Fund a teacher and teach a class in Latin America

Latin America continues to struggle to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic with cases remaining stubbornly high, hospitals close to breaking point and a slow vaccine rollout delaying a return to some sort of normality. Classroom-based teaching, apart from staggered teaching in Ecuador, has not been permitted in the countries where we work since March 2020 and the students have been unable to receive virtual classes due to lack of internet or devices. Our local teachers continue to make regular visits to the communities to hand out homework and answer questions individually. Due to their parents’ lack of education or basic literacy, in most cases non-existent, these visits are the only opportunity for the students to ask questions and get feedback.

Our fifty secondary school and college scholarship students in Guatemala from six different communities around Lake Atitlán continue to learn from home with no classroom-based teaching during the first half of the year. They have been unable to receive virtual classes due to lack of internet so walk to the school regularly to pick up and drop off homework. Due to their parents’ literacy capabilities being limited to none, especially in further education, these visits are their only opportunity to ask questions. Teachers are due to start being vaccinated over the next few weeks so it is hoped that some degree of group learning will be allowed in the second half of the year and final exams.

Our local teachers continue to head out into the communities in Honduras regularly for teaching and homework setting due to the Covid situation as virtual classes are not possible due to lack of internet and technology. With the students’ own parents’ literacy capabilities being limited to none, especially in further education, these visits are their only opportunity to ask questions. Staggered classroom opening was due to start from the end of February though rising cases of Covid-19 postponed this indefinitely.

As part of the agricultural course in our college the students undergo hands-on learning with all types of agricultural techniques from start to finish including soil, irrigation, fertilizers and different vegetable cycles for local market and export. By having a centralized Phoenix Plan Huerto the students can learn the process from start to finish and set up their own businesses, with our help, for their future. We plan to increase these plans in the second half of the year.

The school year draws to a close this month in Ecuador with all the children graduating despite limited classroom teaching coupled with teachers’ visits to the children’s homes in the four rural communities where they live. Due to their parents’ own literacy capabilities being limited to none these visits and limited classroom time are their only opportunity to ask questions.

The Ministry of Health had visited the school and given the official green light for classes to be delivered in-person in March a couple of days a week thanks to all the protocols we had and continue to put in place. Previously the parents had given their consent for classrooms to be open on a staggered basis.

With classes being held sporadically and with different grades per day due to Covid restrictions we took advantage of the “empty” school to do some maintenance, including a new paint-job.

With Perú suffering from a severe new wave of Covid infections classroom-based teaching is not expected to restart for several weeks. The children continue to learn from home, as they have done all year, with the text and exercise books we purchased earlier when some restrictions had briefly eased.

As virtual learning is not an option and the parents’ education limited it is hoped the students can get back into the classroom soon to receive their education. In the meantime the teachers try to make regular visits to their homes when they are allowed and go through topics one on one.

This year’s GlobalGiving Bonus Day will be celebrated is on 14th July where donations between $100 and $1,000 will be matched at varying levels whilst funds remain from 9am Eastern Time. The following matching structure will apply:

Donations of $100 - $499 will be matched at 15%

Donations of $500 - $749 will be matched at 30%

Donations of $750 - $1,000 will be matched at 50%

With fundraising events having been put on hold for the past year and half this is a fantastic way to help us raise the extra funds we need to keep the projects and education going in all our countries. If you can, please do donate early from 9am ET on 14^th July to take advantage of the matching bonusses as the extra funds tend to go quite quickly and thank you so much in advance!

We are also looking for partnerships with businesses as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility programs as we look to implement more sustainable income plans in all our communities over the coming years. If you know of a company looking to expand their own CSR program and wanting to support projects in Latin America, please do email me on info@thephoenixprojects.org By using the tax benefits for all US taxpaying companies by donating through GlobalGiving it is a CSR program which is beneficial to all parties, especially if the donation is made on the July 14^th Bonus Day!

Thanks again for all your support and all the best for the second half of 2021

Cheers

Links:

• Corporate Social Responsibility