Our promoters
Our education and health care promoters work at the heart of our projects, visiting homes, schools, and villages to encourage healthier lifestyles and families. Health promoters gather with local women in their own backyard or in the shade of a tree to give weekly health and hygiene courses about issues such as childhood illnesses, clean homes, nutrition and family planning. They treat minor health problems and distribute soap, tooth brushes and other toiletries to those families who boil their drinking water and keep their houses tidy. They accompany patients to hospitals and administer vaccinations to villagers, particularly children. Education promoters visit schools and homes to check children's progress and resolve concerns with teachers, principals and parents. They coordinate the distribution of educational materials and award scholarships to the poorest children. Our promoters are local women from the villages in which they work. They are leaders within their communities and as such hold an unparalleled level of trust and respect among the families they work with.

Our teachers
Vamos Adelante provides teachers in rural start-up schools, specialized institutes and adult literacy programs. Though most schools in our area have become independent (and part of the official national education system) with the help of Vamos Adelante, we still give a hand with teachers at particularly needy elementary schools until they are established enough to continue on their own. We also run dozens of adult evening and weekend classes where villagers who never had the chance to attend a school can learn how to read and write, and earn a nationally-recognized school graduation certificate. In addition, Vamos Adelante manages various computer and typing schools mostly for rural high school students. Our computer school in Guatemala City, Informatica Amigos, offers basic IT courses and other activities to more than 50 disabled youths. It is managed by Amarilis Oliva.

Our specialized volunteers
Many of our core activities are carried out by a team of exceptionally dedicated volunteers. Dr. Rene, a retired Guatemalan pediatrician, oversees our free weekly medical clinic, where she is often assisted by other volunteer doctors, nurses and medical students. We also welcome medical teams and dentists who help us to treat patients in their rural communities. Other volunteers provide us with teaching, communication and administration skills either from abroad or while living in our project for an extended period. We are always happy to host long-term volunteers in Guatemala, but do require that they stay with us for at least one year, speak fluent Spanish and if possible offer professional skills such as teaching, nursing, writing/editing, IT skills, etc. (for more information on volunteering please contact us)

You can contact Vamos Adelante's team by email: vamosadelante@conexion.com.gt

Joan Fuetsch is a volunteer fund raiser, web site facilitator and family sponsor. Joan is an investment adviser in the San Francisco Bay area. She makes frequent visits to Guatemala carrying clothing, vitamins, medicine and protein bars. Joan assists with the support of a Vamos Adelante family residing about thirty miles from Antigua and enjoys watching Catalina and her six children progress.