La Casita … our year-end update for 2022

      At the beginning of 2022, the new extension to the Casita opened, and the crowded learning centre got to spread out. Now we’re able to reach out to more people more effectively than before. COVID restrictions relaxed a bit during 2022, but still continued to affect the schools. San Antonio schools started out the year with a hybrid plan (kids attending for either 2 or 3 days a week) and has now switched to a system of attending every day, but only for 3 hours, and homework to follow up. This means that the Casita continues to operate at top capacity, with lots of kids needing help with assignments. As well, teachers continue to send groups of kids for ‘reforzamiento’ in specific subjects. And then there’s the kids who just need a place to hang out and read a book from the library. On average, there are 75 children per day at the centre. We have been so thankful for the extra space provided by the extension. 

Alma, our newest teacher, works with kids on math concepts 

During the year our lead teacher, Evelyn, left the Casita to take a job in her home village. After a rigorous interview process, Lidya – who was the teacher assistant for several years while attending university and earning her 3-year teaching certificate – was promoted to lead teacher, and Alma, one of our scholarship students with 2 years of study in education, is now the new assistant. Ana Olivia, another scholarship student now graduated with her degree in social work, is the efficient part-time local coordinator, also teaching sewing classes and self-empowerment classes for mothers, and liaising with families in the community. This energetic, committed team of local young women – aided by scholarship student volunteers – keep the Casita humming all the hours of the week. In the evenings Antonio, one of the university scholarship students, teaches computer skills to adults, and on Saturdays the junior high scholarship students come for extra lessons in basic subjects and English. And I haven’t even mentioned the garden, where our night watchman-gardener, Germán, inspires children who come to help cultivate impressive harvests of fruits and vegetables, used in the lunches of the Ancianas. 

For more information about the Casita, go to the link La Casita - a centre of learning and support. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mYADY5G-4aWFuiIuU-H76VY1Z0cLHqOf/view?usp=sharing . 

Ancianas enjoyed kite-making for the annual kite festival 

As in previous years, the Ancianas – 25 sweet, frail, elderly women – arrive twice a week for a hearty lunch, exercises and craft activities. Many of these women are isolated, living alone in tiny one-room houses, and this time together provides nourishment not just for bodies but for spirits. A fine time (often punctuated with hilarity) is had by all. 

One of our volunteer Co-op students collected a few short autobiographies of the Ancianas in a little book called The Story of the Ancianas of San Antonio Palopo. You can view this at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nR1XwnMf5z0tU0owEGF9M4iJhifikO-b/view?usp=sharing 

A scholarship student practices her sewing skills 

This year we had 16 scholarship students: 4 in university, 1 in technical college, and the rest in junior and senior high. All of these students pitch in to help keep the Casita running at top capacity: maintaining the garden and library, serving the Ancianas’ lunches, tutoring students and giving computer lessons. The contributions of these students fill the Casita with energy and spirit. 

So, in summary, we are doing all the same things as in the past, but doing it better: serving more students and adding new programs, thanks to our energetic team and our new expanded space.  Of course, none of this would be happening without generous donations from folks like you. We are so thankful for your support! For those of you who like to give non-material gifts to family and friends, we’ve put together a Feliz Navidad/ Season’s Greetings card that tells your friends you’ve given a donation in their name. Check it out below.

PS: We can issue income tax receipts for all donations over $20. If you send a cheque, make it out to Innovative Communities Foundation (put San Antonio Education/Community on the memo line), and send it to Innovative Communities Foundation, 300 – 722 Cormorant St., Victoria, BC, V8W 1P8. To donate online go to www.innovativecommunities.org/communities/Guatemala/san-antonio-education. You can donate through Paypal just by clicking the donate button on our San Antonio page, and you will get a tax receipt you can print. (And when you donate to ICO, every penny goes to the project; we are all volunteers and there are no administrative costs.) 

San Antonio Christmas Cards

Amazingly, Christmas is almost here, and our team has created a Christmas card for those who would like to make a donation to the work of the Casita in the name of a friend or family member.  Here’s what it looks like:

Inside, the message reads:
A gift made in your name supports La Casita, a hub of learning and support for children, youth and vulnerable elders, in the small community of San Antonio Palopó, Guatemala. This donation also supports poor, bright students studying in high school and university. ¡Gracias!

If you would like to have one or more of these cards to give to your friends in return for a donation to the project, please contact Susan: susangage@innovativecommunities.org

The New School

The ‘new school,’ which opened just over 2 years ago, is finally in operation.  We’ve helped get the school ready to welcome the children back during this pandemic by supplying thermometers and hand sanitizer stations in the classrooms for students.  The principal has written and said how grateful he and the teachers are for our help.

New school thermometer

But the school is still experiencing birthing pains: a malfunctioning septic tank, insufficient water and electricity. We have been poised to help out with some much-needed equipment including a copy machine and computers, but have been waiting for the electrical problems to be resolved. Once again, we breathe a sigh of relief that we have this wonderful couple – Candelaria and Gregorio – watching over the project. Gregorio helped solve the water problem, and began working on the electricity, hiring an electrical contractor to go over all the connections in the school. It was discovered that some of the wires had been wrongly connected. Then it was found that the whole immediate neighbourhood had electrical problems caused by 2 burned-out transformers and a welding business that periodically drew huge amounts of electricity. Gregorio is now working with the electricity-provider to try to correct all of this. 

In the meantime, the school is facing problems caused by the COVID-mandated requirement for smaller classes. The large space intended for a ‘computer room’ is now being used as a classroom. The school principal is asking if ICO could provide materials to construct 2 additional classrooms on the roof, with the idea that parents will do most of the labour. This is Guatemala – a land where nobody expects the government to do much of anything. To learn more about Guatemalan schools click here: 

La Casita in the Spring

Since we last updated you, lots has been happening in San Antonio Palopó. The extension to La Casita was opened, old furniture moved around and new furniture ordered, and the local carpenter is building book cases. With increased space, new classes have sprouted up. Antonio, our techie scholarship student, has started a computer class for adults in the evenings. Ana Olivia, the part-time coordinator, has begun a class for mothers of students who use the Casita, stressing the importance of encouraging their kids in their studies, and offering strategies for them to earn a little income and become more empowered. 

Empowerment for women is a big issue here. Alcoholism among men, and domestic violence, are common. Recently, two of the scholarship students – 15- and 16-year old girls – ran away from home. When they were finally found, it emerged that both of them had found living at home unbearable. One family was able – with the help of Candelaria, our wonderful administrator – to sort out their problems. In the other case, 16-year-old Candi refused to return to a family where an abusive alcoholic father spent all the family income and erupted into violence every night, throwing things and threatening the family. Candelaria was able to find a safe place in Panajachel for Candi, her mother, and younger brother to live and receive a small income for cleaning the building. Candi and her brother are now attending school in Panajachel, and our group of volunteers is once more feeling grateful for the commitment of Candelaria and her husband Gregorio to go above and beyond.

Lidya working with a group of children

Other developments at the La Casita include a change in staff. Evelyn, the fulltime teacher who has worked at the Casita for the past 3 years, was offered and accepted a teaching job in her home village, some distance away from San Antonio. After going through a process of interviewing outside candidates, it was decided that the best option was to promote our assistant teacher, Lidya, up to head teacher, and to hire one of the university scholarship students, Alma, to be her assistant. Lidya – who started at the Casita with just her highschool certificate – has now earned her 3-year teaching certificate, and is continuing her studies to earn her 5-year advanced certificate. She has really grown with the job. Alma has 2 years of teacher training, and has already been working as a volunteer with groups of kids at the Casita. We’re pleased that both of these creative and energetic young women are being given the chance to shine. As always, the senior scholarship students pitch in to help with everything from gardening to tutoring, and right now we have a university intern with lots of creative ideas.  

COVID seems to have settled down; there are still some cases, but fewer than before, and tourists are starting to come back – a great boon to this town of weavers and potters. Schools, which were one of the last things to open – have finally begun in-person classes once more. However, classes are shorter and smaller. San Antonio schools have adopted a hybrid plan, with half the classes being in person and half by distance. This means that the Casita continues to operate at top capacity, with lots of kids needing help with assignments.

Even with the new extension, there
are kids in every corner, working
reading, using the computers

Meantime, all the regular programs – learning assistance for kids, lunches for the Ancianas, extra classes for scholarship students, sewing classes, computer classes – continue.  This bustling little centre is doing all it can to improve lives in this small corner of Guatemala.

Noe, a university education intern, leads the 
children in an energising break

We also thought that you might find some of our scholarship student’s life stories interesting.  This is a brief, edited version of Veronica’s biography that she originally wrote in Spanish:

Santa Verónica Xòc Díaz

Veronica

Santa Verónica Xòc Díaz is 16 years old, born on October 8, 2005 in San Antonio Palopó.  Her parents are Santos Xòc Cúmez  50 years old and Martina Díaz Cúmez 48 years old. They are both illiterate because they did not have the opportunity to study due to lack of economic resources.  She has a sister and two brothers.

She started the pre-primary level of school at the age of 6 and received her 6^th diploma at the age of 12.  She is the only one in the family that likes to study and has started the Basic level of study with the support of her parents but they lack economic resources.   The pandemic has left her with many experiences.  Her classes were online which she had to follow on her brother’s cell phone often losing the signal connection.  She was able to finish her 3^rd Basic level. She recognizes the importance of studying since she understands how tough it is for her parents.  She wants to study and change the course of her parent’s lives.  She likes studying communication and language and her goal is to be able to speak English 100% so that she can help people.  She would love to teach the English language to young people and children so that they can be trilingual.

Thank you, once again, for all your support.