Blog 4

Day two

Today we began our actual volunteering at safe passage. We started out helping with English classes to 9th graders. They had varying degrees of English skills as well as a wide span of ages. At first, they seemed reluctant to participate, but as the activity progressed they warmed up to us. After working with two classes, we moved on to doing an activity with another class that we will be working again with later this week. We decided to make paper cut out snowflakes with them because they had never experienced snow. Although they were older kids, some were as old as 20, they seemed to really enjoy the creative outlet. After lunch, we had an interesting meeting to learn about what it is like to be a longterm volunteer here. In the afternoon, we repeated the same schedule as this morning, but with the younger children. In the English classes we played a board game. Because they were younger, they were rowdier and harder to communicate with. When we made the snowflakes with a 6th grade class, we had a much different experience than in the morning. The kids enjoyed the snowflakes,but very quickly a paper airplane war ensued. Paper was everywhere. Some kids even made spitballs. At the end, the kids all worked together to cleanup thier mess. Overall it was a very busy but very satisfying day. 

Day one

Today was an informational day where we went in tours throughout the Safe Passage facilities and got accustomed to how the school system works. We started the day off by visiting the Safe Passage main offices to watch a brief video of what Hanley Denning’s mission was. It touched us all and it was a great way to start off the adventure because we knew exactly whom we were honoring in our services. After the video, we ventured off to the dumps and cemetery to see where Denning’s mission stemmed from. As we exited the bus we were hit by a very powerful and overwhelming odor. Looking down into the ravine and seeing people run up to the trash trucks was heartbreaking, leaving some of us in tears. It is unbelievable to see such poverty in the world especially coming from a high-quality upbringing and a well-rounded community. While we are worrying about making it to practice on time, these families in Guatemala have to worry about when and how they will get their next meal. Overall day one has been life changing and we look forward to the upcoming days. 

Day two

Today we began our actual volunteering at safe passage. We started out helping with English classes to 9th graders. They had varying degrees of English skills as well as a wide span of ages. At first, they seemed reluctant to participate, but as the activity progressed they warmed up to us. After working with two classes, we moved on to doing an activity with another class that we will be working again with later this week. We decided to make paper cut out snowflakes with them because they had never experienced snow. Although they were older kids, some were as old as 20, they seemed to really enjoy the creative outlet. After lunch, we had an interesting meeting to learn about what it is like to be a longterm volunteer here. In the afternoon, we repeated the same schedule as this morning, but with the younger children. In the English classes we played a board game. Because they were younger, they were rowdier and harder to communicate with. When we made the snowflakes with a 6th grade class, we had a much different experience than in the morning. The kids enjoyed the snowflakes,but very quickly a paper airplane war ensued. Paper was everywhere. Some kids even made spitballs. At the end, the kids all worked together to cleanup thier mess. Overall it was a very busy but very satisfying day. 

One mother’s story…

Her name is Petronila and she is 37 years old.  She has 5 children.  She had 6, but, tragically, her abusive husband killed one of them.  Despite the horror of losing one of her children she continues to participate in Safe Passage’s “Creamos” program (“creamos” translates as both, “We create” and “Let’s believe”) where women are given the opportunity to make jewelry out of recycled magazine paper, learn how to keep business records, assess the quality of their work with each other etc.  In short, they are earning a living that does not involve scavenging in the dump.  The pride and self-esteem of the women is raised to levels they have rarely known.

In addition to Petronila’s loss of a child, she also recently went blind due to a genetic disease.  However, as the long-term volunteers explained to us, she continues to participate in “Creamos” by making the little gift bags for the jewelry; this she can do by touch.  She has also begun learning braille and is a regular at the project’s yoga classes and other events.  Her determination and dedication to her surviving children is a powerful testament to the strength of many Guatemalan women and mothers who, despite the odds, continue to work for a better future for their families and themselves.

To simply say that Petronila’s story is inspiring is to sell her short.  She is an amazing woman with an even more amazing story to tell.  Yet, according to those who know her, she would beg to differ.  In her mind, she is only doing what any loving mother would do.

There are so many stories like Petronila’s at Safe Passage – some inspire, others disturb.  The domestic violence against women and children is truly horrifying at times.  Children are beaten, scalded, sexually abused and, in one recent case, starved to death.  This is why our work in Guatemala is so important.  The hope, laughter, love and kindness we give cost us nothing and can make a big difference in the life of a child who may not have those needs met at home.

By any measure our trip this year was a screaming success.  Our students were fine representatives of Falmouth High School, their families and their nation.  I can safely say that the experience has touched them deeply and the memories will remain with them for many tears to come.

-Senor Bennett

Today was our free day, and it was very different than all the others. We began our day with BCarv’s silky bass tones luring us to consciousness. We REALLY made use of our free hours. We went to a Macadamia Nut Farm and had SCRUMPTIOUS PAMCAKES with macadamia butter and blueberry sauce, and got a tour of the farm. Not to mention, we all got….facials! With macadamia exfoliants, ooh lah lah! Also, the farm had one of the most beautiful bathrooms ever…it was outside with flowers essentially creating the walls. We then skipped over to a market and bartered ’till our hearts were content (familia–lots of souvenirs coming your way) 🙂 Then we hopped into our Mystery Machine and went over to a Coffee Plantation and ate lunch together, and then….drum roll, please….we went zip-lining! Don’t worry, only two students got injured, and we’ll be sending more details to their respective parents about that later.

Kidding, everyone was absolutely fine and injury free! We all had a wonderful time soaring over the hills, looking down 400-some feet, and around at the volcanos…marvelous! We had a tour of the Coffee Plantation then. We were all bouncing around when we got espresso shots and coffee in addition to our zip-lining highs! After a full, freeing, flying, fantabulous free day, we returned home and decided, no we were not yet tired, and headed back out the market in Antigua! Apparently there are lots of loved ones to buy for….or our narcissism is abundant, either way. Anywho, we went to dinner with VICTOR, our beloved Russian spy, and had a beautiful view of a lit-up Antigua from the rooftop of the restaurant. We all returned to the hotel. We had a good debrief, reflecting on how at times today it was difficult to realize the luxury of our free day experiences, and recognized our gratitude for the whole week. The sense of support felt among this group has been so profound, and has only grown as the week has gone by.

Tomorrow we’re headed to Aqua Magic with a 5th grade class we’ve worked with during the week to jump waves in the ocean and go on water slides. We’re bringing hair gel on the bus so that the kids can “guatamalify” our hair on the way there. We’ve all taken dibs on the kids we’ve bonded with and want to supervise there 🙂

Lots of love from all of us chicas and eses in Guatemala!

Be prepared to hear lots of “gua” prefixes and puns when we get home. “Guakward” and “guatever” are just the beginning.

Guadios!

P.S. Morgan ripped her pants today.

P.P.S. Cassie sewed them back together 🙂

Last Day at the School

¡Hola! We started our day with delicious panquecas made by the wonderful Hotel Palacio Chico staff. They are wonderful! Then, Victor arrived to transport us to Camino Seguro. First we were brought to the sixth grade classrooms where we would tutor the children in english. Our job was to carry on a conversation with each student. Some groups were reluctant to use their english and talk with us, while other groups were extremely proud of their english speaking skills. It was surprising to us that the kids had such different attitudes when it came to classwork. This could be because of the different ranges of support students get from their families.

After lunch, we started our second project with the classes we met two days ago. Los niños greeted us with smiles and laughter – some even remembered our names. We noticed our spanish is improving and we are now able to communicate more effectively with the children. The girls especially enjoy interacting with the boys and joking about novias y novios (girlfriends and boyfriends).

We’re all now finding so many kids that we want to sponsor. Colby even jokingly said he would sponsor our group leader, Victor,  if he was a student at Safe Passage.

Our group is really starting to click. It’s too bad we only have two days left. There are few moments without laughter. It’s so much fun to get to know these people who we normally wouldn’t interact with if it we’rent for this opportunity.

We want to thank our parents for allowing us to be a part of this amazing experience. It has been life-changing in so many ways. We miss all of you! We’re excited for our free day tomorrow – a macadamia nut farm adventure. Buenas noches.

Today was guawkard…

Once again… we were woken up to bcarvs smooth chocolately voice (chocolate bananas that is – we had chocolate covered bananas from a local store today). Cassie and Caroline did their morning routine of stumbling out the window, half asleep, to look at the volcano from the roof. We have the best view of Agua! Slowly everyone got out of bed, looking quote guakward with bed head and saggy eyes. On the bus ride to Safe Passage we learned about Mr. Bennett’s African grey parrot who pricelessly imitates his voice – occasionally wipping out swears for visitors 🙂 It has been nice learning little pieces of each person’s life like this one. That is what is so special about traveling with a small group – we have been able to quickly bond and open up to each other as we learn new things about one another.

Today was our day at the Escuelita (ages 2 to 6), so we got to be little kids for the day–we  were seriously super psyched!! When we first got there, we were split into groups, placed in the classrooms we would be in for the rest of the day. We assisted in these classrooms, teaching by the motto of “learning while playing”. There were different stations in each classroom, such as the sandbox, role-play, coloring, reading, and building. We were surprised at how quickly the kids warmed up to us. After playing in the classrooms for a while (and enjoying a brief snack of cantaloupe, which the kids quickly gobbled up), we all   ran outside for RECESS. This was definitely the most exhausting part of the day – we are working with over 50 energizer bunnies… but guatever, we ❤ it. The phrase “estoy cansada” (I’m tired) was occasionally useful today 🙂

We also met with the health coordinator at the peace garden in the Reinforcement Center  (program for the older kids) and learned about how they deal with issues like healthy relationships, sexual education, nutrition, and hygiene. With a lack of family support, unlike we are used to (shout out to the awesome parents we are so lucky to have), questions about these topics most often go unanswered. This led the health coordinator to create an opportunity for the students to ask questions anonymously.

After a delicious Guatemalan style chicken soup (we literally got an entire chicken breast, uncut, in our soup), we returned to our assigned classrooms in the Escuelita! The younger kids were refreshing to work with in comparison to the older students, who were somewhat reluctant to participate and open up. We found ourselves learning some spanish from the kids, who were not afraid to correct us! The day is full of activities, stimulus that most of the kids are not used to at home. We were all impressed with the enthusiasm and patience of the staff. For example, the music teacher was very involved in her music class and even had a break dance battle with the kids (they can bust a move like an ese).

We hit up some historical sites before dinner with our handy dandy walking tour book (led by Sam Holland holllla!!!) Antigua is amazing. However, it is difficult emotionally to leave the kids, who are living in such horrible conditions, and return to the luxury of Antigua. This is one of the few places where such extreme emotions can be felt – both sadness for the tragedies but also hope and happiness. Before facing the maze-like, outdoor market, Bcarv gave us our first lesson in the art of bartering! He told us to take the offered price and split it in half – then slowly move up from there. Some of us had the opportunity to try this out.

After getting bonita (not so much the boys) all of the partner pair pals (shout out to Sen!) made their way on the treterous cobble stone pathways to El Viejo Cafe. We shared many laughs with our tour guide, Victor (aka Hector, the Great Russian Spy, and Mr. Muscles). He has been so much fun to work with and has put in so much work to make this a great week. He has only been with Safe Passage for three weeks and all of the kids love him. He is able to balance being a goof and a leader nicely. At dinner, during a pause from all of the laughter, Bcarv looked over, smiled, and said “I love you guys”. This was a touching moment and we all thought about how special this experience has been and what a great group of people we are traveling with. Everyone is so engaged and enjoying our time here (a week is not long enough!). Overall, una buena dia! Hasta mañana.

Guatever Day 2

Hai. We began the day with B-Carve’s velvety soft voice telling us to rise and shine at a whopping 6:00 A.M.  We ate a breakfast of yogurt and granola and PAMCAKES! The staff here is so very kind and generous to us. After breakfast, we hopped into the mystery machine with Victor The Great Russian Spy (he’s actually Guatemalan hoohoo). We drove the hour drive to Guatemala City. It’s still shocking to see the enormous economic gap between the wealthy few and the impoverished many.

We arrived at Safe Passage ready to help in any way we could. We met in the Garden of TranQUILity where we were greeted by two of the teachers of the english department who proceeded to divide us up into groups of five. Our job for the morning was to assist in the classroom by only speaking in english and trying to generate conversation. We worked in small groups with one of us to every five kids. The kids were seventh graders– aged 15 to 18– and were much more reserved than the niños of the Guardería. It was a challenge to facilitate a continuous conversation within their language capability. It was obviously outside of both of our comfort zones but it was a good learning experience. We also gained a unique perspective of the “Trials of a Foreign Language Teacher”. teehee.

Our next job was to go to a seventh grade class we will be working with for the remainder of the week. After a name game, Caroline did an awesome job instructing the class on how to build rotocopters while Victor The Great translated. The kids were so excited to do a tactile activity. After assembling them, the kids decorated each one with their names, favorite colors, and preferred soccer team, which spurred some contention between Barcelona and Real Madrid fans. Squabbles ensued. We then dropped them (the rotocoptors, not the kiddos) from the second-floor balcony. The rotocopter with the most hang-time received a typical Guatemalan sweet. The kids had such a blast dropping the rotocopter that they would sprint down the stairs falling over each other to retrieve them and sprint up to the second floor in order to drop them again. After our rotocopter project we went on a tour of the Safe Passage art program. The director of creative expression showed us the art work of the students. Everyone but MARGO bought shirts made by the students in the creative expression program. We then proceeded to help make lunch in the kitchen with the Safe Passage chefs, dancing and chopping up Guat zuchs. It was guat-ever. Victor The Great and the Angelic Kitchen Staff danced and sang… Victor had a beautiful (sensual)  voice.

We did lots of other emotionally rewarding stuff. The end. (we tired and we go bed NOWZ finnishhh in da morning)

P.S. Miles sends his love to his parents and Angela 😉

P.P.S. Shout out of glee to Dawn Howland for the M&M’s we all love you. jajajja

First Impressions

After a long day of travel as well as a short night’s sleep, we are awoken by a subtle knock on the door, followed by “buenos dias” at 6:30am. Following a traditional Guatemalan breakfast of fried plantains, goat cheese, scrambled eggs, and black bean purée, the first stop on our itinerary was at the Safe Passage Antigua office, where we watched a brief documentary on the founder of Safe Passage, Hanley Denning. We received two Safe Passage t-shirts which we are to wear to the school for the rest of the week. The morning commute to Guatemala City was a fairly smooth, one-hour drive with our awesome driver, Jorge. Next was the most shocking part of our trip so far. We ventured to “el cementerio” where we encountered a vast array of above ground tombs ranging from the modest, flower-covered slot in the wall to a gigantic Egyptian style tomb. Past all of this though, was the short path to a cliff. As we ventured closer to the dump, the sky was littered with vultures circling overhead, drawn to the stench of the trash. There was miles of trash in every direction, with trucks constantly entering adding more. Guajeros, or the people that sift through and resell recyclable materials and trash, will claim a truck full of trash by placing a hand on the side and following the truck in. The voyage alone to carry an oversized trash bag from the heart of dump to the entrance is roughly a mile.  The sight of the dump is a truly overwhelming experience, and although we had seen it before in documentaries, nothing compared to being there and taking it all in. It was a very emotional experience, and will probably be one of the hardest ones we will have had.

Continuing on, we made our way to the Escuelita. The Escuelita is the school for the kids 2-6 years old. They learn by playing in a safe and affectionate environment, a thing that they don’t always have at home. We met with Richard Schultz, the Executive Director of Safe Passage, and entered the Escuelita to meet the kids. In walking through the lunchroom, the affection of the kids was imminent.  They immediately would reach out and touch us, overjoyed with the fact that we were even there. We ended up being the shy ones. When we walked through the playground, all of the kids hugged us and asked for piggyback rides. We all hoisted a child up while they yelled “una carrera! Vamos!” at us and one another. Their joy was contagious, and soon we all were playing and racing around. They gave us a chance to test our Spanish skills, asking us our names and telling us to run faster. It was the most amazing thing knowing these kids come from very hard home lives, but they are never without a smile on their faces and love to give.

Shortly after a sad but quick departure from the laughing and energetic kids, we made our way to the Guaderia (the main school) a few miles away. The Guaderia is amazing-there are beautiful classrooms, a cafeteria, even a computer lab, with a pristine peace garden in the heart of it all. We arrived to see kids lined up to enter the lunchroom, and as a gift to us we got to go in early and eat first. Within 5 minutes, the kids quickly filed in, each holding a plate and fork, eager to eat a solid meal. We were given cooked vegetables, tortillas, and a piece of beef. Although different, it was nice to feel like a part of the school and to be on the kid’s level.

We knew we were going to meet the 5th graders, so we organized a name game plan to get to know one another. We would toss around a foxtail (a ball with a nylon tail for swinging) and state, in Spanish, our name and favorite activity. We walked up the stairs to the 5th grade room, and met everyone. The kids were all so happy to see us and some even linked arms with us as we played the game. All of the kids had a laugh when we messed up with our Spanish! We are all really looking forward to spending more time with them as the week rolls on.

After leaving the Guaderia, Jorge took us to the Adult Literacy center. This is where mothers and fathers in the Safe Passage program come to learn how to read and write. There are currently 58 mothers enrolled and 17 fathers. We all noticed a sign reading “Creamos”. Creamos means to create and to believe in Spanish. Our guide, Victor, took us to the back of the building where a ton of beautiful, handmade jewelry was on display. He, as well as the women of Creamos, explained to us that the jewelry is made by the Guatemalan mothers in the Adult Literacy program, and is made from materials in the dump such as milk bottles, newspapers, magazines, and bottle caps. The jewelry itself is so beautiful you would never know it wasn’t made from finer materials. The jewelry is sold all over Guatemala and has recently gone international. When the jewelry is sold, 2/3 of the sale goes to the Safe Passage mother who made it. This gives the mothers a way to save money and get an education in the literacy program at the same time. A mother just last year graduated the program as a nurse! This gives hope to Safe Passage and shows us how it is already paying off.

Although only the first day, it was long and full of meeting wonderful and inspiring people and overwhelming events. We have had a taste of our upcoming week and can’t wait to continue!