Solvang Rotary, Linda Vista Foundation share the same motivation ‘Service Above Self’
Solvang Rotary and Linda Vista Foundation joined forces on Feb. 8-17 for some challenging philanthropic work in Guatemala for the third year in a row.
Solvang Rotarians Linda Johansen, Jan Clevenger, Dr. Art Kaslow, Dr. Bobby Brugnone, and Joe Brown teamed up with Linda Vista Foundation CEO Stu Gildred and his sister Tiffany Enermann as well as his new Director for Latin America Ana Paula Perez Martinez.
“Because there were only five Solvang Rotarians leaving from the Solvang area this year, we had to improvise our round-trip transportation to the LAX airport,” Johansen began. “To the rescue was fellow Rotarian Tresha Sell and Rio Vista who offered to provide the group with a van and driver in each direction. We were lucky enough to have Maynard Bentley, a dear friend to some of us, be our driver. Thank you Rio Vista, the Sell family, Maynard, and employee Tyler for getting all the arrangements made to help us. It takes a village for sure on these trips whether it be additional funding from private Rotarians or our Club, or both. We love and appreciate so much our village of helpers as we all pay our own way as well as help to pay for all of the services that we provide in the underserved communities.”
And once the group got to Guatemala it was more planning for transportation.
“We have always flown Avianca for this mission from Los Angeles directly into Guatemala City and stayed there overnight before leaving early the next morning for a long drive to our first destination,” Johansen continued. “We rented two vehicles and divided up our team with Stu Gildred driving in the lead car followed by Dr. Bobby Brugnone and his team members. We communicate between the cars with our high-tech walkie-talkies for directions and entertainment. This helps to keep these long difficult dirt road drives bearable. We have always made those long car rides fun with joke-telling and games.”
Johansen explained that the group’s mission was dedicated to projects for the underserved in the remote mountainous village of San Martin Chiquito, particularly the indigenous Mam tribe, who are of Mayan descent. They speak no Spanish, only Mam.
“We all stayed at the nonprofit called Local Hope and Xela Aid Eco Guest House facility and worked in the same compound as well. For our afternoon arrival at Xela Aid, we were greeted by the staff and school children who treated us to a dancing performance in their native costume in the inner courtyard,” Johansen said. “It was wonderful and the children were so adorable. One by one the children managed to get our entire group out on the dance floor with them. The program ended with the children giving us all handpicked bouquets of flowers for our rooms. There were lots of hugs for the children and they all hugged us right back! These adorable pre-school-aged children were part of a scholarship fund established for 50 students into the Montessori program.”
The group’s projects at Local Hope Xela Aid were the completion and delivery to local families of handmade chicken coops with chickens for a sustaining project for the families, water filter systems, working in the computer lab with students, aid for the special needs classrooms, guitar lessons and several days of intense dentistry.
“The dentistry was tough as the indigenous adults and children that we saw had received absolutely no dental treatment, so it was a bit like a war zone in there. There were a lot of infections and extractions and it was absolutelyheartbreaking to see little children in this condition,” said Johansen. “We all wanted to scoop them up in our arms and bring them home to a better life, which included better dental and health care.”
Johansen provided some impact numbers from 2024 for Xela Aid which was founded by humanitarian Leslie Baer Dinkel: Health care, 6,362 patients served; safe water, 27,610 served; 23,425 emergency food; 8,626 hot meals for children and seniors; 72,864 Pre-K learning participant hours; 83,160 Study Center participant hours; computer lab, 64,080 participant hours; and special needs, 94,438 learning, physical and therapy hours. The number of people served in 2024 was 16,626.
“Again, one person had a vision that turned into this reality for the community of San Martin Chiquito. One person’sefforts can and does make a profound difference,” said Johansen.
“Before leaving Xela Aid, we all took advantage of the indigenous women and their weaving skills by shopping in their co-op store, where all participants divide the monies,” she continued. “The women of this tribe have found great power in knowing that their weaving skills are valued and are banding together in many different co-ops to sell their stunningly beautiful hand-woven items. The women are now very successful in their own right and helping to provide for their families.”
The group departed Xela Aid, driving over three hours on marginal roads to their next stop, which was San Jose La Maquina, which is where they stayed for several nights for their well dig project.
“The villages are so remote and have no hotel facilities or ever receive tourists, so we stay as close as possible with the well-digging crew in whatever community that they find with a hotel that is habitable for us all,” said Johansen. “Last year’s ‘find’ had brown water coming out of the tap, so thank heavens for wet wipes.
“We eat breakfast starting at 5 a.m. with the crew as well as dinner later every evening about 7 p.m., having about 30 minutes to wash up after the day’s well dig. We initiated Jaime and staff after dinner to play Left Right and Center, which is a gambling game at $3 per game, which was fronted for them. We had an absolute blast playing with them andwe all forgot all of the aches, pains and emotional angst that comes when you volunteer in these remote villages.”
Johansen explained that they have worked with the same water well company, Asocaviva, and owner Jaimie Torres and his amazing crew, including Carla Castellanos who teaches the women and children in each remote village they serve.
“They speak only Spanish and we women step up to help Carla with the classes when we aren’t helping with the well dig,” said Johansen. “She has put an incredible amount of time into her lessons, trying to speak English as well so that they are all exposed to some English vocabulary. We do songs, skits, interactive games and arts and crafts. The lessons are all built around oral and physical hygiene as well as environmental hygiene, trying to teach them about sanitation and bacteria. We even have ‘poop’ props that we use in our skits, and the women and children hang on to every word and repeat it all back to us and interact with these lessons.
“It is wonderful to be able to hug and love all these remote villagers that see little or no visitors ever. To let them know they matter, and that we care about their wellbeing is a beautiful gift. It is even more remarkable how Jaime finds these remote locations and makes sure that they get the coveted staple in life, clean water.”
However, the task isn’t without its difficulties.
“The unfortunate part of the well dig is the remote villages are at least 1½ to 2 hours’ drive from our hotel location in each direction,” explained Johansen. “The roads are always dirt and the conditions very hash with huge potholes and rocks. As the crow flies, this year’s well community was less than 15 miles from our hotel site, and it took us almost two hours one way to get where we needed to be.”
And the conditions weren’t optimum, either.
“Dusty is the understatement as we followed the well crew truck and another vehicle,” Johansen continued. “You could barely see where you were driving. As is customary in Guatemala, our car rental had no wiper blades so Bobby had to improvise with our car windshield wipers stuffing newspaper, tissue paper and toilet paper under the wipers so we could see a bit. You certainly learn how to improvise with what you have on these remote philanthropic trips. Whether you are digging ditches, building chicken coops, water filter kits, home structures or doing dentistry, you just do the best you can with what you have available to you, knowing that it matters and that doing something is always better than doing nothing.
“At the well site, the local women along with the pastor’s wife, made our lunch daily and served us food for our celebration and prayer vigil when the well came in with fresh water. This well was dug to 249 feet as the water is still contaminated with bacteria and fecal matter if you don’t dig deep.”
Once the well was completed the group, including the villagers, held a celebration.
“The celebration for the completed water well is always wonderful, with children playing in the fresh water as it shoots out of the pipe,” said Johansen. “We celebrated in their beautiful parish and the village pastor led the service. Stu Gildred from Linda Vista as well as Jaimie Torres from Asocaviva also shared beautiful words to the members of the community. Jaimie and Asocaviva always give out beautiful white bibles to the women in the villages. These bibles are so coveted even though most of the villagers are illiterate.”
“Our last breakfast with the crew at 5 a.m. before leaving for the well dig was filled with special comments and lots of hugs as Jaime was presented his own game of Left, Right and Center to take back to his family and to play on the well digs. They rotate a week of work on and off and have a long waiting list of villages to receive water wells,” said Johansen. “We know there will be lots of fun and laughter for them with their new game, especially since their currency, the Quetzal, is certainly not as valuable as U.S. money.”
Following the well-dig celebration, the group drove four to five hours to Lake Atitlan, where they stayed at the Sacred Tree for a little rest and relaxation before returning home.
“We visited several school sites and found some projects to help with in the Santa Cruz La Laguna area which is on the other side of the lake,” Johansen said. “Travel around Lake Atitlan is by boat taxi, so that is always an adventure as well. You are never dry when you get to your destinations and getting into the small boats from the higher docks takes a village and is an adventure in itself.”
Members of the group were left satisfied with an interesting trip all in the name of a good cause.
“Our hearts are full and our souls fed from another successful trip to Guatemala with the Linda Vista Foundation and the Solvang Rotary. Next year’s destination will be Colombia and we are working out all of the details for that trip now,” said Johansen. “There is never a shortage of projects to work on, and there is a great need in this world. Be a part of the change, make a difference and give to the underserved. Your life will be changed in the most profound ways.”
If you are interested in helping or joining a possible humanitarian trip with the Solvang Rotary and Impact Adventures and Linda Vista Foundation, contact Linda Johansen at lindyjo2003@yahoo.com.
“In 2024, over 40,000 lives were directly impacted by the initiatives Linda Vista Foundation supported,” Johansen said.”More than $150,000 in grants were distributed to 17 incredible organizations working tirelessly to achieve meaningful change in their communities. These numbers reflect not just the power of funding, but the transformative impact of collaboration and shared purpose. Each life touched, each community uplifted, is a testament to the power of what we can achieve together. Let’s keep building bridges, fostering hope, and driving progress in Latin America. You too canhelp in whatever capacity is right for you. Join our team and make a difference!”
For those inspired by the group’s recent service trip, Impact Adventure Tours offers the opportunity to embark on a transformative journey to Mexico, Colombia, or Guatemala. Specializing in customized trips for groups of up to 14 people, they combine meaningful service work with immersive cultural experiences. Whether it’s volunteering, exploring, or both, each trip is designed to create a lasting impact.
To learn more or to plan a trip, visit impactadventuretours.com or contact Ana Paula Perez at lindavistafoundation@gmail.com.
