Over the past few weeks my time has been occupied with visiting a property near Chimaltenango and assessing whether it is suitable for the needs of Project Somos Children’s Village. It has been a very engaging and exciting time and after 3 all day visits to the land and looking at all that is has to offer, we (Board of Director’s of Compassion Fruit Society) have decided to work toward making an offer to purchase this property.

I will describe in brief what this wonderful place includes. It is 135 acres of partially level and forested land, ranging from 6500 feet at the top to 5500 feet at the lower piece, which is bordered on two sides by rivers that join together. On the upper portion of the land there is a 5000 sq ft community hall with a commercial kitchen, two large bathrooms and storage areas. There is a 3200 sq ft, two-story guesthouse with 9 bedrooms and 9 bathrooms. There is also an identical guesthouse partially completed. The buildings are very new as it was designed and built as a Christian retreat centre, which never was completed or operated.

The lower portion of the land has an abundance of water (rare for the highlands of Guatemala) with a large spring that supplies two pools and a small lake that empties into the river. Near the large spring there is a 2400 sq ft covered area with a concrete slab and open sides. There are also three other smaller springs that have been developed.

In terms of its use for the Children’s Village it is ideal. There is ample room for orchards, agricultural development (including coffee production), many houses for the mothers and children, and a soccer field. It has so much flexibility of design, the list is almost endless. It offers the possibility of beginning the project and receiving children much sooner than we had expected. The guesthouse can easily be used for the kids as well as administrative space immediately. When the mother’s homes are built it can be used as volunteer and guest accommodation.

This property also offers a huge benefit and advantage by offering social enterprises potential for self-sustainability much sooner than we had expected. These possibilities were obvious to us from our first visit and add a very positive element from the very beginning. With each visit the possibilities are more clear and detailed. Financial sustainability has always been the platform we wanted to build the village on, as not to need continuous donations over the long-term. It seems at this point we may have found an incredible location, beyond our imagination, to establish the first Children’s Village for Project Somos. Stay tuned for the next steps and how you can help.

Hasta Luego,
Greg