Las Mercedes Project On just about any given day one can walk into the City of Huaquillas garbage dump, located in the community of Las Mercedes, and find a number of children sifting through refuse. With dozens of vultures circling above their heads, these children work for hours amidst the muck and filth without gloves, masks, or any type of protection, while searching for recyclable products to sell in order to help their families survive. Isolation and poverty have wreaked havoc on the lives of the families and children of Las Mercedes, but with your help we can raise $15,000 and change their lives forever.
One of the biggest challenges that confronts Las Mercedes is health care. A community diagnostic revealed that 74% of children were sick last year with everything from malaria to dengue fever, while 56% of families reported a grave illness including H1N1. In order to address these health problems that afflict the families of Las Mercedes, a community-based health care project was initiated in January, 2010.
In conjunction with the public health department, eight (8) volunteers from Las Mercedes completed a rigorous 3-month training program. They worked side-by-side with doctors on a daily basis and studied over 20 topics relevant to the health needs of their community, including giving vaccinations, treating and preventing malaria, and measuring basic vital signs. After completing this program, the community trainees were certified as health promoters, and now are currently working in Las Mercedes attempting to help prevent any future outbreaks of malaria and the other serious diseases that constantly threaten this community.
http://www.lasmercedesproject.org/
FEBRUARY 2012 
