Help 500 Guatemalan Children Receive an Education

We hope all our national and international friends are safe and healthy. This has been a very difficult time for everyone and we sincerely hope 2021 will be a better year for all.

Despite the difficulties, we have not stopped serving our community. Since many of our families were without jobs, we instituted a program to assist those in extreme need with food packets. This is an ongoing program, but now that some are back at work, we have less families in dire circumstances. We delivered 1,942 food packets to 12,623 people!

EXCITING NEWS!!

We have begun work on our new land for the Secondary School campus. Together with the architect, some of our youth participated in building an outdoor bathroom facility so we can begin to have sports activities. We can now bring our friends and potential donors to activities on the land for fundraising purposes

Through our continuing work on line with our senior students, 22 of them qualified and are ready to graduate Grade 11, which is the end of high school in Guatemala. It was not easy for them the last few months, we are very proud of their perseverance.

Ester is a shining example of our program’s success. Ester was sent home from her public school 5 years ago for misconduct, they would not allow her to return. She was suffering from personal instability due to violence at home. She came to the Los Patojos school and with help from our team, found her leadership skills and blossomed into a very dedicated and skilled senior student. She was selected by Guatemala to attend a workshop in Costa Rica on the Voices of Girls in Central America where she

learned to never give up. She became a soccer coach for the younger children and is training at a women’s academy in the department where Jocotenango is located, as well as assisting the primary teachers with their young students during the mornings. In her own words, Los Patojos has helped her to understand we all have different abilities, when we discover them and pursue them we win, negative thoughts no longer matter. Her goal is to study sports psychology - we will help her in any way we can.

All of these accomplishments, operating the primary and secondary school, offering music classes, dance classes, advanced computer lessons, English classes and sports activities would not be possible without the tremendous support we receive nationally and internationally. Please help us to continue to give these 400 kids a chance at a better future.

Los Patojos, Dreams & Ideas in Action Guatemala

The movement El Patojismo began with the school Los Patojos. While our students are in isolation at home, we have not stopped.

Dreams and Ideas in Action

Guatemala has 19,011 active cases. Our Community, Jocotenango, has 68 active cases.

El Patojismo is the campaign to change the future for children in Guatemala. The school, Los Patojos, Dreams & Ideas in Action, along with all schools in Guatemala was closed in March. But we have stayed with our students. They are still studying through on-line learning with their teachers and as well with homework packets.

While our case numbers are low, so is testing. The actual number of cases would be much higher but most people cannot afford the testing. It is a very dangerous situation as we only have 8 hospitals in the country to serve 14 million people.

We are encouraging our families and the community to stay at home wherever possible, but if they need to go out they must wear a mask at all times.

Education Program - From School to Home

Our 400 Students at El Patojismo have done very well at adapting to doing their work at home and the parents have been exceptional at helping their children. We are using simple exercises that keep their minds active with inexpensive, common materials that they can find. Such activities include planting and caring for vegetables, doing physical exercises with the physical education teacher, and practicing English on line in conversations.

2020 Our Fist Group of 23 Graduates in career:

Tourism and Hotel Administration

Our first students will graduate from our Diversificado ( equal to Grade 11 ) this fall. Prior to the lock down we were working with these students to guide them for their futures. We included in their school experience working at jobs in the community where they could get on-the-job training as well as experience what it is like to get a job and be a responsible employee. We will continue the program as soon as the lock down is over. These students will have to work at a job during the day and go to University part time as they cannot afford the fees.

Food Program

Over 113, 898 meals served during 14 years.

While the lockdown in Guatemala was necessary to prevent as many cases of Covid-19 as possible, it brought very severe consequences for our families and others in our community. The parents of our students earn their income in the informal economy – selling chiclets in the park, shining shoes, picking coffee etc. These jobs are very low paying and disappeared completely, meaning there was no money for food. We immediately put our time and resources into gathering food and funding to make sure our students, their families and other vulnerable people in our community were not starving. The staff have been with us every bit of the way – gathering, preparing and delivering food to those in need.

#PaquetesDignos

1,060 Food Packages delivered and 6,890 people benefited. What is in a food package? Milk-Cereal-Sugar-Oats-Rice-Beans-Eggs-Pasta-Oil-Salt-Flour for Tortillas-Nutritional Drinks-Salt-Vegetables-Fruits-Toilet Paper-Sanitary Towels-Coffee-Soups

Muchas Gracias Juan Pablo and the El Patolismo Team - #CHANGEMAKERS