Education Guatemala Project #28151

Help 500 Guatemalan Children Receive an Education

by El Patojismo

Help 500 Guatemalan Children Receive an Education

Project Report | Apr 30, 2018
Giving a Child an Opportunity

By Donna Jepson | Project Leader

Omar is a beautiful example of what can be achieved when we give a child an opportunity. He does not dwell on the struggles of his home life, instead, he is pursuing his goals and dreams.

Omar with one of his siblings at Los Patojos.

Omar has been in our school project for 8 years. He is studying in the 8^th Grade and doing well. In a country where less than 50% of students graduate from Grade 8, he is already overcoming the odds. He is keenly aware of the advantages he has with access to free education, nutritional food, the medical clinic and the arts program at the centre. He shows his appreciation by helping others. He comes every morning to help the younger children in pre-primary, to clean the school and assist wherever he is needed. For his time we are giving him a bonus each month of $40.00 which he uses to help to feed his 5 siblings.

Omar has also discovered at Los Patojos that he is a very talented artist. He attends every available workshop and also helps the younger children to learn how to paint and draw. This is essential to his personal growth and success. He has a passion for art which gives him dignity and a sense of accomplishment, despite his family struggles.

Omar’s artwork with two volunteer artists.

Omar is just one example amongst the 370 children we are helping every day to overcome their problems and to look to a better future for themselves and their families.

Without your support, none of our work would be possible. Please accept our thanks and continue to help us to give these kids a chance to create a new and better future.

Muchas Gracias

Juan Pablo Romero Fuentes

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Feb 7, 2018
A HUGE THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT IN 2017

By Donna Jepson | Project Leader

The children have returned to school in Jocotenango and the program is in full swing. The students were very excited to be back in their healthy and safe environment.

During our 11 years of working with the children and youth in Jocotenango, it became very apparent that after the 9^th Grade they needed a better program to ensure they were not succumbing to the violence in the streets, to the gangs, nor to drugs and alcohol which are all too prevalent in our community. With help from a Guatemalan family, we have now secured new land where these young ones are learning life skills and training that will give them a future where they can be proud and contributing citizens.

At our new centre in San Miguel Duenas, an Agricultural Engineer is volunteering his time to teach the youth how to successfully grow vegetable crops which helps to feed the children at the school. Any excess they are then selling in Jocotenango at a little shop they opened. They also sell bread and cookies that they bake themselves. The life skills that they are learning will ensure that they can achieve gainful employment and be contributing members of society.

Sergio setting up the store with the day's baking and Mynor with produce they grew to sell.

According to US AID, “In Guatemala, more than two million out-of-school youth between the ages of 15 and 24, including 600,000 in the Western Highlands, do not have basic life or vocational skills to enter the workforce. Youth face increasingly difficult conditions, including high levels of unemployment, social and economic marginalization, rapid urbanization, increasing crime, and lack of basic services. Long-term, sustainable development and improved equity in Guatemala will only be possible if the education of children and youth continues to improve.”

Youth from our school learning how to tile.

Youth team working together to create the new school/sports centre in San Miguel Duenas.

This is our mission at Los Patojos and with your help, we are achieving our goals.

Muchas Gracias Juan Pablo, Los Patojos, Dreams & Ideas in Action,

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Nov 14, 2017
We Are Taking Back the Streets

By Juan Pablo Romero | Project Leader

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