Tag Archives: Casa Guatemala

An Extraordinary Guide to Caribbean Coast of Guatemala: Rio Dulce and Lago de Izabal (Part II)

View from the bridge over the Rio Dulce, Guatemala -- Karina Noriega

Guatemala’s coastal borders with the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea could not be more different.  La Costa, refers to the fertile lands between chains of volcanoes and the Pacific Ocean. It is coarse, black volcanic sand continuously pounded by the raging Pacific. By contrast, Guatemala’s narrow coastline on the Caribbean side is a tropical jungle opening where the Rio Dulce, or ‘sweet river’ follows its path to the sea.

Check out Part I for the seaside, Garifuna town of Livingston and the nearby attractions. 

View from the bridge over the Rio Dulce, Guatemala -- Karina Noriega

View from the bridge over the Rio Dulce, Guatemala — Karina Noriega

Travel Tip:

Take a daytime walk over the bridge for the best views from high above the ‘sweet river’.

Rio Dulce is a sweet water haven surrounded by massive jungles that connects the enormous fresh water Lake Izabal with the open sea on the Caribbean coast. In contrast to the crowded, gateway town of Fronteras, the waters edge is spotted by small and isolated Mayan towns, a few eco-lodges and the weekend homes of Guatemala’s wealthy elite. Beautiful mansions complete with thatch roof ranchos covering enormous luxury boats shine a spotlight on the massively uneven distributions of wealth in this country. Continue reading →

Casa Guatemala Fundraiser and Volunteer Mission

A film by April Beresford for www.karinasextraordinarylife.com

In November of 2013 I launched a prodigious campaign to positively affect the lives of hundreds of children at a remote Guatemalan school and orphanage called Casa Guatemala. My mission was to raise funds for the organization, utilize them to personally purchase necessary supplies, and delivered them to the homes, classrooms and kitchens of the jungle haven. I cut out the middle man and ensured accountability for every cent of every dollar meeting the needs of the kids.
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Read the whole story @  https://karinasextraordinarylife.com/2014/12/31/heroes-for-guatemala/

~ An Extraordinary Story by Karina Noriega ~

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Heroes for Guatemala

In November of 2013 I launched a prodigious campaign to positively affect the lives of hundreds of children at a remote Guatemalan school and orphanage called Casa Guatemala. My mission was to raise funds for the organization, utilize them to personally purchase necessary supplies,  and delivered them to the homes, classrooms and kitchens of the jungle haven. I cut out the middle man and ensured accountability for every cent of every dollar meeting the needs of the kids.

Crowdsourcing

Donations for Casa Guatemala - Karina Noriega

Donations for Casa Guatemala – Karina Noriega

I began raising funds online utilizing the crowdsourcing platform Indiegogo. It was my first time attempting a fundraiser and my knowledge, as well as my audience, was extremely limited. My co-conspirator April and I began contacting all of our collective friends, family and coworkers. But I found the web campaign slow and impersonal so I created little cards with my mission, and attached ‘wish bracelets’ I recently purchased in Brazil. April and I diligently took to the offices and homes of everyone we knew enticing them to take part in our quest to improve the lives of others. In addition to funds acquired, the Garcia family generously donated 200 pounds of children’s toys, unopened games and clothing. (200 pounds was the limit the airline would allow us to carry without adding stiff penalties.)

Casa Guatemala

Continue reading →