Magical Classroom

We are all living through extremely difficult and complicated times across the world due to the Covid-19 virus. In Guatemala it is certainly no exception, where we have been living under a state of prevention and mitigation since the 16^th March. We still do not know when we will be able to return to the streets and resume our normal daily lives, so we are all experiencing very disconcerting times.

At Aula Mágica we have been keeping up to date with the domestic circumstances of everyone who is part of the Aula Mágica family - this consists of a total of 27 male and females from across rural regions of Guatemala: Huehuetenango, El Quiché, Sololá and Retalhuleu. The families of our Facilitators typically work in the fields or are involved in the informal economy working for example as construction workers, gardeners and housekeepers. Unfortunately, work has declined considerably and many people have become unemployed.

 Aula Mágica has sought ways to support each of the Facilitators. This week, each Facilitator received a parcel of products containing personal hygiene products and nutritional food. As well as this, they have also continued to receive their monthly stipends. Currently we are also trying to source funds to be able to provide food for our children and their families, so we hope to be supporting them as well.

If you would like to collaborate with us in order to allow us to carry on supporting our Facilitators, our children and their families in Guatemala we would be really grateful. This is possible through Aula Mágica’s GlobalGiving link:

https://www.globalgiving.org/dy/cart/view/gg.html?cmd=addItem&projid=14175&frequency=ONCE&vo_id=49789&vo=25

 We send our best wishes to everyone and hope that you and your loved ones keep safe and well.

 The Aula Mágica team

Dear friends,

We hope that you are all safe and well during this difficult time faced by everyone across the world.

On Monday 16^th March all activities of our program were suspended completely to ensure the safety of our children, facilitators and teachers.

On the 13^th March the Guatemalan Government had announced the first case of Coronavirus in the country. Across Guatemala, all educational, social and cultural activities were then suspended, as well as all public and private transport services. It was only possible for people to leave the house in order to purchase essential food supplies or for an emergency.

From Sunday 22^nd March, a curfew was imposed, forcing everyone to stay at home between the hours of 4pm and 4am.

The situation is very worrying, saddening and a difficult for everyone, but especially so for families with members that do not have a secure job, a job in the formal sector or those that have to work on a daily basis in order to be able to provide food for their families.

Currently across the country, we have 80 positive cases of Coronavirus and this figure is increasing on an hourly basis. Of these existing cases, 17 people are in a stable condition and on the road to recovery. Up until now we believe that the government has acted appropriately, especially bearing in mind the limited resources at their disposal and when comparing their actions with those of other countries from our continent.

We do not have a date for when we will be able to resume our activities, but we really hope that the serious situation that we are facing passes as soon as possible.

In our program we continue providing each of our facilitators and teachers with their stipend, as we realise that now, more than at any other time, they are in need of a financial income to be able to buy the basic necessities in order to live. We are extremely appreciative of the support received from Miracles in Action, Go Philanthropic, Project Quetzal, the Mathile Institute, as well as the vital support from individuals who are supporting us unconditionally at these difficult moments – a big thank you to everyone!

We want to have all of our team united at this time with the hope of us being ready and prepared for when things return back to normality. Each facilitator will be studying different types of educational material from their homes during this period.

In the communities where our classes are located, the majority of these communities do not have Internet and phone signal is limited. Up until now, our facilitators and children are all well. From the bottom of our hearts we really wish to return to our classrooms and get our program up and running again when the conditions have improved.

If you would like to make a financial donation to our families in order to help them feed themselves, this would be extremely appreciated at this time of crisis, and you can do this through this: https://www.globalgiving.org/dy/v2/checkout/billing/

We send our very best wishes to everyone and hope you are all well!

Aula Mágica