Guatemala School Project in Chwitziribal
Guatemala Update from Doris and Julio - Dec 2020
Chwitziribal is a small rural community right in the mountains of Guatemala, a place full of beauty and struggle. Many of the youth do not have an opportunity to go to school once they finish the 6th grade (Elementary School). They have to stay home and look after their siblings and contribute to the livelihood of their family. Their parents do not have the resources to pay the fees to send them to school. We have been working for the past 7 years on this project and have noticed big changes in the confidence of the youth themselves, and in the attitudes of their families to education for girls and in the life of the community itself. This is the eighth year of this project and last year we had 23 youth involved in the project with students studying to be doctors, nurses, social workers, accountants, and at various levels of High School. 100% of your donation will go directly to Manuel Hernandez, one of the teachers at the elementary school, and our co-facilitator Eduardo Elias, and the bank account we have set up for the project. The needs of each student are then taken care of in two disbursements throughout the year. Manuel grew up in the village and knows all the students very well, as he was their teacher in elementary school. He and Eduardo Elias, who is our translator when we bring groups to Guatemala, and a Spanish teacher for international students are managing the project on our behalf. 2020 was a year of challenges for the students, with the school year being extended until December given the months that students were out of school and then doing work online. The good news is that all our students were able to complete their year and are moving on to the next. Normally the school year in Guatemala runs from January to October, so having the funds in place by early January is ideal. Some sponsors have been supporting the same student now for 7 years. Thank you! We encourage connection with the student you may sponsor, when we can get back to Guatemala we will bring your letters to them and bring some home to you! We will keep you posted.
What does it cost to send a student to school? CAD $430.00
This covers registration fees. monthly tuition, school supplies and some of the transportation to school and a school uniform sweater. For those in university it covers their tuition with families contributing as well.
If you would like to sponsor one of our six new students in need of a sponsor, please contact worldpilgrims@gmail.com.