 A sad fact that comes with the enormous poverty engulfing Guatemala is that kids are suffering the most. Many of Guatemala's children work to support their families and, in doing so, sacrifice the benefits of a good (or any formal) education. They instead are forced into a variety of low-paying, sometimes dangerous, and horrific occupations (for adults, let alone children) ranging from the ubiquitous shoe shine boys and roving Chiclets distributors down to street prostitution. These children inherit lives so limited that it is hard for those of us from developed countries to fully comprehend. Even if a child survives the physical and emotional toil of such turbulent formative years, they emerge lacking any of the skills necessary for better employment in the future. Often they are completely blinded from any vision to a path away from poverty.Las Manos began its mission by working with Camino Seguro, an NGO providing "safe passage" by opening a way for children to get out of the Guatemala City garbage dump. These children, some of the most at-risk youth in the country, grow up subsisting off of refuge: the buildings in their neighborhoods, the walls of their homes, and sometimes the food in their mouths. While Camino provides a rounded support--nutrition and medicine--of immediate need, as well as educational support for the public school system, Las Manos has focused on fostering proficiency in a highly marketable skill. With the ability to speak English, these children have the opportunity to continue their education (Guatemalan universities require English) and/or to find jobs that will allow them to provide for themselves and their families.  Earth Lodge, our second partner, has been helping children (and families) in the village of El Hato, which surrounds their guesthouse. In El Hato, kids don't suffer the same childhood travesties as those in the dump, but they are challenged with a combination of expanding population, dwindling
resources, and an insufficient education to overcome such obstacles. Earth Lodge has assisted with the expense of sending children to the local school and has been working directly with the school to increase the opportunities available to the children. As of April 2010, Las Manos has been bolstering this work by running English classes during school hours and activity and reinforcement classes after school hours. Again, giving these children the versatile skill of English allows them to expand their community's access to income, builds bridges into other job markets (especially in Antigua), and opens the kids up to a wealth of opportunities.Las Manos de Christine subscribes first and foremost to its children. Before the fund-raising ever comes into play, the volunteers arrive, or the newsletters are emailed, we work for the kids. And, hey sometimes, a lot of times, it is nice just to have a little fun in life, whether you are an impoverished kid or bleeding-heart volunteer. The Right Teachers for the Job  To provide the best English programs we can muster, Las Manos employs native English-speaking teachers with ample experience and a fortitude of passion. We give our teachers a small stipend on which they can survive so that we can keep them around for longer commitments, a year or more, and thus students develop real relationships, effective classroom habits, deep trust, and a curious comfort with their instructors. While typical freebie volunteers or pay-to volunteers are more than likely wonderful people full of grit, guts, and greatness, the trouble is that few folks can afford the fees some organizations require and, similarly, few willing teachers can budget for a year of volunteering. So, Las Manos has tried to open its loving hands to a wider pool of professionals looking for a chance to chip in.  The children we work with typically come from educationally poor backgrounds and may require special consideration--more patience, more adaptability, and/or more reinforcement--from their teachers. That's why we don't throw just anyone into a classroom leadership role. Inexperienced teachers are often not equipped to undertake such daunting tasks, even though their hearts come from a warm and caring furnace of love. In contrast, long-term, qualified and experienced teachers are better able to endure the trials of implementing new programs, to help with the often sporadic schedules and progress of our children. and to modify their style and the resources available to best fit the kids' needs. Our teachers, skilled with experience and fueled with passion, are the crux of any success we have, so we dote on them with as much glee as they dote on the children.If you are a teacher who fits these criteria and would like to work with Las Manos on our current or future projects, please contact our volunteer coordinator at lasmanosvolunteer@gmail.com. If you would like to hear about the experiences of one of our teachers, please see Las Manos Teachers. . |
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Kids & Teachers |
