Merriam-Webster Definition of Microfinance: “Financial services especially in the form of microloans provided to impoverished individuals and groups in poor and developing regions.” For Factor-H, microfinance is more than just a financial service. It is a tool to empower members of the disadvantaged HD communities, helping them become more resilient…

C.A.S.A DIGNIDAD – A HOUSE FOR ALL by Marina Kauffman, president of Fundación Habitat LUZ The first time I went to Barranquitas, I was impressed by the beauty of its surroundings. A hidden place, almost untouched, to which an unfinished path leads but full of visual surprises. To see lagoons…

The beginning of Factor-H took place in Mendoza, Argentina, in 2012, and we celebrated the beginning of our journey together as a team through music and dance. A tango troupe volunteered to take us into a magical and complex journey – one that we continue to take together through our…

Program “Abrazos” is an ongoing program in Colombia since 2015 (40 children as of 2020), and also in Venezuela since 2019 (120 children as of 2020). This program covers basic assistance – food, clothes, school supplies, dental and medical access. Additionally, program covers recreational and educational events every 6 months…

   

Factor-H has established formal collaborations with the University of Antioquia and the University of Medellín in Medellín (State of Antioquia), and the University Metropolitana (Barranquilla, State of Atlántico) to assist caregivers and the patients we directly support in Colombia (currently >130 families). Our employees work only in defined regions of…

<br /> A few months ago I wrote a story about meeting Brayan, a young kid at risk for HD from Barranquitas, Venezuela (see blog post “Reflections on instilling a sense of hope”). Together with colleagues Matt Rota (https://www.mattrotasart.com) and Nicanor Cardeñosa, we put together a narrated illustrated story of…

What is the difference between having no hope and having hope? Meet Brayan, a 13-year old boy I met when visiting the town of Barranquitas, in Venezuela, in December 2018, the last time I was able to visit. This town is a forsaken, isolated village where in every corner one…

Zoraida always received us with a child-like smile. She was the “mother” of the local San Luis association FAHUN (Fundación Amigos de Huntington), an association founded in 2017 by young people at risk for HD in Maracaibo. Zoraida acted as the Secretary of the organization, and she often brought a…

No matter how many patients we meet along our journey, it is always difficult to say goodbye. Death is inevitable. For our friends suffering with HD, it comes earlier and always in tragic circumstances. However, there are moments in life that are impossible to forget. The pictures below were taken…