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Healers' Circle Sponsorship Program
. . . Traveling long distances, they also conduct public clinics during training sessions and separately in areas where acupuncture has become known and trusted. Seasoned healers use acupuncture, preventive western medicine, and native Mayan plant based medicine covering a wide variety of conditions. Petén, Guatemala is the largest and most remote province at 33% of national territory and is difficult place to live. With little access to government provided health care and exposure to flooding and tropical disease, rural residents need accessible health care. Join the Healers' Circle of supporters. You can read about treatments they provide in the Healer’s Circle Profiles.
Frequent Asked Questions
Q. What Can I Contribute?
A: More than you might think! We ask for a donation of $45 per Healer because that is the cost to GUAMAP for their training; they are providing 25% of the cost through clinical funds they have generated.
Q. Does all my donation really go to the training or does it also help administrative expenses?
A. GUAMAP has other sources of funds to administer the U.S. office that develops and manages the projects, so that these contributions are solely for training expenses. By keeping the costs low, you are able to make a modest donation of funds to accomplish great things.
Q. How do I find out about the completion of my sponsored trainee’s education?
A. When the program is successfully completed you will receive an email or letter confirming the accomplishment. If you are interested, you may then opt to sponsor another trainee. In addition, the GUAMAP newsletter, posted online, will report on the graduates.
Q. What if a student I sponsor doesn’t complete the training program?
A. Sometimes a student is unable to complete the training due to various circumstances. Any funds that have been expended for that student up to that point will be made up from other GUAMAP sources, and your donations will go to the full training of another applicant.
Q. Are my donations tax deductible?
A. Yes, if you are in the United States. GUAMAP is a registered 501(c) (3) non-profit organization and you may apply your payments to the charitable giving part of the tax return; ask your tax consultant for further details.
Q. What is the Training?
A: GUAMAP has implemented 10 Specialty Trainings to re-certify acupuncturists in Petén from 2002 – 2014. Courses are normally from 2- 4 days long. Themes: Emergency Acupuncture, Women’s Conditions, Women’s Conditions (advanced course), Level III TCM Theory and Diagnosis, Obstetrics, Dengue (non-acupuncture), Pediatrics, and Pediatrics in Times of Natural Disasters. Themes are chosen by consensus between the Assembly of Petén Acupuncturists and GUAMAP. The 2015 Training, Relevant Cases Review; a Round Robin for Practitioners, will be held in Poptún, Petén. Three GUAMAP trained Guatemalan acupuncturists will led the training review.
Q. What Impact Does the Advanced Training Have?
GUAMAP Healers work in eighteen communities. The healing stories/cases listed below were recorded in 2010 by a professional volunteer acupuncturist. The impact is deep and broad. The severity of some cases is at times shocking (see list below), but it reflects the harsh public health challenges in Petén. Most acupuncturists are the only health worker in their community. Each is unique, but generally they offer TCM acupuncture, health promotion prevention education and dispensing of essential pharmaceutical medicines, and Mayan traditional herbal medicine. GUAMAP certified acupuncturists have from 7-19 years of barefoot doctor acupuncture practice in the semi-tropical climate of the Petén Rain Forest. The geographic area covered is concentrated in the south and western municipalities of Petén.
Cases Treated in the Stories:
Prolapsed uterus
Chest Pain
Fainting
Conception
Geriatric treatments
Prolapsed anus
Post-Partum hemorrhaging
Child abdominal pain
Irregular or onset of menses
Coma
Paralysis after seizure
Have Further Questions? E-mail Guamap at: contact@guamap.org
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