Empowering Guatemalan Women with Professional Jobs

The new intern group started off their year with a meeting and learning the Kateri Fund theme song "Yo Soy Mujer"- "I am a Woman" in English.  The first line in English is "I am a woman and I seek dignity.  I don't put up with either  injustice or wickedness."  and goes on from there stating our creed in song. 

The theme of the meeting was the work situation in Guatemala.  They talked of the inequality of work opportunity and how it affected the population especially the Indigenous population.  They related the facts and statistics in an article published by the World Bank to their own lives.  The young women participated with animation because they could see that it affected them personally.

At present there are five young women in the program.  Maria Angela, Glenda, Sandra, Odalia, and Flory.  Another young woman, Loyda, will be joining them in January when her internship in teaching begins. 

Glenda's certification is as a early childhood teacher.  She will be interning in a non-profit in a village near her village that works with students with disabilities.  Glenda assists the therapists.  As a teacher, she can offer activities which relate to the therapy they need.

Her schedule is varied.  On Wednesdays, she goes out to a nearby village and helps the two teachers there work with the disabled childen in the community.  Thursday and Friday, she teaches dance and theater.  The other days, she assists the therapists in the Center.

She is learning that to work with children with special needs, you need to be well prepared.  It is very important to ask questions when she doesn't understand in order to learn all she can and get the most benefit from her experience.  She is excited to be offered a course in sign laguage.

The other interns are having similiar exciting experiences.  More to come in the next report!