Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Verapazz (Agenzia Fides) - Father Sergio Waldemar Godoy Peláez coordinates the Comunidad Esperanza, an institution committed to the young workers of the municipal landfill of the city of Coban, in the center of a region intensely dedicated to the cultivation of coffee. The diocesan Guatemalan priest deals with the development of children and youth exploited in this sector.
In addition, he is the Director of the Radio System de Estaciones Tezulutlán of the Diocese of Verapaz. The objective of the Program and its Center for Integral Formation "Ciudad de la Esperanza" is to respond to the needs of more than 300 girls, boys and young men and women in living conditions which are considered at risk; facilitate self-employment of the participants as well as generating resources for the support of the Comunidad Esperanza. The age of the main beneficiaries is between 3 and 18. Due to the lack of economic resources, boys, girls and young people are often forced to work in landfills. A large majority survives in family complexes, with a total income of $ 150 per month. Generally, they are ethnic Q'eqchi as well as many migrants who come from the countryside to the city. As a result there are different cultures and traditions that cannot fit in with the new urban culture. The Program also assists children and young people of the most marginalized areas in the city who are victims of extreme poverty, of the violent social climate in which they live. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 28/10/2014)
