Andrew Loveall -- New Hope for Guatemala

(from www.newhopeforguatemala.com)
In 1999, Andrew Loveall went on a short-term mission trip that changed his life. Feeling a divine call on his life, he quit his job and moved his family to Guatemala, working with a clinic serving the desperately poor who scavenge at Guatemala City's massive municipal dump. There he began to encounter Guatemala's street children. Their needs overwhelmed him.

Thousands of kids live on the streets. Incredibly, they are not abandoned, but come from destitute families who send their youngsters - as young as five - to beg and make money in tourist towns such as at Antigua and Quetzaltenango. There they shine shoes, sell souvenirs and serve as tour guides. Many are victimized by those who take advantage of children. Few go to school. Often they are detested by local officials - particularly for coming from rural, indigenous Mayan tribes.

Over the next decade, Andrew developed a unique "business model" of working with local officials to establish schools, clinics and other infrastructure in partnership with generous friends from the United States. Once established, the schools become eligible for funding through the Guatemalan ministry of education - and do not need as much help from America. A mentoring program also developed - with Andrew giving key youth leadership roles in local projects. Today some of the fruit of Andrew's work can be seen in New Hope for Guatemala's staff members Luis Hernandez, Josue Esteban and Geovani Pichillo.