A
message from Team Guatemala:
We
are having so much fun exploring this stunning country. Our very long journey
was worth every second. We finally reached Ak’tenamit after our six hours
of flight, hours of layovers, a bus and a wet boat ride. We were welcomed with
the country’s songs, dance, and music. The Guatemalan people are musically
gifted; especially with the marimba (a Guatemalan xylophone).
Since
our welcome, we have been going back and forth from our hotel, Finca Tatin to
the Ak’tenamit school. We have been
gardening, building shelves, eco-benches and teaching. We will be starting the bunk bed project
soon. Our classes are going exceptionally well; the kids absorb everything we
show them and say. They are enthusiastic
and excited for us to be here.
Although we’ve only been here a
few days, we’ve already learned some valuable lessons. We came here with the
idea of serving the people because we know of their struggle; but they’ve
taught us more than anticipated. While we speak our broken Spanish, they have
been unendingly patient and helpful with our communication. When we made tortillas with the girls and did
it completely wrong, they guided us with their expertise and improved our
skills. All in all, we’ve learned more from them than they have of us.
We’ve learned how kindness and patience are a
form of communication; but most importantly, we have learned how a simple life
can be lived happily.
We hope that we can inspire the
Ak’tenamit youth - through our planned activities and interaction - to look
also for opportunities greater than what they might expect.
Projects on Days 1-3:
Opening
Ceremonies:
Some
of our students were worried or embarrassed about performing, rather than
seeing it simply as a way to connect with the people and express love (rather
than a performance). We sang our
national anthem and had 2 musical numbers by 4 students. Addie and Brittany sang a popular current
song, with guitar. Kristen played the
guitar and Amber sang “Somewhere over the Rainbow”. All the performances were
well received, and the students at Aktenamit would call out "otra, otra,
otra!" after the performance, which means Anothersong, Another song,
Another song!
Projects:
The
existing library shelves made of wood had been eaten by termites and they only
had 10 feet of shelves. They were so
bad, they were about to fall over. Books
and magazines were stacked on tables and the floors. We built 40 feet of 7 foothight shelves made
of wood that termites do not eat and anchored them to the walls. In the beginning, we bent more nails than we
drove into the wood, but by the end Youthlinc and the students teamed up to be
a construction machine. (We did have to
send some Ak’Tenamit students away, since there wasn’t enough to do. This seems to be a problem with some projects
that the school students stand around and are uncertain of what to do, or
aren’t utilized.
We
have poured the foundation for 6 eco-benches around the soccer field. Hopefully this will allow the school to
interact more during soccer games and allow the girls of the school to have a
nice place to sit, all while removing non-biodegradable garbage.
We have started on the garden.
Committee
Reports:
What
are our goals?
Cultural:
Break
language barriers.
Learn
and understand one another’s culture
Connect
with the kids and make sure they have a good time
Medical:
To
provide education to the people of the village
To
have effective communication so that they can take information into their lives
Microenterprise:
Bond
with the people and learn about the culture
Give
them tools to pass the info down to generations after them
Teach
in a respectable way, not condescending
Education:
Give
them a larger understanding of things about our culture
Set
a good example for them by showing them girls can be teachers too.
Vocational:
Learn
the students’ names
Teach
and help them understand the 4Ps
Become
friends and introduce ourselves as Americans
Build
personal connections
Remember
this experience later in lives
Personal
and educational development
Connection
with trust
Improve
Spanish
What
differences do we want to make?
Cultural:
Improve
their living conditions
Help
them be self-sufficient
Medical:
On-going
education
Inspiration
to learn more
Microenterprise:
Improve
the quality of life and provide them with a sustainable income
Show
the value and impact that learning has
Education:
Give
them a broader perspective of the world
Give
a diverse experience
Raise
expectations for the future
How
do we want to be remembered?
Cultural:
We
want to be seen as their friends and equals
We
want them to feel and know that we care and we are eager to learn about where
they come from and who they are.
We
want them to know that they taught us and changed our lives
Medical:
Positivity
We
want to be remembered as excited, not boring
We
want to be remembered as hard workers
Microenterprise:
Caring,
respectful, helpful people
Education:
Remember
us for our enthusiasm for learning and serving
We
want to be remembered for reaching out to them and improving their lives
We
want to be remembered as friends.
Vocational:
People
willing to help
We’re
not afraid to work and get our hands dirty
Our
women can also lead and gain education
