Guatemala: The Oasis

GUATEMALA HOME

LOCATION
The Oasis is nestled in the mountains above San Lucas.  The weather is beautiful, averaging around 65 to 75 degrees year round. 

HISTORY
The Oasis first opened its doors in October 2003 and currently serves as a home for 39 precious girls, many who were referred to our care by the court system. The concept of an Oasis signifies what homeless and abused kids need, and what we strive to achieve.

FACILITIES
As of 2008, KAG has completed four homes with capacity for 10 girls each, and is working on a fifth home. We also have two "Independence Houses" with capacity for four girls each where the girls have the option to live after they turn 18 and form part of our special Independence program. The Oasis is also where the Bethany Center (our multi-purpose facility) and our Staff House are located. The Bethany Center is home for our school, the KAG offices, and the Great Hall is ideal for hosting events such as the Quinceaños and Independence Day celebrations. In the future, it is our hope to have a library with 2,000 books, a computer laboratory with 20 computers and a medical clinic. By 2010, we hope to have an additional 20 girls on site and are looking to possibly opening our school to the surrounding village of Chicaman.  

PROGRAM

Kids Alive Guatemala is child-focused; striving to provide outstanding educational, social, spiritual, physical and emotional care for the children we serve. We help our children to recognize and reach their dreams so that one day they may be a changing force in breaking the cycle of abuse and poverty here in Guatemala.

An environment full of structure, fun, respect, play, communication, peacefulness, love, learning, and healing are all a part of the program foundations of KAG. The children are schooled from mid-January though mid-October, and vacation-enrichment programs enable our children to continue learning year around. Weekly devotions with all our girls and daily spiritual reflection help the children grow in their faith and reach out to others.

FUTURE
The children we serve in Guatemala are children in crisis. Upon receiving a new child, our immediate goal is to evaluate their individual needs and begin formulating a plan of healing. We help them recover from malnutrition, abuse, violence and illness. The children participate in education classes, spiritual enrichment, and recreational activities.  We see the future of Guatemala being transformed by the children in our care. We are raising the leaders and decision makers of tomorrow. We believe that the answers to the problems of Guatemala lie within the children we care for and that they can break the cycles of poverty, violence, and abuse that brought them into our care.

Financially, KAG strives to create a sustainable funding base, both inside of Guatemala and internationally. Through the House Sponsorship Program, individual Child Sponsorship, Grants, and United States and Guatemalan church support, we are able to maintain financial security and move forward strategically to expand the number of children that we care for.