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In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age
of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this
financially independent lifestyle, they invite you
to take advantage of their wisdom and experience. |
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Mayan Beauty
Salon
Billy and Akaisha Kaderli
New
project from Mayan Families
Sometimes we
are so busy with our own lives and the people we care about with all the
things that need to be done, we forget that somewhere else in the world
there are people who are practically indigent; Whose biggest dream is to
have a bit of money to feed their child or pay for their school clothing
and supplies.
In
Panajachel,
Guatemala, Mayan Families Organization is teaching local
women beauty salon skills so that they may become independent and care
for their children. This is no small task and the results of learning
these skills are life-changing. Open since June of
2013, and begun with the idea of creating a stable income for the women in the
area, Mayan Families Spa now offers manicures and pedicures Mondays, Wednesdays
and Fridays from nine in the morning to noon. There are plans in the next few
months to expand what they will teach these female students.
Ana doing a manicure,
Nancy standing behind her
This is the brain
child of Susan Mabry, a 20-year veteran salon expert from the States who
volunteered her time to teach these women the art of “mani-pedis.” Nancy Zapeta,
who attended beauty school in Guatemala City and who runs her own salon, is the
local teacher. But none of this would be possible at all if it were not for the
generous seed donation from a long-time frequent Stateside visitor, Vivian Harvey.
Any woman who has the
desire to learn and is able to make the time commitment
can participate in this program. For a small graduation
fee, they can gain a skill that will allow them to
become independent and care for their families on their
own.
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Those currently
in the program are so excited to have acquired these new skills –
something they never thought was possible for them - and they look forward to
building better lives for themselves. They are feeling more
confidence in who they are since they now have a marketable skill and are eager to
learn the next level which includes hair styling, facials and massage. Every woman wants to
care for her children and this program brings them hope and a future they can
direct on their own.
This worthy cause
creates the ability for
a stable income and can lift these families out of poverty, changing their
lives forever.
Pricing of services
are very reasonable with a suggested donation of 25Quetzales ($3USD) for
manicures and 35Quetzales ($4USD) for pedicures.
Funding is always a
challenge, but Maya Families Org will take all donations whether
it is in cash (to pay for utilities, rent and the salary of the local teacher),
a monthly subscription ($100 a month to be a Beauty Salon Sponsor and get your
picture and name on the salon “Hall of Fame”) or in-kind donations such as
supplies, materials, products and training equipment. |
Elba massaging my foot
before my pedicure |
If this project interests
you and you would like to volunteer your time, money or your expertise, the best way to
move forward to help these families is to contact Melanie, the Project Manager at
Melanie@mayanfamilies.org.
But wait! There's
more! The Spa Program is not all that
Mayan Families Org. have going on. It is only one project in a
long list of sustainable development work they do in the town of
Panajachel, Guatemala. Other initiatives include student sponsorship,
orphan and elderly care, medical assistance and the distribution of
water filters among others.
The whole idea is to empower local families and build better
relationships within the community.
Currently, Mayan Families
facilitate the sponsorship of over 3,000 students between preschool and
university with accredited and licensed schools.
Many families don't have the means
to eat on a daily basis and they suffer from malnutrition and other
health issues. This organization offers nutrition supplements, food
donations and protein-enriched food for children.
Marilyn puts coats of
polish on my nails
Everything from
local clinic services to surgery are offered.
They have distributed hundreds
of water filters throughout rural Guatemala providing clean drinking
water to thousands of children, families and schools.
Many families struggle with
homelessness and choosing between rent and the food they need to
eat. Mayan Families Org. assists by constructing homes and
offering temporary housing when necessary.
You can help
Your donations can send a
child to school, provide a large basket of food to a family, feed a
family of six or more for a month, give a family egg-laying
chickens, buy a bed and a mattress or provide a fuel-efficient
stove.
Dr. Luis Pena and his assistant with a
local Maya in the clinic
Become active and help out by visiting
their website, phone +1-619-550-2608
or email them at info@mayanfamilies.org.
Help Mayan Families Organization to
educate, feed, shelter and heal the indigenous and impoverished people of rural
Guatemala.
For more stories, photos and information
about Antigua, click
here
For more stories and photos of Guatemala, click
here
For more on Retirement
Topics, click here and here
About the Authors
Billy and Akaisha Kaderli are
recognized retirement experts and internationally published authors on
topics of finance, medical tourism and world travel. With the wealth of
information they share on their award winning website RetireEarlyLifestyle.com,
they have been helping people achieve their own retirement dreams since
1991. They wrote the popular books, The
Adventurer’s Guide to Early Retirement and Your
Retirement Dream IS Possible available on their website
bookstore or
on Amazon.com.
Trending on Retire Early
Lifestyle
Retire
Early Lifestyle appeals to a different
kind of person – the person who prizes their
independence, values their time, and who doesn’t
want to mindlessly follow the crowd.
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