Summary
In October 2012, Pedro was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at UNC Hospitals. He was told that there was no treatment available and that his vision would likely continue to deteriorate with time. Pedro had been working in agriculture for nearly eight years in the Northeast supporting his family back in rural Guatemala when he was forced to stop working because of his vision problems. He has been unable to work for the last two years and has been living on the charity of extended family in North Carolina. It has been almost 10 years since he last saw his family.
This project will raise funds to reunite Pedro with his family in Guatemala and enable them to start a sustainable chicken farm as a means of income. It will also provide for repairs to their home and one year of schooling for two of his children until the chicken business gets going to support them.
My name is McKay Glasgow and I am a health coordinator for the NC Farmworker Health Program in western NC. I met Pedro when he enrolled in our program at the Good Samaritan Clinic in January 2012. In the course of going to various specialist appointments, Pedro and I developed a friendship. In August 2012 I traveled to the highlands of Guatemala, bringing a video of Pedro speaking to his family. What began as a small favor for a friend has become a project about restoring hope in one man's hopeless situation.
What We Need
If you can make a financial contribution, GREAT! If not, SHARE THIS VIDEO!
BUDGET (actual estimates from a construction company and store owners in Aguacatan, Guatemala)
House repair materials $2500
Chicken coops $310
Construction labor $1920
200 chicks to grow for meat ($1.15 each) $230
50 laying hens for eggs ($8.93 each) $450
Chicken feed for 7 weeks $415
School Enrollment for one year for 2 $100
Books and school supplies for 2 $130
10 months schooling for 2 ($63.79 month) $640
One-way flight for Pedro (CLT to GUA) $450
TOTAL: $7145
If we raise $7145, then 4% will go to IndieGoGo for site use ($285.80) and all debit/credit card transactions will be charged 3% ($214.35). That is a total of $500.15.
Grand Total: $7145 + $500 = $7645
***Any extra funds raised will go towards covering any unforeseen costs during the project. If money is left over after the plans are completed, then it will go into an account that Pedro will be able to access by submitting a request and then proof of purchase. He will also be able to access that money in the case of future emergencies or specific needs of the business or his kid's schooling (i.e. some chickens die of disease, new fencing, supplies, etc.).***
The Impact
In Guatemala it is extremely difficult to get bank loans for starting businesses in poor rural areas like the one where Pedro lives. This project will reunite Pedro with his family and provide the initial help they need to start a sustainable chicken farm. It will cover repairs to the roof and structural support system of their home which was damaged in an earthquake in November 2012. It will also pay for the upcoming year of school for two of Pedro's children, Isabel, 14, and Jonni, 16. With hard work and the foundations we lay with this project, Pedro will be able to support his family and educate his kids like he has dreamed. This is For Pedro.
What You Will Get
I will be posting a video when I return from Guatemala showing contributors what their project funds have accomplished, included will be receipts and documentation of purchases. You have the most sincere thanks of Pedro, his family and myself.
