April 2023
I’ve recently returned from Guatemala and our projects aroung Lake Atitlan. The days were comfortably in the 70’s, with fog moving into the caldera in the evenings, precursers to the start of the rainy season there at 5200’.
On day 1 we met with and shared a meal with our whole team of social workers and educators and worked on a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis of the nonprofit. This was an enlightening exercise. Since Covid, GHA has largely directed our assets to education rather than towards building single-family homes.
As inflation has soared, indigenous Guatemalan families struggle for mere survival, and education often has to take a backseat as children join the workforce ever earlier. The major threat we see as an organization is dropouts and emigration to the U.S. Weaknesses the team discussed included all the travel by tuk tuk required of working in four communities (we see no alternative!) and the currrent financial inability for offering tutoring classes twice weekly rather than once. We have excellent teachers, all part-time, and parents, recognizing the benefits of individualized tutoring, are asking for more.
I visited two of the turoring classes. GHA has coordinated with another nonprofit to educate our own teachers in exciting models for presenting literacy. On this day, the kids were hearing and participating in the telling of Jack and the Beanstalk (Juan y Los Frijoles Magicos). The teacher’s motions were animated, her enthusiasm exciting the kids, drawing them out with questions. This is a far cry from what is normal in under-funded, rote, non-participitory education in Guatemala. These kids were revved up! Some of these kids may never have the opportunity to finish even grade school. We desparately want them to be literate before they need stop.
GHA presents Escuelas de Madres in our several towns, and I was very impressed observing one in Pasajquim. The ride there, switchbacking up and out of the ancient volcanic caldera that cradles the lake, is about an hour and a half long, on a good day. Pasajquim is at the end of the road. Only twice over the years have I seen a brief glimpse of the Pacific as the the fog rolls in daily. Here many families have chosen to have their even young children work on foot looms for an outside company rather than continue in school. School is legally compulsory through grade school, but a blind eye is turned towards the indigenous.
We offer workshops for the mothers of the kids for whom we privide scholarships. They’ve chosen to study many things: human/legal rights to soap making, sex ed/anatomy to weaving. The current topic might be called ‘self respect’. These women, living in a deeply patriarchal society are just now, according to their own telling, becoming aware that they are worthy and valuable. They are given the rare opportuntiy to socialize in a group. These incredible women, many single and illiterate, tell us with pride of their children, whose educations we support. A few have kids at university level. These students are likely to raise generations out of poverty.
This year GHA provides scholarships for 45 students. 11 are at university level, studying nursing, business administration, social work, architecture and education.
Additionally we have darn cute new pre-school classes where kids get a head start, get read to, and hone their Spanish skills before entering public school if they speak only Tz’utujil.
We had lunch in a mom's home; hot-from-the-comal tortillas and veggies. She and several other moms showed us their chickens. This was a very successful project GHA presented to the moms starting a couple years ago. Each woman was gifted 5 chicks, but not until they were taught to care for them, had made enclosures, and learned the business of selling. Many now have multiplied their flocks many times, earned well, have eggs and meat for their families. It's been a wonderfully sustainable project.
We’d like to express gratitude to Spain’s Universidad de Valencia for sponsoring interns to share in our work year after year, and this season sending us lovely and competent Sara.
All in all it was a great trip, both heartwarming and invigorating.
(above: Tuk Tuks on the streets of San Pedro La Laguna)
You can sponsor a student through our website with either a monthy or annual donation. It costs only $25/month to sponsor primary through secondary level students, and $84/month ($1000/yr) for university students. Along with tuition and supplies, our students receive both mentoring and enrichment studies, and their mom’s, too, have the opportunity to expand their horizons with classes.