CADENA CJG ONG / Club Cadena / Jewish Community of Guatemala / Humanitarian Aid for Emergencies and disasters / Humanitarian Missions and Programs in Guatemala

¿What is CLUB CADENA?

CLUB CADENA is CADENA CJG ONG section that focuses on high school students reinforcing values as fraternity, compassion, generosity and general welfare.

CLUB CADENA aims to create a student community that is sensible and conscious of their environment by making them participants in issues such as emergencies, disasters and humanitarian aid.

This is a network of several community service clubs distributed in different high schools. Their main objective is to help vulnerable communities (evaluate their needs and experiment practical activities), well as raise supplies for specific missions for places impacted by an emergency or natural disaster.

The four pillars of CLUB CADENA

1. Cadena Initiative

The goal of Cadena Initiative is that several groups, 3 students in each, propose and develop each a different idea that helps people and communities which are economical, material o socially vulnerable either before, during or after an emergency or natural disaster. During the school year and during the projects life students are given workshops and talks regarding the elements that cause and impact population before, during and after an emergency or natural disaster. They also receive basic rescue and survival workshops. Near the end of the school year groups compete nationally and the winner travels to Mexico with all expenses covered to the GREAT FINAL where their project will compete against projects of other countries winners. The Great Winner project is incorporated to CADENA missions internationally.

2. Humanitarian Missions "hand in hand"

Students participate in at least 2 humanitarian missions during the school year. CADENA CJG ONG are called "hand in hand" because volunteers (in this case CAG Students, Teachers and Parents) deliver aid directly "hand in hand" to people in need. Normally deliver aid are water filters, solar lamps, blankets, etc. Missions are to places relatively close to Guatemala City (max. two hour drive) in optimal controlled conditions for teenage students. Adult volunteers from CADENA CJG ONG always accompany the missions. For logistic reasons, each mission permits a limited number of volunteers.

3. Collection Center

CLUB CADENA is organized in a way that within each school it collects aid for the "hand in hand" missions. Each time an emergency or national disaster occurs the "collection mode" is activated, this task is divided in advertising and communications, sensitize, reception, ordering and temporary storage of the aid.

4. Support to a Community

CLUB CADENA identifies, contacts and establishes a relation with authorities and population of a nearby community prone to be helped. Reachable objectives are defined to help the community, planning and executing self-sustainable projects related to nutrition, education, etc.

NOTE: Each CLUB CADENA emphasizes each pillar in different way, students must at least participate in pillars 1 and 4, as well as actively support pillars 2 and 3.

Additional to the 4 Pillars mentioned above, CLUB CADENA provides during the schoolyear of talks and workshops that give each student the basic concepts of a FIRST RESPONDER. This are people that help victims of emergencies and disasters before formal medical help arrives.

CLUB CADENA closely coordinates all activities with each school authorities. Normally there is a teacher named as counsel of the Club. CLUB CADENA government is elected by the students.

Each CLUB CADENA has the support of CADENA CJG ONG and indirectly of CADENA INTERNATIONAL regarding material, workshops, as well as professional backing for missions and other tasks.

For this coming 2019-2020 school year we have established our first CLUG CADENA at the American School of Guatemala, CLUB CADENA CAG.