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Safe Passage (Maine)
Encyclopedia
Safe Passage or Camino Seguro is a non-profit organization
that provides school enrollment and after-school support for poor children whose families scavenge the Guatemala City Garbage Dump in Guatemala City
. Safe Passage was founded in 1999 by the late Hanley Denning. The organization assists over 550 children. Safe Passage relies on child sponsorships to keep the program running.
Safe Passage was founded in 1999 by the late Hanley Denning. Hanley was a teacher
in North Carolina
who travelled to Guatemala to learn Spanish. While in Guatemala, the lady she was staying with told her that she wanted her to see the Guatemala City Garbage Dump. After seeing this, Hanley called home and asked her parents to sell her car, computer, and other belongs so that she could start a program to help the people of the dump. With around $5,000, she started a drop-in program in a church outside of the dump. Approximately 40 kids showed up in the first week. People gave her a hard time at first, because others had tried to help them but given up. Hanley persevered and about six months later gained people's confidence.
Hanley Denning, was killed on January 18, 2007 when a bus with no brakes collided head-on with the car she was riding in. The car's driver, a Guatemalan father, was also killed. Two volunteers riding in the back seat of the car were injured. Hanley was 36 and known as "El Angel del Basurero," or "The Angel of the Garbage Dump"
, and an event called "La Fiesta" was held in Michigan
. A school supply drive in Maine was organized in December 2006. Many high schools have also held fund raisers for Safe Passage. Events include bottle and coin drives, school dances, badminton tournaments, bake sales, and presentations.
In 2005, a 5k roadrace was organized in Cumberland, Maine to benefit Safe Passage. The third annual was held on April 28, 2007.
Over $22,000 has already been raised through this race. In 2011 the Esperanza 5k will be held across the country and around the world at various times, organized by supporters.
by Leslie Iwerks
and Mike Glad focuses on the lives of those who work in the Guatemala City Garbage Dump. Hanley Denning appears briefly in the film, and the DVD includes a special video tribute to her. The documentary was shown on HBO in the fall of 2007.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
that provides school enrollment and after-school support for poor children whose families scavenge the Guatemala City Garbage Dump in Guatemala City
Guatemala City
Guatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America...
. Safe Passage was founded in 1999 by the late Hanley Denning. The organization assists over 550 children. Safe Passage relies on child sponsorships to keep the program running.
History
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
who travelled to Guatemala to learn Spanish. While in Guatemala, the lady she was staying with told her that she wanted her to see the Guatemala City Garbage Dump. After seeing this, Hanley called home and asked her parents to sell her car, computer, and other belongs so that she could start a program to help the people of the dump. With around $5,000, she started a drop-in program in a church outside of the dump. Approximately 40 kids showed up in the first week. People gave her a hard time at first, because others had tried to help them but given up. Hanley persevered and about six months later gained people's confidence.
Hanley Denning, was killed on January 18, 2007 when a bus with no brakes collided head-on with the car she was riding in. The car's driver, a Guatemalan father, was also killed. Two volunteers riding in the back seat of the car were injured. Hanley was 36 and known as "El Angel del Basurero," or "The Angel of the Garbage Dump"
Mission
Safe Passage works to "combat poverty through education." The families of Safe Passage children scavenge through the Guatemala City Dump for items to resell. The organization works to enroll these children in the public schools. The public schools are technically free, but students must provide their own books, supplies, and uniforms, which is prohibitive for these poor people. The school day in Guatemala runs a half-day, so Safe Passage runs a support program for the other half of the day. Students come to Safe Passage for the half of the day that they are not in school. There they are separated by class level and do activities that reinforce what they are learning school. They receive a snack and lunch. If students miss less than three days of school a month and less than three days at the program, their family receives a food bag, with the equivalent of what the money the child would likely have earned if not in school.Fundraising
Safe Passage relies on child sponsorships to keep the program running, and many fundraisers have been held across the country. In November 2006, a fund raiser "Unmasking the Truth" was held at the Children's Museum of MaineChildren's Museum of Maine
Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine is located in the Arts District of downtown Portland, Maine and features a wide variety of interactive exhibits and activities for children and families. Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine exists to inspire discovery and imagination through exploration and play...
, and an event called "La Fiesta" was held in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. A school supply drive in Maine was organized in December 2006. Many high schools have also held fund raisers for Safe Passage. Events include bottle and coin drives, school dances, badminton tournaments, bake sales, and presentations.
In 2005, a 5k roadrace was organized in Cumberland, Maine to benefit Safe Passage. The third annual was held on April 28, 2007.
Over $22,000 has already been raised through this race. In 2011 the Esperanza 5k will be held across the country and around the world at various times, organized by supporters.
"Recycled Life" documentary film
The Academy-Award nominated short documentary Recycled LifeRecycled Life
Recycled Life is a 2006 short documentary film directed by Leslie Iwerks. It relays the story of a massive toxic landfill near Guatemala City, and the local residents who scavenge there to eke out their meager living. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short....
by Leslie Iwerks
Leslie Iwerks
Leslie Iwerks is an American director, producer, and writer. She is also daughter to Disney Legend Don Iwerks and granddaughter to the animator and designer of Mickey Mouse, Ub Iwerks.-Biography:...
and Mike Glad focuses on the lives of those who work in the Guatemala City Garbage Dump. Hanley Denning appears briefly in the film, and the DVD includes a special video tribute to her. The documentary was shown on HBO in the fall of 2007.