought teams of up to 80 people to perform general, ObGyn, plastics, eye, and dental surgery. In 2004, HELPS will bring 10 such teams and will operate throughout Guatemala. Each team has its own pharmacy, nursing corp., kitchen, translators, and engineers. They work in private and public facilities, with, and under the authority of the Guatemalan Ministry of Health.
    • HEALTH PROMOTION: In the area of preventive health, HELPS believes in developing a system of local health promotion. In order to implement sound health practices, HELPS believes in training Indigenous "nurses" or health promoters to work in the villages with the poor. These women provide a level of preventive and curative health care that will significantly alter the life styles in the villages. HELPS has had health promoters in the IXIL (ih-she-ul) triangle and currently operates a program in the village of Santa Avelina.
  2. EDUCATION: Educationally, Guatemala continues to fall behind. Without education, Guatemala will not have the future that the people of Guatemala desire and deserve. HELPS believes in strong local education and historically has been involved in literacy programs primarily in the IXIL Triangle. The organization currently operates an experimental school through the 6th grade, in Santa Avelina. HELPS believes:
    • The Indigenous can be educated and have excellent intellectual capacity. Many are direct descendants of the Mayan culture, one of the most advanced cultures of the ancient world.
    • In local education supported financially and embraced culturally by each local community.
    • In training indigenous teachers as the primary instructors for long-term success.
    • In developing education centers through high school/secondary education so that the students do not have to leave their area to receive a high school education.
    • In bringing Spanish and ultimately English to these cultures while still preserving the many languages of Guatemala and using them to advance the educational system.
    • In a quality and positive education model using the best methods and educational institutions available, being based on a Judeo-Christian system of ethics.
  3. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: HELPS supports assisting the national economy in ways that bring economic prosperity to the people of Guatemala. Poverty and lack of opportunity are seeds for discord and hopelessness that can result in lawlessness and even revolution. Guatemala is falling behind economically. HELPS traditionally has dealt with the economy of the poor and believes in the economic integration of the poor into the national system. HELPS believes that individuals with opportunity and education are the foundation for economic change and development. However, HELPS also understands that, in order for an individual to be able to compete, there will have to be primary programs that enable them to compete. HELPS believes that:
    • Economic development must rapidly become self-sustaining in a community in order to support the health and education programs.
    • Economic development will leverage strengths already in existence within the different local communities. With such wonderful cultural diversity, each community is unique and it has its own economic opportunities.
    • The economic programs must fit with the community's culture and interests. They must begin in areas and at levels that are understood and embraced by the members of that community.
  4. SPECIAL PROJECTS: HELPS believes that special products and projects are necessary to break the cycles of poverty. They are the catalyst for change. An excellent example is:
    • The "ONIL"Stove Project: The "ONIL" stove is recognized internationally as a stove of choice for the developing world. Manufactured in Guatemala, the stove program complements the various HELPS initiatives. HELPS has its own "Stove Installation Project," but also partners with other NGO's to implement the family's life in two powerful ways:
      1. Health: The typical cooking apparatus is just a metal plate over an open indoors "camp-fire." The smoke/fumes never escapes the family's simple one room house. The "ONIL" stove is a closed box system vented to the outside of the house. It eliminates the dangerous carbon monoxide levels that are typically present in the indigenous homes. Since the stove is closed, it eliminates the possibility of burns caused to children and adults who fell into open fires.
      2. Time: The time to find firewood, in a country already wrestling with deforestation, has been greatly reduced. The ONIL stove uses 70% less wood than an open fire and cooks much more efficiently. To the very poor, time is a true luxury. It represents:
        1. Economic activity: By having more free time, the stove users have an opportunity for new economic activity that can fund medical care, education, etc.
        2. Social Involvement: By having more free time, women who are the stove users will be able to have more social involvement. Women are proving to be the main agents of change in the developing world. This factor is critical for change and development to become permanent in a village and not to slide back into old habits.

[top] [end]Program implementation

Philosophically, HELPS believes in concurrent change from both the "top down" and the "bottom up." Currently, Guatemala's new government is working to develop programs for assisting its people. This newly elected government brings the hope of honest government, which HELPS and other NGO's value. HELPS operates as a guest in Guatemala and welcomes positive change form "the top."

However, HELPS believes the situation in Guatemala is critical and the window of opportunity is small. As outlined initially, the population is growing at a rapid rate, accelerating and amplifying the already impoverished conditions. As a result of its experience, HELPS believes that the way to assist Guatemala in providing hope and long-term prosperity for its citizens is as follows:
  • Recognize that the problem lies at the village level where most of the impoverished live. Any program must address the problems associated with everyday life, give alternatives, and hope for the future. There are 14,000 communities in Guatemala and the program needs to be able to touch a good percentage of these communities with permanent positive change.
  • Organize resources in both Guatemala and the International community to assist in this effort.
  • Implement the programs in a methodical manner that involves the community's desires and leverages the community's strengths.

Today, HELPS utilizes US and Guatemalan volunteers, primarily from the business, church, and medical communities for the implementation of all four of its programs. HELPS has an office and staff in Guatemala City and a stove-manufacturing site close to the border with El Salvador.

HELPS hosts, coordinates, and guides its volunteers who work in the following programs:
  1. MEDICAL ASSISTANCE: HELPS has "chapters" throughout the U.S., each having leadership that adheres to the HELPS System. Currently, there are approximately 600 medical volunteers going annually to Guatemala through the HELPS Organization.
  2. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT:
    1. Project Based Teams: A volunteer group will provide assistance on a specific project basis such as implementing the stove program. This involves a specific project with a beginning and ending date.
    2. Community Sponsorship Program: Normally a church will sponsor a community and will implement all of the HELPS concepts in an integrated manner. In this approach, a group gets completely involved in a community. This requires a bit more coordination since each village is different.
  3. Each community is different and has its own leadership. HELPS does not come into a community unless invited and listens to see if the goals for the community are compatible with what HELPS can afford, and implement.
  4. An agreement that sets out areas of responsibility and guidelines is then created with the community. This is done to ensure projects are not forced upon the community members if they are not welcome.
  5. Throughout all of the ongoing sponsorship of a community, HELPS management is involved and oversees the entire program for that community.
  6. Expand its current "sponsorship" program of a community to a program called "Sponsor a Village, HELP Develop a Nation."
  7. Go to the business, church, and private organization communities in both Guatemala and the United States and solicit them to "Sponsor a Community."
  8. Recruit other organizations that specialize in certain types of aid programs to assist these sponsoring entities. An example might be an organization that constructs water projects helping a U.S. Rotary club that has sponsored a mountain village that needs clean drinking water.

Each sponsor would be financially and structurally responsible for the four areas listed above:
  • Medical
  • Education
  • Economic Development
  • Special Projects

HELPS understands that each community will be different and will have different challenges and requests. Therefore, solutions and response will vary. However, it is thought that there would be a general methodology to this effort. Special projects such as stoves and latrines can be started while structural programs such as teacher training; educational facilities, health promoter education, etc., can be developed according to a timetable.

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Page created: 04 December 2003; Last edited: 12 April 2007; Version: 3
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