| Ten years Esperanza |
10 years Esperanza - An introduction to the organisation
In 1990 the German Dr. Peter Liese, who at that time still had been studying medicine, and Dr. Frank Röschinger, eye specialist from Ahlen (Germany), went to Guatemala for 3 months to work in the state hospital of Antigua, which has 30,000 inhabitants. This trip was initiated by the 'Junge Union Northrhein Westfalia'. But the main focus of this trip to Guatemala was to visit Seconón, a small village in the region of Alta Verapaz situated in the rainforest of Guatemala. One week they saw patients in that village, which has 800 inhabitants, and the people stood in line. Ill people were treated and provided with medication from Germany. Both medical doctors gave hints for better hygiene and a balanced diet.At the end of the 80’s a school with two classrooms and a health station was built in Seconón by the 'Junge Union Northrhein Westfalia'; costs: approx. € 8,000.
Collecting donations
After coming back to Germany, Dr. Peter Liese felt it as a personal challenge to collect donations for a school in Guatemala from then onwards. He himself opened an account for donations at the Sparkasse Bestwig and planned a lot of campaigns together with the 'Junge Union Bestwig' and some other 'Junge Union' associations in the town. The Highlight of these campaigns was the Live Aid Festival in Velmede on 8 March 1991. € 5,000 were collected for a school in Chitay.Immediately, the idea was born to go to Guatemala and to help to construct the school in Chitay. Approximately 15 interested people from the Sauerland (Germany) participated in the project. On 17 February 1992 the first group of participants flew to Guatemala. In the small village Chitay, which is located 10 km near Quetzaltenango, the second largest city in Guatemala, they helped to construct a school with three classrooms, staff room, kitchen and sanitary facilities.
Continue to read how the organisation was founded -> Ten years Esperanza - Part 2
 |