Thank you so much for your interest in our all-volunteer, grassroots nonprofit,New Dawn Guatemala. We are dedicated to working in solidarity with the social-justice-based, ex-refugee community of Nuevo Amanecer (New Dawn),Guatemala, and the surrounding area. For more detailed information or to donate, please visit New Dawn Guatemala .

More Scholarship Success

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Your solidarity continues to provide scholarship support for many young peopleand adults that build skills, provides job training, and enhances job opportunities.We recently sent out $2135 to fund middle school, high school, and technicalschool training for thirty young people and adults. Many of our recipients have obtained decent jobs in areas such as nursing, culinary arts, graphic design,motorcycle maintenance, and now even architecture due to their hard work and your generosity.

Kindergarten

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We have also provided support and snacks for fi!een children in the community’ s local kindergarten, in collaboration with one of our partner organizations, theSpanish language school, PLQ – Guatemala.

More Visitors Travel to Nuevo Amanecer

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Despite the progress detailed above, most community residents remain poor and opportunities in the area are limited. So, community leaders are working toattract more visitors to Nuevo Amanecer to stay a few days and help generate income via paying for lodging and food, as well as local tours and the showcasingof community attractions.
Recently several small groups of students studying Spanish at PLQ- Guatemalavisited the community. They toured the water spring, which is surrounded by abeautiful landscape filled with local birds, checked out the local carpentry shop,and heard stories from some of the community’s founders about their history ofviolent expulsion, exile, and triumphant return to build their new community.Visitors also enjoyed the unique local cuisine, which blends Guatemalantraditions, along with others learned while in exile in Mexico.
For more information about traveling to Nuevo Amanecer and or studyingSpanish with our partner organization PLQ at one of their excellent GuatemalanSpanish language schools, please contact Joe Szwaja at joeszwaja@earthlink.net or (206) 523-3656.

Casa Solidaria and Historical Memory Museum Face Obstacles but We Remain Determined to Move Forward

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We have been working hard to move ahead with plans and construction for the expanded guest house and a Historical Memory Museum to commemorate the community’s rich history and help attract more visitors. The building designs are nearly completed. However, the construction appears to cost more than we anticipated, so we may have to modify the design, phase the work in, and scale back a bit. Nevertheless, we remain committed to expanding the Casa Solidaria and constructing a Historical Memory Museum that will commemorate the community’s rich history and attract visitors. We will keep you updated as we work together with the design team of Chief Engineer Carolina Gonon, community committees, and UW Professor of Landscape Architecture Daniel Winterbottom to move these vital projects forward.

Health Post Continues to Provide Vital Services to Local Residents

‍Nuevo Amanecer has had a functioning health post for over two years. It came about because of grass roots pressure by community residents funded in part by your donations, which enabled residents to travel to the capital and county seat and make their case.

The health post, referred to as la clínica by community residents, receives a modest level of government funding, including prenatal and infant care and counseling, and has made a real difference. However, the severe illness and death experienced by several residents in the last year has underscored the need for a much greater level of health services. Discussions have started on the formation of a Health Committee that would raise funds for emergency medical needs, connect with nonprofits to expand the service provided by the heath post, and develop an overall health plan for the community with an emphasis on prevention and education.

Our new volunteer, Linda Daniels, is part of these discussions and has collected medical supplies that will help bolster the current facility. To find out how to volunteer on these or other projects, contact Joe Szwaja atjoeszwaja@earthlink.net or (206) 523-3656.

Solar Energy Continues to spread Throughout the Community

Expanding solar throughout Nuevo Amanecer is part of the commitment we have made, in partnership with the community, to promote ecological restoration and reduce carbon emissions. Working together with the local, indigenous non -profit Poder Luz Maya, community members have installed solar panels on the women owned tortilla mill, the Casa Solidaria, and the Community’s Auxiliatura (Safety and Mediation) buildings.
Recently we partnered with the community to plan the addition of solar to theHealth Post and to the future Historical Memory Museum. The addition of solar energy is cutting community costs while reducing carbon, thanks to your generous solidarity.

Community Partners with Alan Aguilar to Hone Skills

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We have enlisted the support of Alan Aguliar who teaches human developmentand leadership in Guatemala City to improve the organizational skills andleadership of our sta" person Leonel Cabrera, as well as the Casa Solidara andHistorical Memory Committees. He collaborated successfully with them todevelop a new brochure, menu, and list of activities which we hope will attractmore visitors from local language schools.
We are impressed with Alan, who grew up in the nearby town of Piedra Cuache. We hope to collaborate with him on an expanded basis this coming year to help build organizational capacity and leadership in Nuevo Amanecer.

Water Project Continues to Improve People’s Everyday Lives

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The water project, which provides potable water throughout the community from a local spring, thanks to your donations and the community’s own funds and labor, is working well overall. It has benefited people’s lives by providing regular access to plentiful, clean water and has reduced plastic waste and the need to wash clothes in the dirty Rio Naranjo. Yet there are issues concerning maintenance of this system and the need to coordinate its operation with a new one the municipality will initiate in March. This new system will happen because of grass roots pressure from residents of Nuevo Amanecer and surrounding communities due to the need to provide adequate water far into the future.
To address these needs, we have decided to partner with the community to provide funds for the maintenance of the current system via paying a current member of the water committee to supervise the maintenance work. In addition,Carolina Gonon, the designer of the community’s spring fed system, will work with the municipality to make sure the two water systems are complementary. We appreciate the grant we received from The Rotary Club of Seattle- InternationalDistrict, which will help support this work, along with the community’s own funding.

Nuevo Amanecer Commemorates the Lives of Pedro Cifuentes and Jerry Crangi

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On December 15, Nuevo Amanecer celebrated the lives of two friends, both of whom played a key role in the history of the community and New DawnGuatemala. Pedro Cifuentes was referred to as the grandfather of the community.He was instrumental in organizing people from disparate communities in exile to band together and return to Guatemala to form the community of Nuevo Amanecer in 1998. He also played a key role in setting up the committee’s democratic decision-making structure, built strong alliances with neighboring communities, and was vital in the completion of the water project and countless other projects. Pedro is sorely missed in the community and the whole region. Jerry Crangi was a union organizer and stagehand who befriended Pedro while traveling to Nuevo Amanecer as a chaperone on Nova High School trips. In 2013 Jerry helped found New Dawn Guatemala and was a key figure in securing donations for our first scholarships via union appeals and his wonderful photos.The mutual love between Jerry and the community was immense. He spent his last years in Guatemala, visiting Nuevo Amanecer frequently, before passing away in Xela Guatemala in 2019. Jerry wanted to be buried in Nuevo Amanecer and the community was happy to oblige, placing his ashes in the space reserved for heroes of the people, right next to the community church.

Our staff person Leonel Cabrera and New Dawn President Joe Szwaja performed songs on their behalf at the ceremony. We honor the memory of Pedro Cifuentes and Jerry Crangi, two friends who did so much to contribute to the development of Nuevo Amanecer!!!

¡Qué vivan Pedro y Jerry!

Please Donate to Support this Social Justice Based, Democratically RunCommunity
Your donations are the lifeblood of our organization, and they truly make atremendous di"erence for everyone in Nuevo Amanecer by supporting lifechanging scholarships, clean water, reforestation, solar energy, and the emergingHistorical Memory Museum that will commemorate the community’s uniquehistory. Please contribute what you can today and consider making it monthly.

New Dawn Guatemala Board of Directors

Happy holidays and thanks so much for your vital, life changing solidarity!

Set Up A Recurring Donation Today!

Our Contact Information: New Dawn Guatemala
7525 14th Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98106

(206) 523-3656

https://www.newdawnguatemala.org/

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