Dear Friends,
We are deeply saddened to learn that our key personnel, Alfonso and Lety, in the village of Chajmaic, have contracted Covid.
Due to the extreme Covid outbreak in Guatemala, there are no resources to help them there. The main supplier of oxygen, Productos del Aire, has stopped production, due to completely saturated demand far exceeding supplies.
Anyone who goes to the hospital believes – rightfully so – that they are going there to die. Most never return alive, and their families are allowed zero contact with them until they are dead. So, people in the village try home remedies (coffee with lemon) and prefer to die at home.
Within the village of Chajmaic, the virus is traveling from house to house, infecting every person living within. Lety and Alfonso have a small store (tienda) and they believe that they contracted the virus from someone with Covid who entered their store. They first started showing symptoms 5 days ago, and their daughter, Wendy, showed symptoms yesterday.
At first Sowing Opportunities explored sending two 100-lb. tanks of oxygen from the U.S., but a prescription is needed and the cost was prohibitive for just two days of oxygen for one person – and there is no guarantee that it would arrive safely and on time.
Also, no medical personnel is willing to enter the red zone, which includes the local municipality of Fray Bartolomé de las Casas. In fact, all interns through Operaciones Practicas de la Salud (OPS) have been sent home to Guatemala City as Covid has gotten completely out of control. Even the Guatemalan Institute for Social Security, IS, is saturated with need.
So, after consultation with a doctor in Guatemala City, we are doing what we can, trying to provide the most benefit with the funds available, and so, after consultation with a doctor in Guatemala City, we determined that the best we can do is to send aspirin, Vitamin C, and electrolytes (“serum”), and food right now.
If you pray, please include the people of Chajmaic in your prayers. Thank you.
Additional information is at this link.