A welcome change of pace
Last weekend, Elvia and Michelle visited the children in a remote village in the Santa Bárbara district. This village is one of the poorest in all of Guatemala.
Most people live in makeshift houses made of corrugated metal or other cheap and inadequate materials, such as corn stalks. Families in this village struggle to earn enough money to feed their children, and as a result, some children suffer from malnutrition. Many parents work on the plantations in the surrounding area, but these jobs are only available seasonally and are poorly paid. Additionally, many mothers are left to support up to six children on their own, as the fathers are either in prison or entirely absent.
It's also one of the villages where we distributed food packages during the pandemic and now provide more than 40 children with access to education through school supply packages.
On Sunday, Michelle and Elvia invited all the children and teenagers from the village to spend the day with them. They rented a large space next to the school for this purpose. They started by singing songs together, reading stories, and having conversations. The topics ranged from Bible stories to the difficulties they face in school and problems at home, including domestic violence. In these remote areas of Guatemala, where people have limited access to education, alcoholism, domestic violence, and rape are commonplace. For the people there, it's just a part of their lives that they rarely talk about or question. As part of our education project, we also try to raise awareness about these issues and teach them that they don't have to accept these things as normal. Unfortunately, it's very difficult because Guatemala is a patriarchal society where women are often penalized if they don't accept things as they are.
After getting the children excited for the day, they distributed English books, which we were able to obtain at a very low price from the local textbook manufacturer. In a playful manner, they taught the children their first English words. The children ranged in age from 6 to 16, so they divided them into groups where they could solve tasks together.
Playing, the children learned their first English words.
In the late afternoon, Elvia and Michelle accompanied the children home, bidding farewell as they walked through the village with the whole group. It was a day filled with joy, and Elvia and Michelle left with full hearts, knowing they had provided the children with a welcome break from their otherwise very challenging daily lives. The children were infinitely grateful and asked when they would come back again. It was a beautiful experience for everyone, and the next visit to the village is already planned in a few weeks.
