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If you would like to make a donation to the valuable cause of helping build a school in Panajachel, Guatemala, please
make cheques (for $20 or more) out to : Greater Victoria School District (with
Reynolds Leadership) in the Memo line. Make sure your cheque has your address on it and a tax receipt will be mailed
to you. You can copy the card insert below to use if you wish your donation to be a gift to someone.
Thank you for considering this worthwhile cause and supporting the Leadership Program's OPEN FOR
CHANGE initiatives.
_________________________________________________________________
Dear _________________________________
As a special gift, a donation
has been made in your name to the Tree of Life Foundation where money is being used to build a much needed
school for children in Panajachel, Guatemala. This school is extremely valuable to the community as it serves not only as
a place for children to receive an education, but also a place to get proper nutrition and
health care.
According
to the U.N. Commission on Human Rights (2001), nearly 80% of the Maya live in poverty and 40% live in extreme poverty. Half
of the Maya live without electricity, 65% do not have running water, and 80% are not connected to a sewage system. The infant
mortality rate in 1995 was 51 deaths/1000 births, the highest in all of Latin America. Over 46% of children under five years
of age suffer from chronic malnutrition.
In 2001 Guatemala
spent only 2.71% of its national budget on education. This is one of the lowest percentages in all of Latin America or the
Caribbean. The national average for schooling is only 2.3 years, and in predominately Mayan areas it’s only 1.3 years.
That means most kids never complete 3rd grade, and most Indian children don’t even finish 2ndgrade.
We hope these appalling statistics help you understand why we are so committed to helping the children of Guatemala. Thank
you so much for joining us in this worthy undertaking. You are desperately needed!
~Tree of Life
Foundation
Best wishes from: _______________________________________________
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