Newsletter #9: A Rocky Start
Feb 26th, 2021
Hello everyone!
Well, 2020 is over and I think we can all agree that 2021 has not exactly been the relief we may have been hoping for. As we in BC continue to persevere through various sacrifices in eager anticipation of the potential of achieving herd immunity by the end of this year, our friends in Guatemala face a new year with little certainty, unreliable COVID statistics, and changing vaccination plans.
While the Guatemalan school year usually runs from January to October, this year the government postponed the official return date indefinitely for schools across the country in an attempt to develop a COVID-resistant return strategy. Many educators became frustrated however, as the government began categorizing towns as "safe to go back to school" or "unsafe" based on numbers of COVID cases they had on record, even though consistent and reliable testing was not available in many towns. Plans were repeatedly announced and then retracted, and many became discouraged by the helplessness of not knowing whether to work or wait for school. Many adolescents (grades 5-9) are choosing to abandon their education in order to help provide family income, often taking risky and underpaying jobs. The majority of public schools in Guatemala only resumed this past Monday, Feb 22nd.
In the uncertainty, our team decided to focus on preparing as much as possible for the eventual start of the new school year. Their priority was (and is) to evaluate the current situation facing the families in our program, to know how to best meet the needs of the community in the coming months. After interviewing 90 families, it became apparent that despite all the support offered by our team this past year, COVID is continuing to take a toll on families in Zaragoza - especially the mothers. With many of their husbands facing job insecurity or unemployment due to COVID, many wives have been bearing the burden of taking care of the home, providing extra income to support the family, and being responsible for the continuing education of their children. Many are worried about the potential spread of the virus and do not want their children to go back to class, and some are becoming too tired to fulfil the increased demands of parental involvement that accompanies virtual learning. During COVID, there has also been an increase in domestic abuse and sexual assault towards females in the home.
While last year 110 families were registered in our program, so far only 65 families are choosing to continue (however interviews are still being conducted and our team hopes to reach 90 families by mid March). On top of the added challenges of this year, three members of our team have been dealing with the losses of close family members, and our Program Coordinator, Miriam, struggled with severe health issues that caused her to step away from the majority of her duties for January/February.
Although the start of the year has been extra challenging, our team has persevered and there are many exciting things to be thankful for!
Some of the children from Rincon Chiquito (a nearby rural village) and other surrounding farmland communities have re-enrolled in the program, which is significant because even pre-COVID, it was difficult for families from those societies to see the value in educating their children and make an effort to stay connected.
Our team has developed a new COVID-resilient plan for the main tutoring ("Alternative Education") program, in an effort to meet the learning needs of each individual child. This has been made possible because of an expanded team of educators! This plan will include a mixture of:
in-person learning in groups of 2 or 3
one-on-one tutoring via telephone or Zoom
a centralized online platform (newly launched website) for children that have access to internet that will offer learning resources and easy access to education support
physical workbooks and learning materials delivered to children who lack the ability to access online material
The program at Educando Para La Vida (our partner organization) was officially verified by the Ministry of Education in Guatemala, which validates the curriculum and accreditation of the program!
In addition to the children's program, we have a dedicated team focused on providing support for women and mothers in the community
A continuation of the "Seeds of Hope" program (promoting resiliency, family unity, education and empowerment through home food gardens)
Planning has begun for a proposed women entrepreneurship program
Our program officially resumes this Monday (Mar 1st), and both the children and our team are excited to finally begin a new school year! There are many ongoing challenges and there is a lot of work to do, but we are grateful for the continued opportunity to serve and pursue the restoration of dignity through education.
If you are able to, please consider joining our mission by becoming a monthly or annual donor.
Your ongoing support is especially needed in a time where COVID has forcibly discontinued our partner organization's usual sources of self-sustainable income, and increasing demands for support in the community have raised costs of operation. As a consistent supporter, you will also gain access to our "Real Faces" page where we meet and follow the stories of individual children, as well as unique opportunities to interact with families in our program!
Thank you for praying for us and following our journey! We cannot wait to update you on all the amazing things in store for this year.
Until next time,
Team EDUPAVI Canada