Compassion Fruit Society is a B.C.-based charity, building the Project Somos Children’s Village in Guatemala. This eco-sustainable village will be home to 49 orphaned and abandoned children in Guatemala. This has been the vision of founders, Greg Kemp and Heather Knox, who will be visiting Creston on Sept. 17 and giving a multimedia presentation at Kingfisher Used Books.
The vision, which is now being constructed, is to have seven family homes with a Guatemalan foster mother in each, raising seven children. Alternative construction technologies, including eco-bricks and earth-bag construction are being utilized, as well as solar hot water, rainwater catchment and organic agriculture.
Much of the success of the Project Somos is credited to volunteers. Over 100 have visited in 2012 and have offered their time and energy to the construction efforts. There are many tasks that the willing workers can help with and they return home with a great feeling of gratification. Recently, a group of volunteers planted 50 fruit trees and 70 blackberry bushes. They left knowing their work would provide food for the children in the years to come.
An important facet of the sustainability plan is to establish social enterprises that will provide financial resources to support the children's village. A community hall with accommodations is being built in 2013 to offer volunteers a place to stay on the village site. It will also provide a meeting place for the mothers and children, as well as a venue for the local town to have community meetings. With a view of towering volcanoes, it is a breathtaking sight. Other small businesses are also being planned.
For more information, visit www.projectsomos.org or email info@projectsomos.org.
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