Guatemala: San Miguel Dueñas: November 24 2015

Tuesday

I wasn't sure what to expect, leading a team of board members who have extensive travel and team-leading experience. They were either going to be easy going, able to role with the inevitable hiccups while working in the developing world, or an absolute pain in the butt.

Luckily, they have been great. No hand holding required. When I go on trips, I have to try to squeeze in so many meetings while not working with the group. What that has meant on this trip is that I drop in on the gang periodically, between meetings. I give them a hard time, taunting them that nothing has been accomplished since I was there last. They, inevitably, make jokes about me being a young punk and looking like Justin Trudeau. Jerks!

The cloud cover finally broke up today and we were able to see the top of the volcano that San Miguel Duenas sits under. It is absolutely stunning.

Progress on the kitchen is coming along, slow but sure. When Teresa and I first talked about DWC building a kitchen, I asked her the value of it. More than 200 kids are attending Open Windows Foundation each day. Many of them come from underprivileged families and struggle with challenges like malnutrition, undereducation, etc. Teresa wants to be able to provide the kids with a hardy, healthy meal each day and teach the kids' mothers how to cook nutritious meals. In Guatemala, poor families' diets consist primarily of tortillas and beans, with very little fruit or vegetables. And Teresa tells me that for some reason, many are under the impression that drinks with high sugar content, such as Coca Cola, are healthy. As a result, rates of diabetes are also high.

Tomorrow we are running a glasses clinic up in the mountains. I can't wait.

Clear skies and view of the mountain.

Family life.

Farmer selling his produce.

Open burning "old style" stove - a wood fire between two bricks.

The view.

A farmer trying to raise a family on his meagre income.

A Guatemalan mom.

Another mom with child.

Joshua Molsberry and Hagan Ainsworth (photos)
DWC board member
Joshua Molsberry (blog) 
DWC executive director and team leader
Guatemala: November 2015