Education Guatemala Project #28151

Help 500 Guatemalan Children Receive an Education

by El Patojismo

Help 500 Guatemalan Children Receive an Education

Project Report | Jun 2, 2022
We thank you for your loyal support.

By Thais Arriola | Project Leader/Art Teach Los Patojos

View from our new secondary school.

INCREDIBLE THINGS WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED WITH YOUR SUPPORT!

Our school is still teaching our kids in groups since the government has not given us permission to fully open. We recently implemented a take-home meal program. In elementary school, kids can not stay in the school till lunchtime since the high school program starts at 1 PM, so kids are taking their lunch home in their own tupperware. Since February, we have provided 7,850 free meals in the project. Thanks to our new wellness program and our psychologist, we have provided over 40 therapy sessions and, thanks to our supportive doctor, 50 preventive health treatments have been provided.

The construction of our new secondary school is progressing very well. We are hoping to open the new school in the summer of 2022. The construction is now fully funded and we are working on the budget to equip the school. It will be one of the best schools in the region, complete with a teaching kitchen, computer lab, music/recording lab, art studio, and an English learning centre. This safe space for teens will allow us to expand our schedules in the actual school so we can have more space for new activities and time to attend to our children from 4 to 14 years old.

Our education program is not happening just inside the school, our team is helping our high school seniors to find job opportunities and experiences that help them in their career development. We have built relationships and trust with local businesses that have opened their doors to our high school seniors so they can start their professional careers.

Michelle gives us hope.

After many years as a student, she graduated from the Los Patojos school with a diploma for 11th Grade (the culminating grade in Guatemala). Her life was not easy growing up. She lost two brothers to illness and violence. She stated in our interview that Los Patojos had saved her because she found comfort in knowing she was not alone. While at the school, she met others who were experiencing similar difficulties. Upon graduation, she secured employment in a local cafe/bookstore in the nearby town, Antigua Guatemala. She is helping her family financially, which has changed their situation drastically. Where there were hardships before for her parents, now there is some semblance of hope. In a country where women are not treated equally, this was a big change for Michelle, the ability to transform her family despite her gender. Michelle is improving her English through online learning and is in the process of applying for university, which she can start next year.

None of our successes would have been possible without the loyal support we have received from our donors. We are very thankful to each and every one of you who are changing hundreds of lives in Guatemala.

Take home lunch

Dr. Valle attending to a student.

Michelle's Graduation

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Feb 7, 2022
We Are Back in Action

By Donna Jepson | Project Leader

WE ARE BACK IN ACTION!!!

Our school is open to in-person classes, we managed to organize all of our students in groups, so they can come twice per week to participate in all of the activities we offer. As yet, our government has not given us permission to fully open. We have been preparing for months to give our students the best welcome back to school. Our teachers are creating innovative programs to capture the interest of all the students and keep them on the path to being educated.

Some of our senior students.

Our team has interviewed, personally, every student and separately their parents. We were very disturbed to learn that 20% of our students have been seriously affected by the pandemic, including malnutrition, psychological and physical abuse, and of course economic hardship. In response, we have developed a Wellness Program to assist our students in their recovery. We hired a Psychologist who will create and implement not just personal help to those most severe cases but also create and deliver workshops in groups for the children, for the parents, as well as for the teachers.

Gabriel Rosales, a former student and now a teacher of our team interviewing a mother of our program.

Our students are very excited to come back to school, some have been knocking on the door to see if classes had already started since the first days of January. Paolo is one of them, he came to the school every day even though classes had not started, our school is a safe haven from the tough reality he goes through every day at home. He started to attend El Patojismo in 2017. Paolo is very energetic, compassionate, and always willing to contribute to any school activity. In his own words he needs the school as here he feels safe, he can participate in art which he loves, as well as sports.

Paolo 13 years old a 7th grader with Nelson whose been with us since he was 3 years old.

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO HELP THESE KIDS IN THE WAY THEY DESERVE WITHOUT THE INCREDIBLE SUPPORT WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM OUR FAITHFUL DONORS; WE THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS.

MUCHAS GRACIAS, JUAN PABLO AND THE TEAM AT LOS PATOJOS, DREAMS, AND IDEAS IN ACTION.

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Oct 13, 2021
Reestablishing In-Person Activities

By Thais Arriola | Project Leader

WE ARE SENDING YOU GREETINGS FROM GUATEMALA

We are very excited that our academies for extracurricular activities are getting stronger than ever. Since we are not allowed to have all of our students back to school at once due to COVID-19 restrictions, our team strives to implement the necessary hygiene protocols so our students can go back to in-person activities. Regardless of this impediment, most of our students have been able to attend our online programs but some have no access to internet connection, so we have been increasing our efforts to allow our students to access the diverse resources we offer.

We are giving 7-9 classes daily to different groups of children and teenagers. Some of the classes we are offering are music, art, sports, chess, cooking, computer training/basic programing, and educational reinforcement.

Mayte and Arianna are sisters that have been part of El Patojismo since 2015. Sadly, these girls are having difficult situations at home with their family due to the lock down and economic problems from the pandemic. Thankfully, the extracurricular activities at the school have been a way to keep them in touch with their innocent/creative minds, but most importantly to proper meals. Mayte and Arianna have been able to receive 5 online classes per week through their parents’ WhatsApp. Additionally, on Wednesday mornings, they are assisting marimba (Guatemala’s national instrument) lessons following their art class and, at the end of the week, they participate in the chess club. Both of them love and enjoy all the classes that they receive at the project.

We are very proud to say that we are witnessing the powerful benefits and impact that these academies have and will continue having on our students’ wellness and lives.

Without your generous and ongoing support, we would not have been able to serve and support these two smart and sweet girls and the other 498 children in our school. We thank you and want you to know that we truly appreciate each and every one of you. Your support is vital, please help us continue to give these 500 kids a chance at a better future.

We thank you and want you to know that we truly appreciate each and every one of you.

Muchas Gracias from El Patojismo, Guatemala.

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