Change a Life: School Sponsorship

Can you imagine not being able to send your child to school?  School is something we take for granted – but is not a given in many parts of the world.  I have been asked many times what I think will lift Guatemala out of poverty.  Education.  It is simple, children will have a much better chance of breaking the cycle of poverty the more choices they have in life.  They will be more confident and able to seize opportunities.  Each year of schooling allows for more choices.

Though education is supposed to be free – it truly isn’t.  There is an enrollment fee and other essential items needed.  For many families, the cost is prohibitive when you can’t even feed your children – or only make $20-50 a month.  There are many families that value it & hope for the chance for their children.  I have heard about a family that sent one child on certain days and the second child on the other days.  The reason they both couldn’t attend at the same time is that they only had 1 pair of shoes – and that was a requirement for going to school. 

What is amazing is an elementary child can be sponsored for school for just $180 a year.  This fee covers:

·         The enrollment fee,

·         School uniform,

·         Backpack,

·         School Supplies,

·         School Shoes & Sports Shoes,

·         T-shirt & shorts for gym.

To think, this $180 divided across 12 months is just $15 a month – or 4 specialty coffees a month – or less than one fast food meal for a family of 4 per month.  Quite amazing… 

A basico education (7^th-9^th grades) costs $380, and a diversificado education (10^th-12^th) costs $480.  Families can even co-sponsor a child together…

What I love is that with our partner non-profit, Mayan Families, you get updates on your sponsored child.  Mayan Families is all encompassing and trying to help the family survive.  I have just been going through and viewing all of the pictures of the children receiving their school supplies – what strikes me are the smiles.  http://picasaweb.google.com/mayanfamilies.  School signifies hope.

School is starting right now.  The year goes from January to October.  Historically, it has to do with the fact that coffee is harvested in November & December – so that was the school break.  There are over 1,600 students already sponsored, but there are still more that would love the opportunity to attend school.

Two are listed below….  If you are interested, please let me know and I will be glad to help you set it up.  And there are many more children like these two…  I will post more in a few days – or just contact me if you are interested in hearing about other children.

<><>

<> 

<><>

<>

Student #1667 Name: Lina Sucely Status: Needs Sponsor School Level: Elementary School Sponsorship Fee: $180

Lina Sucely is 6 years old.  She will be in first grade in 2011. She lives with her father, Jorge 36yrs old and her mother,Maria, is 40yrs old. She has two sisters: Wendy is 12 yrs old. She is studying Gricelda Noemi (student #497) was born on November 26, 2000. In Jan. 2011 she will be going into 3rd grade. The father works as a day laborer which means that he takes whatever work is available. He earns $33 US per week. The father is the only one working to cover all the costs that they have but what he earns is not enough to cover all that they need. They own their house. It is made of cement block. The roof is tin sheeting and the floor is cement. They have three rooms and a small kitchen. They do not have an onil stove. They do not have a water filter. They have a pila. They have two beds. They have one closet. They have water connected. They have electricity connected and pay $12 US per month.

Student #1676Name: Andres Status: Needs Sponsor School Level: Elementary School Sponsorship Fee: $180 <><> <> <><> <> Andres will be in elementary school in 2011. He lives in Panajachel with his mother and father and five siblings. His father does not have a job. Sometimes his mother sells handicrafts, when she does that she earns $4 U.S. a day but this is not regular work and she is lucky when she can sell things.  It is difficult for this family to be able to afford to send their children to school. Andres has 4 brothers and 1 sister. They are: Miguel 19yrs old is working as a builders assistant. What he earns is just enough to buy his own clothes and pay his transport costs, he is able to give his parents a very small amount. Tiburcio is 17yrs old and is working as a waiter in a restaurant. He earns very little. Manuel is 13yrs old and was not able to continue studying for lack of finances. He is working with his brother in a restaurant. Marvin is 12yrs old and also was not able to continue studying. He helps his mother around the house, washing clothes, going to the mill to grind the corn, taking his father lunch etc. Marta Cristina (student #163) was born on July 27, 2000.  She is in 5th grade in 2011. A one year old brother. They do not own their own house,. They rent a house. The house has three rooms. They have electricity. They do not have filtered water. They have one bed. They do not have a closet. They  keep their clothes in a cardboard box. They do not have a pila. (concrete sink) They do not have a stove. They would like one. They need help with food. They do  not have enough food right now because her father is not working and the mother does not make very much money.

Claudia's Story

Each child has their own story - whether it is here in the United States or in Guatemala.  They will each have their own triumphs - and their own tribulations.  I hope that our children will have many more triumphs and opportunities - and not have to face worrying about having family to rely on, hunger, shelter, or the chance for an education.

Here is Claudia's story.  This video was put together by two photojournalists that traveled to Guatemala, and hope to help us understand the challenges that children face.  Claudia is now sponsored through Mayan Families and has HOPE....

http://www.youtube.com/user/mayanfamiliesvideo#p/a/u/0/jAAqqSByt8w

Mayan Families Update, Sewing Machines, & One of Our Small - But Big Contributions

Mayan Families is one of the organizations that we partner with - and the one we will be working with this summer.  They are an amazing organization, and I hope you will take time to read Sharon's e-mail to the end as it puts our busy lives in perspective....  As Matt & I read it on Saturday morning, I teared up - and then I teared up again as I read her e-mail to me that night about an update on the sewing machines' journey & "the jackets."

Take a moment to share it with your spouse, a friend, or a child...  it is a great way to begin talking with a loved one about how you can make a difference in the life of another human being...

A note from Sharon, Mayan Families founder, on Friday, January 14th...


Hi everyone,




Today was the end of a very long week for us. We have been distributing school supplies to over 1,600 children....the lawn at the new office will never be the same. It will probably never be able to revive...we have had 1,600 students plus their mothers and siblings there every day. We have been working from 8.am. till 8p.m.



We have had 5 people trying to update the student blogs . interviewing as many students and their families as they can, translating from Kakchiquel, Tzutihil to Spanish and then to English.

We have had the Tierra Linda Jnr. High school officially open and we are registering students. We had the parent meeting yesterday, 50 parents anxious and hopeful that their children will be able to have an education and a better future than they have ever dreamed of.

We have organized the opening of the new pre-school in San Andres in partnership with Tom Heaton....Mission Guatemala.

We have held teacher meetings about the re-opening of the five Mayan Families pre-school/feeding programs. Panajachel, San Jorge, Tierra Linda, San Antonio and San Andres.

We have negotiated to open the 6th Mayan Families Pre-school/feeding program /community center in El Barranco...this will also be the home to the Folkloric dance troupe and we hope the beginning of many exciting opportunities for this community. 

El Barranco Folkloric Dance Troupe



We have organized the opening of the new Elderly Care and Orphan Care center in San Jorge this coming Monday.

This evening at 7.p.m. I was still in the office , trying to get out to join my husband, Dwight and daughter, Zoe at a restaurant for a Friday night pizza. I was feeling pressured and irritable. All I wanted to do was go home and relax.

I came out to the main room and saw Joaquin who was still working and still cheery, even though it was his birthday and he was working late.

He was working with a family who came from Tierra Linda. The mother was painfully thin and carrying a little baby on her side,and had a son who is about 10yrs old, a little girl who is going into our pre-school probably around 4-5yrs old, a little boy around 3yrs old and the baby on the mother side around 1yr old.
It was the little 3yr old who stopped me in my tracks. He was wearing a t.shirt that was full of holes and a pair of pants that were torn. He had no shoes on. It is very cold at this time of the year and the wind is howling. He was pulling at his mother and trying to get her to go to the door. I asked if he was cold and his mother said yes, he is tired , he is asking to go home.

Now to go home, this little boy would have to walk , barefoot for at least 20 mins to get to the now dark mountain path to Tierra Linda. It would then be an hour walk up the mountain to their village and I don't know how much further to their home.
 

Now imagine being 3 years old on a dark mountain path with no lights...cold, hungry, no shoes & walking for over 1 hour to get home...


I could see that the little boy was very tired. This is before he starts this mammoth trip home.

I asked the mother when she had last eaten....she said ...."oh we haven't eaten yet"...meaning all day.

I could not help but think how my 6 yr old would be reacting...cold, hungry , barefoot and a good hour an a half walk up a dark, mountain trail.

I had brought a bag of jackets down to the office just in case there were children without jackets in this cold weather. I went and got these children jackets that thankfully you all had donated.

The 3yr old was sitting on a chair when I came back with his jacket. I put the jacket on him and he looked up and gave me the sweetest smile. I felt his feet and they were ice cold and hard from walking barefoot all the time.

I sent for juice and snacks for each child, I arranged for the little boy to pass by my house, Berta would put shoes and socks on his feet and give the family a few bags of incaparina ( a cereal ) sugar so that they had something warm to drink when they got home.

I heard the mother talking to another woman about how some days she doesn't even have corn to make tortillas for the children.

I felt humbled by the life this mother lives. She has four children that I know of.

She sees these children hungry and suffering nearly every day. She walks long distances with them to try and get help. She was not complaining, she was smiling and grateful , thanking me for the help that they were receiving.

Me...who was feeling irritable because my computer connection was slow and I couldn't answer all the waiting emails, pressured because my husband and daughter were waiting to eat pizza with me....tired because I had been working long hours this week .......how could I even compare my life to this woman....who in the face of all that she has to endure , was smiling and gracious, her children were not whining even though they were cold, hungry and had at least an hour and a half walk to go home. This woman and her family renewed my desire to do as much good as we can here in Guatemala. I felt very fortunate that we are able to help her as much as we can. It is not perfect, but at least her children can go to school, two of her children will go to the preschool so for at least 5 days a week they will not go hungry. Tonight they all have jackets and a 3yr old is not walking up the mountain barefoot. If we are lucky, someone will sponsor this family for food.

Thanks to all of you for providing the help for this family and for the families like this in the future.

Sharon
The following is the note that I received from Sharon on Saturday night...

Dear Angela, I wanted to let you know that your 6 boxes of wonderful goodies arrived yesterday! We are so grateful for all these fantastic things that you have sent. The sewing machines are fabulous and thanks to you , we will now be able to open a sewing class here in Panajachel! The jackets and clothes you sent are fantastic. I am going to copy you a letter I wrote on our yahoo connections group last night.  These were the jackets that I got from your box! Thank you so much for all your help and your support, we are so thankful to have you working with us, best wishes, Sharon

So, I hope that you have made it to the end of this post & gained a greater understanding of what Nuestros Niños and Mayan Families are trying to do - but can only be done with the help of our friends.  These jackets probably came from someone reading this blog - and made a world of difference to a little boy and his family.  Just think that with each of the donations given - a similar story may be unfolding...  Thank you!