FROM HOPELESSNESS TO DIGNITY
MEET ALMA
From isolation to abundant life.
AT Catalyst/Guatemala
I was born with a disability called spina bifida in a rural town in Guatemala. Unable to walk, I lived in isolation for most of my childhood. My mother said I was a mistake. My father said that I was not his daughter.
I spent the first 14 years of my life at home, confined to a bed or the floor. I was locked in a room behind closed doors. Where I live, having a disability means a limited life with no future. Someone like me doesn’t have many options. My greatest desire was to go to school and have friends, but I could not leave the house. I had no hope. It was hard to keep fighting. I wanted to die.
But God had other plans for me….
Everything changed when I received a wheelchair that fit my needs perfectly. For the first time, I could go to school, have friends, and experience life! I couldn’t believe the newfound possiblities a wheelchair brought into my life!
“For the first time in my life, I feel included in my community.
I have found my wings to soar!”
Before I received my wheelchair, I could never imagine going to school, much less being employed. IDEAS helps people like me experience the fullness of our God-given dignity. I am no longer confined by my disability. I am finally free to dream, learn, work, and embrace the world with joy!
With IDEAS, I am now able to offer the same hope to others.
I help young people like me gain new life. It’s amazing to serve alongside the very people who brought me transformation. I love my work! IDEAS opens doors of hope and possiblities for a future - for me and for countless children with disabilities and their families. Together, we are breaking the chains of isolation and shame, empowering people through love and care to find inclusion, belonging, and the opportunity to experience abudant life!
You can be a part of helping people like me flourish by removing barriers to dignity!
About the Author
Alma lives in Guatemala and is now assembling wheelchairs alongside the same people who changed her life.
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Together, let’s help people + communities flourish!
LET’S TELL MORE STORIES LIKE THESE
Your gift empowers IDEAS to bring lasting hope and remove barriers so that people around the world can experience the fullness of their God-given dignity!
Together, we can work to provide marginalized individuals and vulnerable communities the opportunity to live flourishing, abundant lives.