Six Months in the Land of Eternal Spring

Antigua (here the famous Arco de Santa Catalina) has become my second home.

Finally back in Guatemala, we immediately got to work on our projects in the first week. We visited the children in Suchitepequez, greeted them with songs, danced, and began learning English together for the first time. The children showed us their gratitude with hugs, affection, and enthusiasm for pretty much everything we did with them or gave them. These are moments when I realize again and again how valuable every minute and every smallest act of sharing is for the children. Whether it's time or a gift – they don't care at all. They were infinitely grateful that we came to see them and spend a few hours with them. Their mothers also greeted us and at that point couldn't believe that we were offering them support without questioning or expecting anything in return. I wasn't aware of how much it would take for them to trust us. It took some ups and downs in the last six months. Nonetheless, we enjoyed every single moment, and with every second, the children became more dear to my heart.

A day that will stay with me forever

In addition to our regular visits to Suchitepequez and teaching English, we also visited other villages near Antigua. Here, we were able to support residents with food supplies using the collected donations. This project is particularly crucial during the rainy season when heavy rainfall triggers landslides, cutting off access to food for mountain communities. Therefore, we assisted over 100 families with ample food supplies during this period.

With the help of volunteers, we were able to provide food supplies to more than 100 families after a landslide.

In addition to unforgettable days in Suchitepequez, such as the "Día de los niños," or World Children's Day, we also had to overcome difficult experiences. Conversations with the mothers, in particular, posed challenges and led to complications. Supporting the children also meant building close relationships with the mothers and earning their trust. We repeatedly addressed and discussed various topics with them, including shared goals, educational achievements, contraception, oppression due to machismo, and many others. After six months, we finally saw success. On New Year's Day, during my last visit before returning to Switzerland, tears flowed, and the mothers thanked us with loving hugs for our consistent support. This, too, is a moment I will never forget.

In November, Timo, Elisa, and Barbara came to Guatemala to visit the projects.

Before the end of the year, we put in 100% effort for our projects once again. In November, we launched our Christmas campaign with handmade toiletry bags from a five-member Maya family and handcrafted soap made in Switzerland. The sale was intended to help us finance the next school year for now 68 children. Thanks to the visit of the Swiss volunteer team, we were able to transport the handmade toiletry bags to Switzerland without any problems. This, too, was a phenomenal success that motivates us to launch similar campaigns in the future.

The collaboration with Olga and Sandra was a fantastic experience, and we were thrilled when we finally got to hold the finished toiletry bags in our hands.

In January 2023, I returned to Switzerland. I now look back on a challenging yet incredibly successful six months in Guatemala. It has shown me, in addition to new insights and impressions, how much we can achieve with relatively few resources. How much the children and their families appreciate our work and how valuable it is to change the future of countless people.

Ending this chapter with incredibly positive feelings and, above all, with renewed strength and motivation, I am ready to embark on an even bigger chapter. I am prepared for even more change and stories that we will write together with The M Story team, volunteers, and donors.

Part of our new chapter will be Elisa, who will continue to support us in communication after her internship!

A heartfelt thank you to each and every one who has made this possible!