Mil Milagros

Who We Are

History:

Mil Milagros was founded in 2007 by Margaret Blood, the Founder and President of Strategies for Children, Inc., an award-winning children’s policy and advocacy organization based in Boston, MA.  Appalled by the high rates of child malnutrition and hunger, and the low rates of primary school completion she found during a 2006 volunteer sabbatical at Proyecto Semilla, a school for child workers in Panajachel, Sololá, Margaret was determined to help. She initiated a breakfast program for the 160 children at Proyecto Semilla and based on the impact of that effort, founded Mil Milagros with the pro-bono assistance of the law firm of Goulston and Storrs, of Boston.

The organization was named “Mil Milagros” with “Mil” meaning “a thousand” and “Milagros” meaning “miracles” — essential to achieving big visions. The goals of Mil Milagros were aligned with the first two of the United Nations’ eight Millennium Goals: the eradication of extreme poverty and childhood hunger; and universal primary education. In its first year of program implementation, Mil Milagros launched its pilot nutrition, health and hygiene program serving 200 children at the Proyecto Semilla and Chutinamit schools. By 2012, Mil Milagros has expanded its reach to partner with 5 schools and communities to serve 1,106 children in the Department (State) of Sololá – Chichimuch, Chutinamit, Pahaj, Proyecto Semilla, and Xecotoj – at an average cost of $1.80 per child per day.

Our Partner Schools in Guatemala:

Chichimuch, Santa Lucia Utatlán

Number of students: 144; grades K-6

Number of teachers: 9

Number of mother and grandmother volunteers: 80

Updates from the school: The students have a newly constructed playground at their school! The Chichimuch Student Council demonstrated their leadership skills by advocating for resources to build the playground, and by making sure all the children in the community can benefit from a safe play space.

Chutinamit, San Andrés Semetabaj

Number of students: 30; grades K-6

Number of teachers: 2

Number of mother and grandmother volunteers: 22

Updates from the school: Since Tropical Storm Agatha destroyed this community in May 2010, leaving families homeless and living in temporary shelters, Mil Milagros has been feeding all of the children (both students and children not currently in school) hot lunches year-round. A recent construction project of four showers at the school serves the families in the entire community.

Nuevo Progreso, Santa Lucia Utatlán

Number of students: 27; grades K-6

Number of teachers: 3

Number of mother and grandmother volunteers: 10

Updates from the school: Beginning in 2013, we are thrilled to add our sixth partner school, Nuevo Progreso, which means ‘New Progress’. This community is impressive: a group of mothers have been renting out a house to serve as the community’s school so that their children would not need to cross the busy and dangerous Inter-American Highway to attend a larger school.

Pahaj, Santa Lucia Utatlán

Number of students: 409; grades K-6

Number of teachers: 20

Number of mother and grandmother volunteers: 210

Updates from the school: In March 2012, the construction project for six new bathrooms and sinks was completed. This allows for nearly 500 children and teachers to continue developing healthy hygiene habits by washing their hands and brushing their teeth.

Proyecto Semilla, Panajachel

Number of students: 201; grades 1-6

Number of teachers: 5

Number of mother and grandmother volunteers: 10

Updates from the school: Mil Milagros has trained and provides the funding for the salary of one single mother – Doña Luisa – to prepare the meals for the students. This school is located in the tourist town of Panajachel, so it is extremely difficult to recruit parents as volunteers, as most are single and working. In other news, the students now have a new and improved basketball court, where they can enjoy playing together after school and with their younger siblings!

Xecotoj, San Andrés Semetabaj

Number of students: 77; grades K-6

Number of teachers: 5

Number of mother and grandmother volunteers: 38

Updates from the school: A new concrete-block school has just been built with two classrooms and two bathrooms.  The school was built by the local NGO, Mayan Families, with the generous financial support of the US NGO, Pencils of Promise. Unfortunately two classrooms are not enough for the school population.  However, a third classroom has been generously donated by an anonymous citizen from Panajachel, and is now under construction.

 

Mil Milagros Board of Directors

 

 

Margaret Blood	Steve Cadwell	Juan Gil
Linda Green	Anne Healy	Arnold Hiatt
Carolyn Lyons	Charles A. Murphy	Thomas N. O’Brien
Heidi Spear	Jill Takacs	Rob Hoyt

 

 Staff

 

Jose Aguilar	Fredy Ujpan	Ana Vivar

Our Mission

The goal of Mil Milagros, Inc.™ is to ensure that all children in Guatemala graduate from sixth grade healthy, literate and prepared to continue their education. USAID reports that only 30% of children complete sixth grade. Guatemala has the sixth highest rate of child malnutrition in the world; fifty percent of the children are malnourished. In some Mayan communities, the rate of malnutrition exceeds 90%.

 Read more about Mil Milagros