Help Provide Supplies for Guatemalan Kids

UPDATE 10/1/2024: Our trip was spectacular!!!! The Mayan culture and people were so beautiful. The children had nothing yet were full of joy and laughter. We were able to bring them school supply packages, several outfits including a warm coat (they got to pick their own for the first time), and pizza!!!! It was such a meaningful experience that I’m already planning to go back before the end of the year. I’d like to bring them more supplies. Please consider donating, every bit helps!

My mom and I will be traveling to Guatemala for my birthday in September. While planning, I was looking for activities for us to do. Knowing we would not be able to hike 3 miles up a volcano, I searched for alternatives. I came across Guatemalan Horse Tours. After reading about their mission, I decided to contact them for more information. In doing so, I noticed it was a 1-321 number...that's strange, I thought to myself, as that's MY area code. After speaking with Niki, the founder, I realized that she's from Cocoa Beach (30 minutes from me), left her corporate job here 18 years ago to start a Horse Rescue in Guatemala. She now runs Soul Shine Rescue nonprofit and is known for her technique intricately ingraining in the Mayan Communities. She works with 22 villages and cares for 225 working tour horses and their families.

Niki later started Soul Shine Orphanage (9 years ago), currently caring for 55 children whose parents were killed in the mudslides. Soul Shine supports them in education, medical, food and clothing. I asked what the kids need most and she said school supplies. She said the items are readily/inexpensively available in Guatemala but they lack funding. For my birthday this year, I am raising funds to be able to purchase at least $550 USD worth of supplies for these beautiful children (which is $10/child). My mom and I plus Niki will go to the stores once we arrive to purchase notebooks, pens, pencils, etc and then bring it to the children. Please consider a donation, even if it's $5.

While these funds will be dispersed to me (Sarah), I will use 100% of funds for Soul Shine Orphanage. I will also personally cover the fees that GoFundMe deducts.

www.soulshineguatemala.org

Here's a video they created during the Pandemic to let the know how badly Guatemala was suffering.