Transitions Foundation of Guatemala

Transitions was co-founded in 1998 by an American, John Bell, and a Guatemalan, Alex Galvez. John had come to Antigua, Guatemala to work as a volunteer in the local Hermano Pedro Hospital. While there, he met Alex, a young disabled patient, who was being treated for the effects of a gunshot wound. Alex was suffering from severe bedsores, and the outlook for his recovery was very bleak. Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, John arranged for Alex to be brought to the United States where he received the surgeries and self-care training needed to make a successful recovery. Alex was eventually able to return to Guatemala, a healthy young man with a new outlook on his life.

Following this experience, both Alex and John realized the tremendous need to provide services to to Guatemalans living with paralysis. Not only are there a huge number of disabled individuals living in Guatemala, but the situation is also intensified by the fact that over 47% of Guatemalans are illiterate, the average person makes less than $10 per day, and as many as 50% of children experience chronic malnutrition. Disabled Guatemalans receive no financial aid from the Guatemalan government, and many depend solely on family members for remittances and other financial support. Professional and educational opportunities for Guatemalans living with disabilities are severely limited.

In response to these difficult circumstances, Alex and John decided to create an organization in which disabled Guatemalans could work to reclaim their lives – thus, Transitions was born. In the 14 years that have followed, Transitions has become a leader in the Guatemalan disability community, providing services and opportunities that are unique to this organization and geographical area. Alex is now the organization’s Executive Director, and has worked in collaboration with partners throughout the world to pioneer new programs and services for disabled Guatemalans. Amongst many other projects, Transitions has worked with local partner ConstruCasa to build several accessible houses for disabled individuals living in rural areas of Guatemala, with World Emergency Relief to provide rehabilitation and education to Guatemalan youth with developmental disabilities, and with Rotary International and The California Institute of Technology, to fabricate and deliver over 900 custom mobility aids to disabled Guatemalans at little to no cost. Of the people with whom Transitions works, most are disable due to: congenital birth defects, permanent injuries due to accidents (paraplegics, amputees, orthopedic impairment), survivors of violence that have been left with a range of physical disabilities, and the elderly.

Currently, Transitions operates six different programs dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities: (1) Wheelchair Workshop, (2) Prosthetic & Orthotic Clinic, (3) Print Shop, (4) Special Education Classroom, (5) Educational Scholarships, and (6) Wheelchair Basketball Program. Amongst all of its programs, Transitions strives to provide jobs to people with disabilities. Of the individuals Transitions employs, 69% are disabled, and all of these individuals first started as participants in Transitions’ programs.