May 2018 was a significant month for the Pop family.  In addition to carrying out all of his duties and responsibilities as the Director of CHOICE Guatemala, Olger has been 'moonlighting' as a student at the University of Rafael Landivar.  Olger has worked diligently for two years and now he has received his Master of Science Degree from the Faculty of Environmental and Agricultural Sciences in Tropical Agroforestry at the Campus of La Verapaz. CHOICE Humanitarian is extremely proud of Olger's accomplishment and would like to share his achievement widely.

"This past summer, I accompanied CHOICE Humanitarian on an expedition to the Altiplano of Bolivia. Our mission was to assist in the construction of classrooms in the town of Taracollo, home to indigenous Bolivians. Along with my sleeping bag and work clothes, I packed my camera and watercolors supplies. Although I knew I would be giving the majority of my time to the humanitarian work ahead of me, I wanted to record what I could of the village, its people, and my experience in watercolor and ink.

As part of the Spring Into Action campaign running from April 16 – May 1, we will be posting daily about topics related to extreme poverty and how anyone and everyone can join the movement to end it.

Once I got salmonella after eating elote from a street stand in Mexico and I thought my life was over. After two days of excruciating pain, the ungodly effects of the illness, and plenty of antibiotics, I as good as new. Well, almost -- I never ate street elote again.

As part of the Spring Into Action campaign running from April 16 – May 1, we will be posting daily about topics related to extreme poverty and how anyone and everyone can join the movement to end it.  

Creating leadership and business opportunities for women continues to be a central focus for CHOICE. Once a woman living in a rural village has coped with her family’s most pressing needs, she can then focus on income generating opportunities which allow her to sustain her family and contribute to her community. With the ability to earn an income and contribute to the support of their household, women are helping to pull their family out of poverty while also gaining traction as respected leaders.

As part of the Spring Into Action campaign running from April 16 – May 1, we will be posting daily about topics related to extreme poverty and how anyone and everyone can join the movement to end it.

How often do you take time to consider where your food comes from? Think about it -- the eggs you ate for breakfast were laid by a chicken on a farm. The salmon you’re grilling for dinner is a fish that used to swim in a body of water on the other side of the country. The chocolate milk you’re dipping your favorite cookie in was milked from a cow living somewhere in Montana. Due to an extensive supply chain, you can get all sorts of animal products from your local grocery store in the blink of an eye! Unfortunately, this is not the case for those living in rural villages around the world.

As part of the Spring Into Action campaign running from April 16 – May 1, we will be posting daily about topics related to extreme poverty and how anyone and everyone can join the movement to end it.

I was surprised by my period the other day. I know, TMI. But the fact of the matter is, I shouldn’t be surprised anymore. I literally have an app on my phone that tracks my period. It counts down the days until my next start date, and even tells me when I am ovulating.

By now you are probably wondering why you are reading this slightly uncomfortable article on menstruation. All I can say is I have blood on the brain – and you should, too.

As part of the Spring Into Action campaign running from April 16 – May 1, we will be posting daily about topics related to extreme poverty and how anyone and everyone can join the movement to end it.

Earlier this week, we discussed how malnutrition affects those living in extreme poverty. There are two aspects to malnutrition. One of them is not getting enough food, which can lead to stunted growth, increased risk of infection, and even death. The other aspect is hidden hunger, or when someone is not constantly hungry, but lacks food variety. One way that CHOICE Humanitarian combats malnutrition is through our agricultural programs.

As part of the Spring Into Action campaign running from April 16 – May 1, we will be posting daily about topics related to extreme poverty and how anyone and everyone can join the movement to end it.

Think about it: There are individuals living in extreme poverty worldwide who have ingenious ideas. From inventions to business ventures, creative ideas are universal. However, because these individuals lack collateral, they are considered “unbankable.”

As part of the Spring Into Action campaign running from April 16 – May 1, we will be posting daily about topics related to extreme poverty and how anyone and everyone can join the movement to end it.

Though almost everyone has complained at some point in their life about school, it’s hard to deny the benefits that our education provided to our lives.

Why does education matter? When people are able to get a quality education they can break the cycle of poverty by getting better jobs that can result in a better life. Education, therefore, helps to reduce inequalities and empowers people to live more healthy and sustainable lives.

As part of the Spring Into Action campaign running from April 16 – May 1, we will be posting daily about topics related to extreme poverty and how anyone and everyone can join the movement to end it. 

Between 2000 and 2012, 2.3 million square kilometers (890,000 sq. mi) of forests around the world were cut down. Because of deforestation, only 6.2 million square kilometers (2.4 million square miles) remain of the original 16 million square kilometers (6 million square miles) of forest that formerly covered the earth.