The word rescue has several definitions:
“to free from confinement, danger, or evil”
“to save someone from a dangerous or distressing situation”
“to keep from being lost or abandoned; to retrieve”
I’d like to add my own simplified definition to the list—to rescue someone is to set them free.
At World Help, our Rescue Programs allow us to do just that—set children free from the grip of starvation and disease, restore them to health, and offer them renewed hope for a healthier life.
The Problem
The remote, rural mountain communities of Guatemala are home to some of the world’s most severely malnourished children. In fact, one in every two children under the age of 5 are chronically malnourished, and most live hours away from access to clean water, medical care, or opportunities for education.
Our Strategy
In Guatemala, our partner and his team at Hope of Life Ministries are saving children on the brink of death, nursing them back to health, and restoring their futures through our Rescue Center at St. Luke’s Hospital.
When our partner learns that a child is dying, a team travels into the mountains and rescues the child for immediate medical treatment and rehabilitation. Family members stay at a facility beside the center while their child is recovering. They are taught proper sanitation and hygiene practices, vocational training, and hear the Gospel message.
Once a child goes home, Hope of Life continues to monitor the child’s progress, in addition to investing in the local community through food programs. Long-term care is also available for children who are left physically or mentally disabled from the effects of starvation and disease through a special-needs center.
Set Free
Your investment in our Rescue Programs allows us to set families free from the grip of starvation, disease, and fear. We want to holistically meet the needs of children, families, and communities—and eventually eradicate the need for rescue altogether.
Our partner recently shared Dayron’s story with us:
Not long after he was born, Dayron’s father abandoned him and his mother. Without any financial support for food or medical care, Dayron soon began to suffer from diarrhea and vomiting, and eventually the malnourishment was so severe, he could barely move. His mother was terrified, but didn’t know what to do without money for a doctor.
Thankfully, hope stepped in. Traveling high into the mountains, the rescue team brought Dayron to their medical facility just in time. After several months of intensive treatment, he has returned to a healthy weight.
“Dayron is a beautiful baby boy with fair skin and dark hair. The child’s recovery was slow due to the severity of his malnutrition. When Dayron entered our center, he weighed only 12 pounds,” a Hope of Life staff member told us.
Today, he is happily at home with formula, food, and multivitamins provided to him through the generosity of our supporters. Our partner also performs monthly check-ups to ensure he will not relapse again.
“Dayron is another motivation for us to keep fighting and reaching more children who suffer from malnutrition,” said another staff member.
Our Rescue Programs in Guatemala, Uganda, and Haiti save lives, and quite literally embody one of our core values at World Help—all people matter—even the smallest children quietly whimpering from hunger in the remote mountains of Guatemala.
These children matter to God, and they matter to us. Please consider helping us rescue countless children so they and their families can be restored—set free.
