Build a Brighter Future for 80 Kids in Guatemala

At the Integral Heart Foundation, we believe that education can significantly alter unequal and impoverished social situations. And in a country such as Guatemala, where education is often considered a second class citizen, we are constantly challenged to provide our students with the best possible tools to empower this change.

As part of our work, we are not only providing a high standard of learning but also creating jobs, practices and opportunities for our most mature students and who are close to entering the job market themselves.

This is why, as part of this sponsorship and education program, we don’t only cover the monthly tuitions for the kid’s normal schooling but we now also provide them with extra-curricular weekend activities.

It all began with Juan Carlos (20) who with the help of our sponsorship program has been studying to be a teacher since 2011. He asked if we could help him find work on the weekends to supplement his family's income. We also had three girls in our program who we knew were beginning to fall behind our required 70% grade point average.

So we thought, why not create a weekend study program for the girls under the tutelage of JC. As part of this we had to find a space for this to happen since we still do not have our own location. Eventually we found a lovely location courtesy of another non-profit here in Antigua Guatemala.

We must admit that we were a little hesitant about the response we were going to get from the girls, since we understood that they might prefer to do something else on Saturdays besides going to extra classes. But, when we mentioned this opportunity to them, we were greatly surprised that they wanted to start immediately.

The weekend classes have been running now for almost four months. JC makes a small salary, gets to practice as a teacher, and the girls grades have improved greatly.

Then, three weeks ago another group of our students who are not sponsored yet but, who attend our programs, asked if they could join this weekend study group. As you can imagine we were a little surprised. Fourteen year-olds asking to do extra homework on a Saturday?

This new group voluntarily joined the study group because the said that they have developed a new interest in the power of education from attending our on-going programs and wanted to take advantage of this weekend tuition.

As Jennifer said after her first Saturday attending the classes: “I finally could do all my homework, ask all the questions my normal teacher has no time for, and go to my classes on Monday very proud of myself.”

So here is one more improvement we are making in these children’s lives thanks to you, our GlobalGiving donors.

From our Integral Hearts, thank you!

Links:

• The Integral Heart Foundation website

Here at the Integral Heart Foundation we thought that we’d honor one important aspect of our vision; that is the importance of the personal relationships between our sponsored children and their benefactors and Godparents.

As part of our on-going process of forming and sustaining relationships we asked the kids to write letters of appreciation to their sponsors (you can see images of them below). The response was amazing. Not only did the kids do a great job but also their parents joined them in this beautiful effort. We have over 50 sponsored kids now and below is just a small example of the content of  letters written by the children and their families.

We hope you enjoy them as much as we did while working on this project.

From Marisol to the sponsors of her children, Zaida, Jose and Freddy:

"I am grateful from the bottom of my heart to you for the help you provide to me and all the families. I was in a bad situation in which I had no idea of what to do, I had beside me a bad man who did not treat me and made me feel very small. He would say things like I was useless, he ignored me and his children and he didn’t love them. When I met Debora our lives changed completely. She taught me to value myself and not to be afraid. I am very grateful to my children’s godparents because with your help we could make it. My children eat better and have a better home. Thank you very much for all the support you offer us and God Bless you. Because of you my children are studying and will have a better future!"

From Zaida to her Godmother Lisa,

"Hello Godmother Lisa, I hope you are great. Thank you for your support. I would like to tell you that I like to study and I want to learn English and that I like dogs. We have a little puppy and I love her very much, her name is Panchita (NOTE: This is Debora she named her dog after our golden retriever named Panchito! Isn’t that cute?). I want to know you and I would love if you can send me a picture of you. I am happy because our mom loves us very much. God bless you and take care of you forever. Saying goodbye to you with lots of love."

From Keyla to Godparents Michael and Michelle:

"Hello, How are you, I hope you are doing great, the reason why I am writing to you is to be grateful for all the help you have been giving me and my family. God bless you, I love you very much and I hope you like my letter ~ Keyla Camey."

From Dona Consuelo to Keyla's sponsors:

"I am very grateful for the help you are giving us. Before they were in a very precarious situation and now that is not the case anymore because of the help received by you. I am very grateful also the Integral Heart Foundation and to all the sponsors who support families.

Keyla is happy because she can be studying and she also can bring juices to the school and food because of the help of her Godparents. She hopes no to disappoint you in her studies and God Bless You. Dona Consuelo."

And, as always, all of here at The Integral Heart Foundation want to express how grateful and honored we are by all of you, our loyal sponsors without whom all this work and smiles would never be possible. Thank you.