We have partnered with Curamericas Global since 2016 to save the lives of moms and babies in the most vulnerable communities around the world. We specifically support the Casa Materna leader, Nurse Alma.

Many of us at UPUCC have participated in Curamericas Global (https://www.curamericas.org/) volunteer trips to the Casa Maternas in Guatemala where we witnessed first-hand the life-saving work done by Nurse Alma Dominguez and her staff at the Calhuitz birthing centers. These centers, located in the remote highlands of western Guatemala, offer maternal-child health care to families who would not receive it otherwise due to extreme poverty, lack of health insurance, and the rough terrain and poor roads which make reaching a hospital difficult and dangerous.

In 2020, the UPUCC FIA Committee and generous UPUCCers raised $5,000 to underwrite Nurse Alma’s salary. Our contribution allowed Alma and her team to deliver nearly 300 babies, provide prenatal checks and breastfeeding classes to more than 1000 mothers, and adolescent health classes to nearly 4000 youth.

In 2022, UPUCC provided more than $10,000 to support Nurse Alma with matching funds from anonymous donors.

Curamericas is asking UPUCC to support Alma and her team of 5 nursing assistants. Much of their work is done in outlying communities through home and community visits, often in challenging situations without electricity, running water or transportation.

UPUCC is hosting Andrew Herrera, Curamericas Executive Director (in person) on Sunday May 12 in a hybrid Forum and Worship service. Please join us on May 12 to get an up-to-date account on the Casa Maternas in Guatemala, hear from participants from previous UPUCC trips to Guatemala and learn more about how you can support this important work. Please consider giving a donation here

Background: Curamericas partners with local communities to make a difference across the globe. Recognizing that more than 6.6 million children die each year before reaching the age of five, Curamericas is helping to change this. Among its reachable ambitions, Curamericas works to end preventable child & maternal deaths by 2035. Doing so, they support in-country facilities with initial start-up funding, training, supplies, volunteers, and limited ongoing funding. Their goal is to have maternal health centers become self-funding, as is already the case in Bolivia. Sources in Guatemala currently fund 95% of expenses up from 65% from 2023. True sustainability in action!