James' Project Somos Holiday Fundraiser

Project Somos is a charity established in 2002 that provides free childhood education and sustainable food distribution in the Tecpán region of Guatemala. I first got involved with Project Somos through a school project in the fall of my freshman year and have been fortunate to become more involved over the past three years as a Board of Directors member. 

The reason for my fundraiser is the child malnutrition crisis in Guatemala. 49.3% of children under five years of age in Guatemala suffer from chronic malnutrition - a condition that stunts physical and cognitive growth. Stunted development makes learning and working much more difficult, which forces many people to become stuck in a cycle of poverty. The vicious cycle is detailed further in this New York Times article.

Project Somos breaks this cycle through both healthy food AND free childhood education. Free food ensures that all children who come to Project Somos are nourished and classes include English lessons that double earnings potential after graduation.

As a charity, Project Somos must fundraise, and your donations will have a massive impact on hundreds of people:

• $35 provides a week of food to a child in the Project Somos school. All food is sourced from local organic Guatemalan farmers.

• $3 provides a hot, healthy, and delicious lunch for school children. 

• $140 provides a full nutritional program that includes lunch, school snacks, and nutritional education. 

This holiday season we also have a match fundraising pledge that doubles every dollar donated up to $40,000. That means that every dollar you donate will have twice the impact of the statistics shown above. 

Please reach out with any questions about the fundraiser, additional Project Somos programs, or more ways to get involved! You can also read more on the Project Somos website!