Adopt-a-Village in Guatemala

Two days ago, I arrived at the school campus just as lunch was breaking up. As the pick-up truck slowed to a stop, one of the students came running down the hill toward us, waving his arms wildly. It was Cesar, easy to identify with his cheeky grin. As I opened the truck door, he was shouting, “Good afternoon! Good afternoon!” And said with hardly a trace of a Spanish accent! Behind him, all the other students lined up to greet me with “Good afternoon,” proud of of their success in learning some basic English over the past few days.

It wasn’t all they had learned. As we met in the school room, I was astonished to hear the student council president report on how the group had organized themselves. Their leadership skills were already in full swing. Luis, a high-energy kid, had prepared a daily task list, jobs that were assigned to each student on a revolving basis. According to the school cook, Luis had taken charge of the kitchen duties, rising before dawn to grind corn for the tortillas, forming the masa in a press, and then cooking and turning the tortillas on the stove. Three others had been assigned to assist him. Others cleaned the chicken coup, gave them an “outing” for a bit to peck at the grasses, and of course collected the fresh eggs . Others chopped wood, cleaned the school, and tended to the goats.

At the meeting, one of the topics turned to food, specifically food that the mountain offered for the taking. The kids rattled off a list of a dozen foods, including greens, root vegetables, and fruits. I could see that it wouldn’t be long before they would be scouting the forest to discover something exotic to add to their diet of beans and tortillas.

Perhaps the best part of all was to hear the pride in their voices as they talked about beautifying their school by planting trees and flowers, removing unsightly stumps and keeping the grass cut. And then, there was sports. Mayan kids love to play soccer, basketball and volley ball. They described how they could make a volleyball net using trees vines. “Just buy us the ball,” pleaded Gaspar, vice-president of the group, we will do the rest.” One volley ball coming up!

Frances

Hello!

Some of you have been waiting anxiously to hear news of the school’s inauguration fiesta. Well! First of all, I have to say I was simply amazed. I knew the kids and the teachers had been working all day to make everything beautiful but I could not have imagined at what they accomplished Multi-colored banners fluttered from center point of the school roof and ended on the ground on four corners. I was reminded one of the “four cardinal points of the earth” which relates back to Mayan mytholodgy. And there, wonders of wonders, appeared a freshly-made wooden stage on the school ground, looking as if it had dropped out of the sky! It too was wonderfully decorated in all colors of the rainbow. On stage, the marimba band had already struck up and would continue to play into the early morning hours.

As we waited for the village dignitaries, the kids and I rushed in to set the tables. All the classroom had been decorated with streamers and paper flowers, and this room was no exception. Bright green and yelow paper covered the tables an it was hard to think there could be a most festive table.

After speeches, everyone happily dug into a meal, a rare treat for our Mayan guests, grilled steak, rice and mountains of tortillas. The marimbistas took a break to eat too, and then played non-stop until three in the morning.

So, it was a grand party and a wonderful beginning to the school work of the next day. (Yes, despite the 3:a.m. closing, the kids really were up bright and early to begin school!

Frances

Hello everyone!

These past few days have been the most exciting that I can remember in AAV’s history!  Our long-held vision is now a reality–our Mayan Center school is in its second day of operation.  Our students are already immersed in classes and projects.  They arrived on a frigid day, and I trekked to the dormitory area with them, anxious to see their reaction to seeing their little cabins.  There was no assigning cabins, not even time to assign!  They ran from cabin to cabin, deciding which one they preferred.  (They are all identical!)  What was surpising to me is that without a couple of minutes, they had paired themselves off (two to a cabin).  Inside they found the solar lights that had been installed the day before by volunteers from Florida, their cots, small study tables and chair.

The next morning, the sun was shining and their group met outside under the trees.  Thirty-five percent of the students are girls, a much higher percentage than I had hoped for.  And most striking was their ability to voice their thoughts and opinions in the meeting.  They were considerably more vocal than the boys.  Before I arrived to join them, two students had taken the lead in planning their first work project.  (Every student is responsible for two hours a day in maintence, i.e., making tortillas, tending the chickens, cutting firewood).  For each task, there were ready volunteers.

It was a grand first day.  I tried to imagine what they were thinking.  What would I be thinking at the age of 15 to find myself on top of a remote mountain, keeping warm in a small cabin, trekking down the mountainside the rustic kitchen for hot tortillas and beans.  One of the girls related, “I woke up in the morning, not realizing where I was.  I looked outside to see the circle of cabins and to hear the birds singing, and I was so glad to be here!”

–Frances

Hello again,

On Tuesday morning, not long after dawn, a shivering group of students and parents arrived at our home base in Quetzali.   A meeting had been planned to give further information on our educational programs, and to provide time for the parents to give their children a last goodbye.  As I explained the school’s philosophy, I was struck at how eager the parents were to comment.  I could see their worries and concerns slipping away, as they related stories of their youth.  Those had been years of severe hardship, of no hope for education, and desperate attempts to escape with their children to Mexico during the war’s massacres of their villages.  Now, they were entrusting their children to us, a major sacrifice in light of how tightly woven family ties are here.  Several parents insisted on accompanying their children to the Mayan Center.  There simply was not enough room to transport all the students plus parents in one pick-up truck. It didn’t matter, they were deetermined to see where we were taking their children.  As luck would have it, we found a second vehicle, and we all set off.  It struck me how caring and protective the parents were toward their children.  Upon inspecting the school and dormitory cabins, their relief was obvious and they left with the promise to see their children again at the inauguration on Sunday.

More to come another day!
Frances

Greetings from the village of Quetzali.

A few days ago, three stalwart volunteers, Allen Langford, Harry Blenker, and Dave Synder, all from south Florida, arrived with state-of-the art portable solar power units in their suitcases, a unit for every student cabin at the Mayan Center.  They had dragged into town that night, after traveling from Guatemala City at 6:00 a.m.  Among their adventures, the vehicle broke down. (Of course!) The driver caught a ride to a town 60 miles away to get a part in order to repair it.  Finally fixed, our friends struck off for the worst of the trip.  Heavy rains had caused boulders to loosen from the mountains, transforming the already rough road into an obstacle course.  Add to that mud and more mud, and the deep ravines below.

However, the next day the recovered  trio traveled to the Mayan Center over more bad road, and upon arriving, tackled the job of installing the solar units, just in time for the students’ arrival.  Once again, our volunteers make the difference!

–Frances