Important news about gifts to help the children of Guatemala City refuse dump

We wish to inform readers who receive the printed version of our Gift of Hope Christmas & 2010 catalogue in the post, of the great news that children are no longer allowed to scavenge on the Guatemala City refuse dump.

Since the catalogue was prepared, new regulations have been introduced which mean children are now technically prohibited from scavenging. This is a major breakthrough in the welfare of young people in this dangerous environment.

We have updated the information in our online catalogue, and in the relevant project pages for gifts G001, G003, G027 & G028, to reflect this development.

However, the barring of children and the elderly from scavenging will add significant pressure onto thousands of adults who will still need to scavenge to provide for their families.

And, while now technically banned from accessing the dump to scavenge, many children still do so, by getting there before the guards start work at 6am and jumping the perimeter wall.

Please pray with us that, in the long run, the positive effects of barring children from scavenging will far outweigh the negative ones. Pray that God will continue to use the vital work of our partner Casa del Alfarero to improve the lives of the entire dump community, and eventually bring an end to scavenging altogether.

You can read a full report about WorldShare's work with our two partner ministries in Guatemala in the new issue of Window magazine. Download magazine.