Bag to the Future - A Clean Water Initiative

Phoenix Hope International is teaming up with Casa Materna (PCI Guatemala) to bring a clean water solution to Llano Grande, a small town in San Gaspar, Huehuetenango. In an effort to support the local economy and provide hope for a better future, you have the opportunity to purchase a handmade bag and provide clean water for a family. The ONIL gravity water filter is simple to maintain and can provide clean water for up to two years on a single filter. There are limited bags available and purchase can be arranged by emailing phxhope@gmail.com. Bags are available for local pick-up in Atlanta & Las Vegas. For more information on the Bags for Water program visit PHI's temporary website at http://tinyurl.com/3vd6rld

Meet Jose

Mom learning how to apply the bag

Jose sporting his first bag

Good News!!! Help for Jose is on the way!

Jose is getting a new bag! 500 of them to be exact. For those of you who don't know, Jose is a little 5 year old boy who had a bit of a rough start to life- he was born with out an anus. Most children in the developing world who are born with this unfortunate condition die in the first few weeks of life. Lucky for him there was a surgeon available to create a little detour so to speak for him. While this was certainly a life saving procedure, his life has been anything but easy. His family can not afford the cost of purchasing colostomy bags ($2-4 a piece!!) for him so instead they wrap his abdomen in a towel. This has created painful sores that he attempts to prevent by not eating! This results in serious under nutrition (last time I checked he weighed 25 lbs) that only serves to delay his wound healing and put him at risk for other illnesses. Not only this, but because they have not been able to find a more hygienic solution to his problem, Jose has been held of school- the biggest opportunity he has for improving his life prospects. Thanks to a generous donation and the help of J. Clonts from Littleton, Colorado help for Jose is on the way. These bags should hold him over for the next year or so but if any of you have some spare change laying around click the donate link on our blog and send it our way. We are working on finding a way to pay for a very complicated reconstructive surgery that will one day allow Jose to know the joy of using more fully his own interior plumbing.

Teaser: PHOENIXHOPE.ORG coming soon!!

After two trips to Guatemala and a year of planning, we are excited to announce that Phoenix Hope International (PHI) is just weeks away from its "official" launch. For those that don't already know, our goal is to work with local leadership, community members, and other non profit organizations to bring comprehensive and sustainable development to the poorest regions of the world- one community at a time. While we realize that this is a very broad goal, we also know that there is no magic bullet for wiping out poverty. That means we must address its root causes by improving local infrastructure, strengthening health resources, supporting economic development, and investing in education. No it wont be easy, but it can be done. We hope you will join us.