Diamante

What is Diamante?

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Diamante is a small city in the province of Entre Rios, Argentina. Directly translated from Spanish, the word "Diamante" means "Diamond." If you were to gaze upon the town from a great distance, you couldn't help but think it is aptly named: tall, catholic cathedral spires stretch heavenward, creating a glinting contrast to the rolling brown grass of the surrounding flatland pampas. Venturing into the heart of the city's poor districts, however, will quickly change your mind. All similes of precious stones are laid aside as you are confronted with poverty, illness, and hunger. A bearded man in a ragged shirt stares at you from his small cement porch, a bottle of beer poised on his knee. His flea-bitten dog whimpers as you walk past. A crowd of several barefoot children peer at you shyly from around the corner of the old soup kitchen. Were you to question them, you would discover that one has a mother with tuberculosis, one has been sexually abused by the bearded man, two haven't eaten since yesterday, and most of them have never been to school. This is Diamante.

What is the Diamante Project?

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The Diamante Project seeks to address the immediate physical, mental, and spiritual needs of the poverty-stricken children of Argentina. By cooperating with local university students from Universidad Adventista del Plata (UAP), we seek to supply sufficient monetary means and man-power to meet these goals.

Current Activities

Physically: Once a week, a group of dedicated UAP students provides some food for the children of Diamante. A series of preventive health lectures have been offered to both the kids and their parents, and regular blood-pressure checks have been administered.

Mentally: Several children are being sponsored to attend the local Seventh-Day Adventist grade school. Personal connections are being made with as many families as possible, while UAP students are offering support and direction.

Spiritually: A special kids' program is produced by UAP students every Saturday afternoon. Children enjoy singing songs, doing crafts, playing games, and learning Bible stories. Several older children and parents have also begun in-depth Bible studies.

What Can I Do?

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The Diamante Project will benefit immensely from both your monetary support and your prayers. Please make checks payable to OMHEF (Overseas Medical Health Education Foundation). Be sure to specify that the money is for the Diamante project. Donations may be mailed to:

The Diamante Project
c/o Mary Penner
224 Woodside Road
Brunswick, ME 04011

For more information, write to Petra at Petra.Houmann@gmail.com. Thanks for your help.

A Little Glimpse

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