Provide Scholarships for 20 Rural Guatemalan Women

Dear Friends,

It is a great pleasure to share with you what has been happening in my life this month.  I am very happy to be able to tell you that my studies are going well.  In fact they are excellent!  We have finshed our seminar project of reforestration.  We planted 500 trees on city property in San Andres Ixtapa..  We worked together with the children in the primary school.  This project was to raise awareness of the need for reforestration and to take care of our environment.

In July, we celebrated the patronal fiesta of our state of Chimaltenango.  We have lots of activities like concets, masses, processions and eat the traditional dish of Sub'anik.  It all ends with a fireworks display.

At home, I dedicate myself to helping my mother with the housework.  We also sell snacks at the school in the afternoon to help support the family.  I spend the rest of my time doing my homework.  This period, we are having a lot of work because it is our last year.  Thanks to the support I have received from all of you, I will graduate and start a new phase of my life.  It is a dream come true!

Attentively.

Mayra

Many of the young women you supportrd last year are still meeting and learning.  Two new young women joined the continuing students in 2013.  The all still need your support.

 At our July meeting, we tried a new technique.  Mishel Cutzal, interning with the Kateri Fund to get some work experience, presented an entertainig way to share learning.  The theme was Personal Hygiene.  The young women were divided into groups.  Each group was given part of an article on Personal Hygiene to read. The group was asked to report on what they had read using their creativity.  Two groups reported with a song.  Another presented a  funny skit that was very entertaining. Mishel awarded points according to a scale that had been explained to the group at the beginning. They included smiles, level of participation, initiative, and creativity. There was a tie for first place with 95 points, so the two groups were declared the winners and will receive a prize at the meeting next month.  Everyone enjoyed participating in a new way.  In their individual interviews they shared the new things that  they learned about personal hygiene and its importance in daily life.

Francisca Sirin is finishing up her student teaching and will graduate in October.  She is very busy as she  does her student teaching in the morning and is attending her own classes in the afternoon.

Silvia Sian Quiej also will graduate this year as a teacher.  She is preparing her seminar presentation and then will do her student teaching.  The last year of studies is always very demanding, but she expects all to go well.

Blanca Surec, Aura Curruchiche,  Lily Garcia Alvarado, Reina Cuxil, Sandra Lopez Cotji, and Paula del Carmen Cali all have averages in the 80's.  They are good students working hard to succeed. 

Adela Surec is doing even better with an average of 91%.  She wants to keep it above 90%.  Her parents are very proud of her and are giving her the support that she needs to do well

Clara Ecomac To, Glenda Tum To, Barbara Tarton, and Marilena Patzan are all working hard to maintain their average of 70%.

The young women appreciate the confidence their  supporters show in them.  They often say that they do not want to let their supporters down and that it gives them an extra incentive to keep at their studies. Thank you for your past support. Think about giving again.