History
Child Aid’s History – A 20 Year Journey of Compassion
For 20 years Child Aid has been working to build better futures for the children of Latin America. The story of this compassionate journey began in Oaxaca, Mexico when husband and wife founders Rick Carroll and Nancy Press witnessed the crippling poverty in this extremely poor state. Recognizing that a lack of resources for the poor made progress slow, if not impossible, Rick and Nancy embarked on a path to connect resources in the United States with key people in Latin America. The people who were working to make a better future for their own communities.
Supporting People Not Projects
From its inception, Child Aid has been based on the principle of partnering with local individuals and groups who have the vision and drive to create change, but lack the financial, material and technical resources to succeed. Our oft-stated motto is people not projects. By this we mean, Child Aid is committed to the individuals who create lasting change, not the bureaucracies that consume precious resources.
From Hearing Aids To Computers
What started by simply bringing hearing aids to a local doctor in Oaxaca has lead to the creation of a full-service hearing program for the deaf and hearing impaired. From this Child Aid has expanded to create a large and expanding Literacy Program in Guatemala. A program that addresses the staggering illiteracy and lack of education that have kept the rural indigenous population trapped in a cycle of poverty. From a box full of hearing aids to truckloads of learning supplies, Child Aid grew.
Tremendous Growth in Guatemala
In Guatemala, Child Aid and its local partners have helped create 26 community libraries and 16 computer centers. Child Aid has also created extensive literacy and reading programs, along with librarian and teacher training. In keeping with its mission, Child Aid has nurtured three locally run independent organizations, (FUNDIT, PROBIGUA and CORAL) and is expanding daily in Guatemala. Each day Child Aid maintains its focus by working with a growing network of dedicated individuals and groups that help to improve the future of Guatemala’s poor children.
It has been and continues to be an exciting journey for Rick, Nancy, staff, volunteers and Child Aid’s 17-member Board of Directors.
