The Guatemala Stove Project (GSP) maintains the mandate to improve life in rural Guatemala. Most of the work performed by the GSP involves the construction of masonry stoves but when required the Project will take on activities that go beyond stoves. The following case study is an example of one such activity.
Case Study: Maria Colop
Maria is a 4 year old girl from the community of Xecam whose family is a beneficiary of a Guatemala Stove Project stove from December of 2005. She is the daughter of Jose Colop and Jeronima Perez who have 9 children of which Maria is the eighth.
In February 2007, during a follow up visit to photograph cookstoves for documentation purposes, the Guatemala Stove Project learned about Maria Colop Perez, Maria has a cleft lip and palate. Sam Clarke along with Clara Maria Colop of Ixchel Association took the photo of Maria. After seeing the photo, Tom Clarke of the Guatemala Stove Project contacted Richard Grinell of HELPS International to find out if their surgeons could help Maria. Luckily, a clinic made up mostly of American doctors who specialize in this type of surgery was to be held in Solola the next week. It is truly extraordinary how these events unfolded, seeing as these clinics are held only once a year. If the family could get Maria to Solola, the doctors would see her and perform the surgery. Sadly, the family did not have the $14 for bus fare to travel to Solola. Tom paid for their transportation and Maria attended the clinic on the 27th of February, 2007 and and Maria received the necessary attention.
MESSAGE FROM MARIA’S MOTHER
On June 4 of this year, the Ixchel Association followed up on Maria’s case. Melissa, a volunteer from Queen’s University in Canada, accompanied us on this visit. Doña Jeronima expressed much gratitude for those who helped support the process of changing Maria’s life around.
Maria had this problem since she was born and her mother was very sad to see her daughter like that. For two years, her mother would always cover her up so that no one would see.
After two years, Maria began to walk and so she could no longer hide her and everyone saw and asked why her little girl was as she was. She was always being told that she should find help to correct her daughter’s lip. At this time, she began to feel guilty for her daughter’s situation. One day, a nephew told her he would look for doctors in Xela who could work on Maria’s lip.
All the doctors said they could not help because it was out of their domain of specialty. It was a shame. When they had returned at the end of the day, Doña Jeronima saw an adult woman in the street with the same cleft lip. She began to cry and went down on her knees. She was crying so much and in that, moment wanted to die. She returned home very sad and many neighbours arrived telling her that it was not her fault. What she had to do now was to pray to God that He will help you find a solution and from then on in, she prayed day and night for a miracle.
For one year, she sought help at the Intervida institutions at their offices in Xela and they helped her with two surgeries for Maria, but they were a failure and did not work at fixing her lip.
At the time, Maria could not speak well. She only pronounced the name of her sister Mayra who carried her each day and who gave her love and caring. Doña Jeronima and Mayra suffered seeing Maria with her cleft lip.
Her family was a new beneficiary of a stove, and after seeing the picture of Maria, was very interested in changing her life.
When Maria had her surgery performed by the international doctors of HELPS, Doña Jeronima said that it was the miracle they had been waiting for – she hoped it would work this time. It did, and now Maria is much different: she can eat well and is talking.
The day we visited Doña Jeronimia she gave thanks for all those who helped although they did not even know them. Each member of the family is very grateful and happy for the change in the life of Maria.
Doña Jeronimia asked that we pass along her profound thanks to Sam and Tom Clarke, Richard Grinnell, Doña Rosa, Clara Colop, the HELPS doctors that performed the surgery who were also a couple, and Melissa. They will also pray for your family and work. Now, Dona Jeronima cries with happiness. Maria will also go to school next year.