Raxche'

Skye Resources is committed to improving peoples’ lives in the communities surrounding its Fenix Project by encouraging, assisting and supporting sustainable community development in the region. CGN has created and funded a community association called Raxche', which means, “green tree of hope” in the Q’eqchi language (the local Mayan language).

Raxche' has been working to improve health and education for people in the communities surrounding the project. It launched a consultation program to develop community aspirations that will direct the economic development work the Association does. Early on, Raxche' was involved in several farming projects, especially in the community closest to El Estor, and acted as a funding institution. It refurbished the Sequenel School and made an agreement with a bilingual institute to provide the facility as an educational centre for the training of bilingual teachers (Spanish and Q’eqchi). The school now operates in the El Estor area under the name “Oxib kej”.

Currently, Raxche' is working with several organizations for the restoration and reopening of the Tzunun Ha’ Hospital in El Estor. The hospital is expected to reopen in early 2007. Raxche' has already sponsored an Opthomologist’s visiting clinic to the hospital that benefited 360 people and is making arrangements for a second visiting clinic this fall.

Although Raxche' has already taken a number of steps to respond to what it sees as pressing community needs in the areas of health, education and opportunities of socio-economic development, it’s also supported creating a regional strategic plan. CGN contracted with Community Housing Finance (CHF) International, a Washington-D.C. based development organization with worldwide experience in community development and socio-economic planning, to prepare a long-range regional strategic Municipal Development Plan for the Izabal Basin of Guatemala.

Among its many initiatives in its first year of operation, Raxche' has:

Health

Sponsored a Opthomologist’s trip which benefited the communities of El Estor, Panzos, Cahaboncito, Senahu and resulted in examinations of 360 people and 30 surgeries performed at the Tzunun Ha’ hospital
Supplied housing for Cuban doctors in support of a Municipal heath center providing care to 100-150 patients a day
Funded training for 200 midwives
Donated 3,000 malaria kits to support training of 150 Malaria prevention promoters
Introduced a trial demonstration for a clean-burning stove project that has drawn an encouraging reaction from a number of women’s groups.

Education

Restored and re-opened the Sequenel School in El Estor for the education and training of students and bilingual teachers. Additionally, a cycling and pedestrian only street is currently being built to ensure the safe travel of students from the town of El Estor to the school
Sponsored the salary of an elementary school teacher in Sauce Saxan for 65 students
Donated funds to buy land for a 150-student elementary school in Sepure Limite
Donated 80 school desks for an elementary school in Cahaboncito
Sponsored a workshop for a school for disabled children in El Estor attended by Federal, Departmental and Municipal officials
Provided organizational training for 7 Community Development Council (COCODES) in Chichipate
Provided organizational training to 25 members of the Women’s Committee of El Estor.

Productive Projects

Supported in technical assistance, equipment, materials, training and administration of a Tilapias fish-farming project in Taquinco Searanx. This project will benefit 17 families directly and 70 families indirectly in the area
Provided grants for a fertilizer project and training in a seed diversification project to 141 families in Rio Sauce Sexan and Sexan communities
Created a Reforestation project in the municipality of El Estor Izabal involving a nursery of 70,000 young plants for distribution throughout the area
Created, in partnership with Forza Viava (a local women’s NGO), a chicken-farming project for 60 women in Chichipate
Created, in partnership with the Kaache Youth Group (a local NGO), a vegetable farming project with an additional group of 100 women in Chichipate
Supported Kaache’s application for government reforestation incentives to start a 35-hectare reforestation project, which is now underway; Kaache is currently nurturing fruit trees in a nursery involving 30 families.

Public Pronouncement of United Evangelical Churches of El Estor, Izaba

Prensa Libre Newspaper, Guatemala - Monday April 30th, 2007