Help 10 Child Migrants Return to Guatemala Safely

Dear KIND friend,

I would like to tell you about Marco, a 15-year old boy from rural Guatemala, whose story mirrors that of so many of our program participants, and whose achievements are a testament to his resiliency and hope.  Born and raised in a small village surrounded by the mountains and valleys of the western highlands, Marco is the oldest of four children in a family living in extreme poverty. His town has no infrastructure, school, or health care facility.  His home has no electricity; Marco’s family pays a small fee to a neighbor, to charge their cell phone on a solar panel.  Marco woke up at 3 a.m. every day and walked an hour and a half to the nearest school.   

At the age of 14, Marco traveled alone to the US, looking for ways to help support his family.  His migration was unsuccessful, and in August 2015, Marco returned to Guatemala, and his family’s home. 

As a GCRRP participant, Marco was connected with partner organization Colectivo Vida Digna (CVD).  CVD’s staff began building a relationship with Marco and his family from the moment of reunification and during Marco’s initial adjustment to life at home.  After a month, CVD conducted a home visit.  During this visit Marco, his family, and CVD identified some educational and vocational goals that both interested Marco, and were realistic in the context of his town and family.  Marco’s family lives in an area that is rich in lumber resources, but his village has no carpenter. Marco went to the nearest town center, several hours from his home, to look for a carpenter who would be willing to apprentice him, but found none.  CVD staff then found an apprenticeship for him in Quetzaltenango, 6 hours from his home, where Marco could stay in the guest quarters of the CVD offices, and complete a one-year carpentry apprenticeship. 

Through the GCRRP, Marco received assistance with modest living expenses, and the cost of the apprenticeship.  He has also recently enrolled in the government-run educational training program, INTECAP, which has a carpentry program, and will give him some of the basic education framework within which to use the practical skills he is developing at his apprenticeship.

KIND GCRRP staff traveled to Guatemala in December 2015, and had the opportunity to meet Marco in person, and to talk to him about his experience.  Marco is an incredibly kind, considerate, and dedicated young man.  He is excited and grateful for the opportunities he has through the GCRRP and working hard to gain skills that will be useful to him and his family in the future.  Ultimately Marco hopes to return to his hometown and use his carpentry skills to serve the community there. 

Thank you for helping Marco, and other young people like him, to pursue the promise of a productive and hopeful future – at home.

Sincerely,

Emily Kephart

Project Coordinator

Guatemalan Child Return & Reintegration Project (GCRRP)

Links:

• KIND website