It's rugged terrain makes Guatemala a beautiful country. But the mountains, plains and seas have also brought mudslides, famine and hurricanes which cut off rural villages from one another. This makes it difficult for families to become self-sufficient while trying to recover from a lengthy civil war. Those like Pedro and his five children live a hand-to-mouth existence, hoping there will be a good crop this year.

Operation Blessing sponsored programs are giving Guatemalans the opportunity to lead a healthier and more educated lifestyle by:

1. Tending The Sick --
   
   a. Community Clinics: Several permanent sites are staffed every day, providing pediatric care, family practice, pre-natal care, child immunizations, diagnostic lab functions, and in-house pharmaceutical services to their impoverished patients.
   
   b. Pharmacies: Registered and approved by Guatemala's Minister of Health, our community pharmacies supply over-the-counter medicines and basic medical supplies to those in need. These items are often the only medicines available in the entire community.
   
   c. MedEx Kits are community first aid kits with enough basic medicines and supplies to effectively treat minor injuries and illnesses for a poor community of up to 200 people. Numerous MedEx Kits are strategically given to local schools or community leaders for use by the entire community.
   
   d. Mobile Medical Clinics: Virtually every week dozens of teams of medical volunteers travel to remote areas and provide free services.
   
   
2. Equipping for Life -- We not only help people in times of crisis, but also assist them in overcoming forces that keep them in the vicious cycle of poverty.
   
   a. Bless-A-Child: We assist orphans and poor children through supporting day cares and hot lunch programs as well as providing medical attention, clothing and early childhood education.
   
   b. Education: Getting an education isn't a priority for families and children that must work daily to see their next meal. We offer primary education and health related classes at times that fit into the work schedules of those living in remote areas.
   
   c. Food Bank: A high percentage of people in Guatemala suffer from malnutrition. Several food banks are stocked with nutritious non-perishable food and supplements for those that our clinics diagnose as nutritionally at-risk.
   
   d. Micro-enterprise: It is hard for people to find a job when there is no employment to be found. Our team equips and teaches unemployed adults how to begin businesses such as livestock breeding, family gardens and pork sausage factories.
   
   e. Street Children: Boys and girls living on the dangerous streets can get a hot lunch every day, pick out something to wear from the clothing closet, attend life skills training, receive medical attention, and get help finding shelter.

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