Guatemala - Developing World Connections

August 20th: Goodbye Guatemala

2011-08-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

The last day was a riot. We started it off by delivering stoves to a couple grateful families and purchased a piñata for the children at the coffee plantation and then we, the Gallo Gang, ended the trip with a couple fun, competitive soccer games with the Finca children. How many Canadians does it take to beat shoeless Guatemalan children at a game of soccer? More than eight!
How many Canadians does it take to finish Maria's house? Eight plus Chon and Oscar our Guatemala masons. It was so cool to finish the house and see Maria and her children's reactions. A tearful goodbye to Teresa and the children at Open Windows...Rachel cried a lot and then Moki and Bryan jumped onto that bandwagon, soon it was a complete snot fest. Who would have thought that we all would feel so strongly after two weeks! Especially as we are tough farmers and engineers and post office workers(at least a couple of us anyways) plus we are the Gallo gang! This is our last post as a team but Guate is in our hearts for good!

Peace out xxx
The Gallo Gang
(DWC Guatemala Team)

August 18th: Building and Colouring

2011-08-18T14:02:00.000-07:00

Building a house. Such a massive project in our minds, but in reality, it is a 12 x 14 room. Hardly enough room for a 7 person team. The project may be small but will be a significant help to Maria and her children. Three of the four rooms consist of cracked concrete and dirt floors. By pouring a cement floor in one room and painting the other it will create a brighter, more enjoyable place to live.

Being the small workspace it is, there is often not enough space for each member to work productively. However, it has given us the opportunity to aid other parts of the community.

Colouring. Something we learn and enjoy as children. Something the Finca children have never experienced but were able to do so today. This morning we brought crayons, colouring books, materials to make bracelets, and candy which to us is normal to us, but is a rarity for the children. Seeing the smiles and excitement in their faces was a rewarding feeling for all of us. Children are put to work at such a young age that many of them have never set foot in a school or library. Imagine turning 10 and already having the responsibility of caring for your siblings when you have never had the opportunity to get an education.

The Gallo Gang
(DWC Guatemala Team)

August 16th: Thoughts and Mortar

2011-08-16T14:24:00.000-07:00

Concrete Pouring
Almost Flooring
Dirty Work
But never boring

Paint the walls
Raise the roof
For Maria
And her youth

Stray dogs roam the streets
Quite used to blistering heat
You see their ribs,
See their bones,
But you can´t give them a home.

Education is a plus
Kids come running without a fuss
Lucky to learn
Lucky to live
Lucky for teachers willing to give

A window opens
Bright, Yellow, Oasis
Turning frowns to happy faces
Nurture hopes, encourage dreams
Opened, Opening, Open Windows

The Gallo Gang
(DWC Guatemala Team)

August 15th, 2011: Working hard and experiencing surrounding areas

2011-08-15T16:08:00.000-07:00

Hello DWC fans,

The project is near completion. Our beloved, hard workers, Oscar and Chone (aka. Tron) have been working hard along side the DWC volunteers. Our tallest member, Brian has recently been promoted to brick layer. Monique has been stirring the concrete mix while the others paint and move rubble.
This past weekend, our crew traveled to a far away paradise, Lake Atitlan and scaled the dangerous, active "Pacaya Volcano". At the lake we were able to experience many parts of the Guatemalan and Mayan culture. Loyal and respectful. Volcano Pacaya was a grueling but an exhilarating climb. The view was impeccable! Our first week was full of adventure, battling sickness and lack of sleep, but we were able to contribute a considerable amount to the project in San Miguel Duenas.

Your dear amigos,
The Gallo Gang
(DWC Guatemala Team)

August 9th, 2011: Our first couple days...

2011-08-10T08:57:00.000-07:00

We are having an amazing experience so far. Today was the first day we got to get some work done on the job site. We brought in all the bricks, cement, and gravel. The work space is very confined, therefore making it hard for everyone to be working at the same time and we have to remake the foundation before we start building the house back up. Because of the little space and not enough work we have been having some people come back to the school to work with the children and prepare the walls for a new paint job.

On our first day we toured Antigua and had a lot of fun in the market. Now, because we are not all able to work, we also toured San Miguel with the host partner, Teresa. We bought candies to handout to all the children and families at a coffee plantation home. Few families were there and we cannot imagine how full it would be with 500 families in the one area. It is funny because in Canada if we were to drive down the street and handout candy from a white van we would be shunned instead of loved.

Even though it is just the start of our trip, we have had many amazing experiences and cannot wait to have some more!

DWC participants
Taylor-Rae Harvey & Moki Slingerland

February 2011: Thank you to the Site 1 Workers

2011-02-24T10:43:00.000-08:00

Dear Site 1 workers,

As site 1 team leader I have to say I got lucky. We had a first rate mason in William, excellent translation by Sheila, a hard working family headed by Don Hugo, and best of all for me all a talented team of workers able to pick up the ball and play a game that was new to all of us.

I enjoyed my day off in Antigua, trips to other sites with Teresa, and another trip to town by Chicken Bus with Brian, all thanks you picking up the slack and not making me feel guilty. I could see that the site was well managed if I just stayed out of the way.

We can feel proud of our work and with the benefit of hindsight I think the family will be grateful that William held on to his high standards despite being overwhelmed at first by eager but inexperienced strangers. We were also able to give our family some extras, which included more space inside, a shower and toilet (hopefully finished by now), an additional window, some unexpected furnishings, and a workable plan for the kitchen area.

Thankfully the fence blew over with a little help from our excavation, providing crucial space needed to store materials. The neighbor's generosity in agreeing to the temporary use of his property I think made the whole project more relaxing and enjoyable for everyone.

I look forward to Teresa sending photos of the finished home.

Best wishes to all.

John Vanstone
DWC Participant

February 2011: The last posting from the group.

2011-02-21T08:44:00.000-08:00

Day 10

This is the last report from our Guatemalan Project.

What a time we`ve had! The houses at both sites are almost finished. Roof beams are on and sheet metal roofing is being applied. After two weeks of hard work we now have something that looks like houses. We have learned a lot about construction in Guatemala from cutting building blocks with machetes to shaping and setting reinforcing rods in all directions. Our masons have got used to our talents and how they may best be used. We seemed to gravitate naturally to work that was interesting to us and matched our capabilities. We worked closely with the families and after two weeks developed strong personal connections. It was a pleasure to see their excitement as the houses took shape.

After we`re gone the floors will be laid and we will be looking forward to receiving a photograph of the finished houses.

There is so much to reflect on from this experience. Guatemalan life is difficult in some ways common to developing countries. However, there is so much that is attractive in the way the people respond to their situation. When our mason broke the handle of his sledge hammer, he grabbed a piece of pipe and fashioned another. We noticed how skilled workers are in improvising when there is no money for a trip to the hardware store. They have learned to use ingenuity and personal skills when money and technology are not available.

Our experience riding the chicken bus- something everyone should experience once- revealed the communal-social side of life here. People pile into the buses, sitting three to a seat. They help nursing mothers or old women with bundles on or off. They are gracious and courteous with one and another, patient in sometimes trying circumstances. They extend their courtesy to foreigners. When one asks, in rudimentary Spanish, for directions, the response is almost always helpful and charming.

The people one sees are mostly fit and attractive. This must have much to do with the physical nature of their lives, walking most places, carrying loads, and usually without the assistance of electric or engine powered devices.

It was good to build houses in this attractive land.

Brian Metcalfe
DWC Participant

Tikal and the ancient Mayan Temples in the tropical forests in Tikal.

2011-02-17T09:07:00.000-08:00

Thirteen of our DWC group arrived 4 days early and headed north touring through Coban and on to Tikal. One major highlight was arriving at our hotel in Tikal to find ourselves in the middle of a tropical rainforest! A huge surprise for all of us was the arrival of the president of Guatemala and his entourage as there was about to be an official groundbreaking of a new research center.

After our arrival and a late lunch we embarked on a guided tour through part of the rainforest to see the massive ancient Mayan temples. As we approached the first one we were blown away with its enormity, rising to a height of over 150 feet. They had been constructed between 200 and 1000 A.D. with some 150 temples and a population of 200,000 Mayan aboriginal people. Their culture was filled with hierarchy, tradition and superstition. The society broke down at the end of 1000 A.D. and the forest took over the structures over the following centuries. They were rediscovered in 1957 and a number of the temples have been uncovered and at least partially restored.

We enjoyed a wonderful hike and learned a great deal from our guide about the life and beliefs of the Mayan people. The tour culminated in watching the sun set from the top of one of the temples. Our guide, being a skilled salesmen, convinced some of us to participate in a 4:15 a.m. tour the following morning to experience the wakening of the tropical forest, sunrise from a temple and further explore more Mayan temples. An unexpected bonus for us was the opportunity to witness a Mayan religious ceremony that was in progress as we approached the temple steps.

Our visit came to a relaxing finale as we had time to return to the hotel for lunch and lounge around the pool in the beautiful warm sunshine. While relaxing by the pool we continued to be serenaded with the sounds of howling monkeys, parrots and numerous other exotic birds and animals. This is not an excursion I will soon forget.

Jack Alexander
DWC Participant

February 2011: Patience with the Guatemalan way.

2011-02-16T14:12:00.000-08:00

The group went on an overnight to Lake Atitlan over the weekend. This lake, surrounded by volcanoes, claims with some justice to be the world`s most beautiful lake. After a boat cruise around the lake we had lunch at Santiago. That night we ate well and watched a spectacular, ever-changing sunset. On the way home next morning we stopped for an hour in Chichicastanengo and shopped in the market for fabrics, jewelry and other treasures, including a carved wooden flute.

Now it is Wednesday. On site one the walls are now above window height and the group believes they will have the roof on by Thursday night. They are now working on the separate walls for the bathroom.

Group two is close to window height with their blocks and will try to have the roof on by Friday. The mason and his helper are relaxed and friendly with us now, especially with the women in our group. Funny how that happens.
Yesterday one of our group was having trouble laying his block, despite the advice he was getting from three other masonry consultants. Henry, our mason, seeing this came over and with a few swipes of his trowel solved he problem. Everybody laughed. We seem to be more patient now than we were at the beginning of the project, more willing to work with the masons in the Guatemalan way.

Brian Metcalfe
DWC Participant

February 2011: Other activities than the volunteer experience.

2011-02-16T10:44:00.000-08:00

Building houses in Guatemala is gratifying in so many ways. For example, we’re learning local construction techniques, we’re enjoying working in teams and we’re feeling satisfaction knowing that we’re helping people in need. The Guatemalan people with whom we’ve have had contact have been unfailingly friendly, good natured and ever so tolerant of our limited Spanish-speaking skills. Yes, we’re working hard at the job site, but we’re also making good use of our free time.

Last weekend, we had the enlightening experience of being guided through an Antiguan photo exhibit of the Guatemalan civil war (1960-1996) by Yolanda Colom, an acquaintance of team member Marci Lipman. Yolanda, a former guerrilla commander, is currently a teacher and well-known Guatemalan author.

Wednesday evening, Mario, the bus driver that had driven 14 members of our group from Guatemala City to Tikal in advance of our work commitment, came to our hotel with his wife and children to describe family life in Guatemala.
Thursday evening, again with the help of Marci, we were invited to dinner at the Antiguan home of Corrine Willock, who several years ago moved to Guatemala and started a non-governmental organization called Choco GuataMaya.
She is also the author of the DVD called “Cacao – Food of the Gods”, which we had the opportunity to view.
The purpose of this NGO is three-fold:
1. Bring awareness of the evidence indicating that the use of cacao originated in Central America, more precisely in the Mayan areas of Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico.
2. To encourage the small subsistent farmers to create co-operatives, and to oversee that the cacao stays organic for it to be desirable as a specialty item in the international market.
3. Ultimately, assist in ensuring that the co-operatives receive fair trade prices for their cacao.

Friday at noon, a couple from the US, who made Guatemala their home twenty-two years ago, invited us to have lunch with them at their house. Their home is very comfortable, but interestingly it's located in a poor neighbourhood and is in the vicinity of one of the houses that we‘re building. Thomas and Elizabeth, who are 2 of only 5 ex-pats living in the town of San Miguel Duenas, shared with us their experiences living in Guatemala and being involved in the local community.

This past weekend, we all travelled by hired bus to Lake Atitlan, sometimes described as the most beautiful lake in the world. And after a tour of the lake, a stop at Santiago and a night at a lakeside hotel, we headed to Chichicastenango in the morning and attended a remarkable, huge local market. Colourful it was, with handicrafts abounding and everyone doing their bit to help the local economy!

So while we’ve learned much about life in Guatemala, there are a couple of questions that perplex the group. Why do the roosters that live down the road insist on announcing their presence at midnight, reporting back in at 2:00 a.m. and then continuing their calls with more and more urgency until well after morning light is bathing our charming hotel? And why are we not really taking notice of the roosters anymore?

Richard Alguire
DWC Participant

February 2011: First volunteer week complete.

2011-02-14T16:19:00.000-08:00

Friday February 11 and our first week of constructing two houses in San Miguel Duenas is over.

On both sites the trenching having been completed, we began to lay foundations with the complexities of building in an earthquake zone. This required that we understand how the steel reinforcing rods needed to be placed in the concrete footings and the masonry walls. One of our first jobs was to fashion steel hooks manually to space the rods appropriately. We also cut and shaped the cinder building blocks, with machetes on the first site, with an electric saw on the second. Then we put holes in some of the blocks, with axes, hammers and hatchets to allow the reinforcing bars to pass through the blocks. Instead of building a simple block wall, we reinforced our wall with steel bars embedded in concrete both horizontally and vertically so that the wall would withstand an earthquake. Next, after a brief apprenticeship, some of us began to lay the block under the eyes of the masons. By the end of the week, on site one the walls were three rows above ground level, and on site two, at ground level. We had already laid three invisible rows of blocks below ground.

At site one people were beginning to take pride in their work. People resisted suggestions that they be transferred to the other site. However, we did lose four workers to various complaints on Friday, leaving four to carry the load. Despite this shortage of labour we completed our three rows, and we expect that over the weekend the mason will add three more rows on his own.

One of the interesting developments at site two during the week was a change in our relationship with the Guatemalan mason and his assistant. When we first appeared to help them, they didn’t know what to make of us. They clearly had had little to do with North Americans, especially North American women. We were inexperienced and spoke little Spanish. For the first few days they smiled very little and gave us little direction. But gradually, as we began to learn our tasks, they realized that we were taking over some of the grunt work, freeing them to lay the rows of blocks without interruption. They began to smile and relax, and were able to communicate more.

The morale of the group was high at weekend. We could see the walls rising, were proud of the skills we had learned and the work we had done. We all hoped to see our houses near completion by the end of next week.

Brian Metcalfe
DWC Participant

Participant Marg Alexander volunteers one morning at a medical clinic in San Miguel Duenas.

2011-02-14T16:09:00.001-08:00

This past week I was thrilled to be offered the opportunity to spend a morning at the local drop-in government sponsored medical clinic in San Miguel Duenas. This clinic is open for local residents, and being an “old” nurse I was of course most interested in seeing how it was run.

You can imagine my surprise when I learned they had no doctor or nurse at the clinic and that it was staffed with two health care aides and an administrative assistant. Occasionally a doctor comes from out of town, but certainly not regularly.

Unfortunately my Spanish is virtually non-existent and the staff did not speak a word of English so there was lots of sign language and non-verbal communication throughout the morning. I have to admit I was skeptical at first, however quickly was impressed with many things, which I will outline below:

-the staff were delightful, positive and caring.

-the local residents have great faith in the clinic staff and share their health concerns willingly.

-patients visiting this clinic come with minor medical issues such as upset digestive systems, colds or coughs, abrasions or wounds requiring dressing etc. It is also a popular clinic for pregnant women and mothers with babies. Immunization and well baby monitoring is an important aspect of the care provided.

-should any young parents be reading this, you will be interested to learn that Mickey and Minnie Mouse and Pablo and Uniqua of the Backyardigans were popular characters in murals and posters in the babies and children’s examining room!

-EVERY patient leaves with pills, ointment or some form of medication. When I questioned this I was told that if a patient leaves a doctor’s office or medical clinic without something to take, they feel they have not received effective treatment!

-there was an impressive and VERY graphic array of pamphlets and posters on AIDS prevention and birth control in the waiting room.

-there appeared to be a plentiful supply of medications for a variety of ailments available for distribution by the staff. These were given without charge.

-even in third world countries government paperwork seems to flourish. Staff were constantly busy recording by hand, every patient’s name etc. along with their complaint and the treatment given for submission to the government.

As with most new experiences there were also a few surprises, such as the fact that there is virtually no hand washing by staff between patients and no disinfecting of equipment such as examining tables, baby scales etc. Needless to say this concerned me a great deal. In between patients I did have time to peruse some of the statistical charts on the wall. It was disturbing to see that high infant mortality remains a serious problem.

My time at the clinic passed quickly and I left feeling that I had gained at least a small insight into this one approach to medical care in Guatemala.

Marg Alexander
DWC Participant

February 2011: Why Open Windows opens doors.

2011-02-14T16:04:00.000-08:00

In a conversation with Teresa Quinonez, founder and director of Ventanas Abiertas, or Open Windows, the NGO with which we are partnered in our project, we began to understand the significance of the two houses we are building in her town, San Miguel Duenas.

I was born in the house you see, which is now the Headquarters of Open Windows, she began. I was the fifth of eight children. My parents could afford to educate me; I went to primary school here in San Miguel, and then to secondary school in Antigua. At that point, I decided to go to the United States and try my fortunes. I worked as a nanny and a care-giver to an older lady. I took courses at a beauty school, and in accounting. Eventually, however, I decided that life in the USA was not what I wanted, and I returned to Guatemala. I lived for a while in Antigua and then decided to return to San Miguel Duenas. At that point, having given up on the American dream, I decided to give back to my society and my town. With a friend I raised money for childrens’ toys, and gifts for poor families at Christmas. I soon decided, however, that these efforts were not doing enough for the people we wanted to help.

I realized that lack of education was depriving the poor of the choices and the opportunities that I had had. By that time, my father had left this house to me, and I decided to start a library where children from poor families could read, study and do their homework, things they could not do in their crowded houses. This was the beginning of Open Windows.

San Miguel has a population of twelve thousand. The average family has four children, and among the poor, the average is higher than that. Of the roughly four thousand children in the town, only about half go to school regularly. Of those in school, most complete the sixth grade which is in theory free. Roughly 65% of these continue to grade nine, 25% go on to secondary school in Antigua, and only a tiny per cent enter university.

The reason for this failure to educate the young in San Miguel is clear. The poor have not enough money to educate their children. The first six years of school- in theory free- in fact require the parents to pay for a school uniform and school supplies. The government gives each student only two note books, a pencil, an eraser, a pencil sharpener and a pen. The parents must supply the rest. When you understand that the poor have annual incomes of perhaps $US1,500, the burden of education is clear. The costs after grade six are even more difficult: from grade seven to nine, $500 per year; for secondary school $800 per year; for university $2,000 per year.

What happens to the kids who leave school after grade six? Typically they go to work so that their brothers and sisters can be educated to this basic level. And this is where Open Windows sees its mission. They provide the library, a computer room, and classrooms where children can come and receive support when they are in school. And perhaps most importantly, they find financial support for bright children from poor families that will enable them to continue their studies.

Anna Laetitia’s father was a fireman who supported his three daughters and an invalid wife on a very modest salary which would not afford the school fees for Anna, a bright girl, to continue in school after grade six. Open Windows stepped in and found a sponsor for her. She qualified first as a kindergarten teacher, but then decided that she wanted to become a nurse; nursing required expensive post-secondary education. Again Open Windows found the money for her to continue. She is now in her second year in nursing and doing well. During her holidays she volunteers with the local health department. Open Windows is very proud of her.

Mario came to Open Windows at the age of seventeen in Grade 10. He was working during the day to pay for his evening courses and found that he had no time to study or complete his homework. His ambition was to take post-secondary training either as a chef or in some aspect of the tourist industry, but he had decided that he could not continue, that he would drop out of school. Open Windows heard of his situation and found a sponsor for him. He now works only on weekends and can attend post-secondary classes in Antigua.

These are examples of the bright children Open Windows helps- the scholarship kids. Our project aids in this work. Open Windows gets funding from organizations like Developing World Connections to build housing for families with bright children that will enable the kids to study in a house that has room for them. When we go bed at night with aching muscles and stiff backs, we are comforted by the support we are giving these talented boys and girls.

Brian Metcalfe
DWC Participant

February 2011: THE OPEN WINDOWS CHILDREN AND THE DENTAL HEALTH MODULE

2011-02-14T09:39:00.000-08:00

Open Windows aims to improve conditions for the children from in and around the town, by providing access to important educational resources through its services, which the community has come to depend on. These services include: introducing motor skills to teach children dexterity with craft projects using scissors, crayons, and other tools; teaching higher critical thinking skills through educational games and creative problem solving activities; encouraging creativity through art projects; and working with volunteer guests.

I had the enchanting privilege of working with two of the teachers, Monica and Claudia, to put together a Dental Health module for the children`s activity hour on Wednesday.

We had expected 34 children and ended up with over 75! The children were so enthusiastic and excited.

Claudia explained the topic of the day was dental health and that I would do a demonstration of the proper brushing technique. She then explained that I came from Canada and could not speak Spanish. After the children greeted me with a noisy and loud,"Buenas Tardes, Segnora Elisabeth!", I asked if they could help me with my Spanish and correct me if I mispronounced a word. Claudia looked a bit apprehensive and feared we would loose control of the 75 children!

Earlier, Monica had given me one of their children`s library books, a story about a dad teaching his son how and why brushing teeth is important. She had rehearsed reading it with me!

Now the real test would be if the children were able to understand me and how they would appraise my non existent skill level!

With over 75 children crammed in to the increasingly hot and humid room, a silence fell over the room. I looked around and took a deep breath as I started to read in Spanish for the first time! You could have heard a Spanish pin drop! I got through the first page, two short sentences. I looked up to see over 150 intense eyes looking at me. I decided to test them to see if they were really paying attention…I stumbled on a word.

Well, the response was electrically immediate! The whole room erupted with a chorus of the corrected version of the mispronounced word!

The corrections to my attempts at Spanish came quickly and intensely. The children were not only helpful, but at the same time, they were gentle, respectful and excited to be able to know more than an adult! When I finished and closed the book, the children erupted into a boisterous and enthusiastic round of joyous applause and a few cries of `bravo`from some of the older boys!

The craft project came next. Egg cartons had been cut up into individual `teeth`. Each child received one tooth, some bits of colored play-doh, and markers. The children were asked to create cavities with the markers and with the play-doh, show bits of food stuck on the tooth.

The tooth brushing technique demonstration came next. With a dentodent, a huge toothbrush and fabulous comentary from Claudia, the children shouted out the correct technique for brushing their teeth. Then, with an egg timer, we showed them how long to brush…the two minutes for the children was an eternity. With coaching from Claudia, ``!Mas!` , `brush longer!, the children used their fingers to show they were still brushing!

We explained to our keen audience that toothpaste was not the key to dental health. Brushing technique was most important. Alternate and practical, locally and economically available, solutions were suggested, baking soda and salt water.

With a quick review by Claudia, she asked the noisy children if they would like to have a toothbrush. All the hands went up! We handed out the toothbrushes donated by a friend in Canada.

It was a heartwarmingly wonderful experience to see how eager the children were to learn something new, how curious they were to interact with someone new and very different, how well behaved they were, how respectful they were with me, how very gentle and sweet they were with my very obvious lack of Spanish skills, and how curious they were to see what they looked like on my camera.

A few days ago , I commented that I already loved Guatemala and its people. I was cautioned: It will not take more than a day to loose your heart to Guatemala!

With Love,

Elisabeth Percy
DWC Participant

February 2011: The First Tuesday.

2011-02-09T09:07:00.000-08:00

Day 2 on the worksites started overcast, but was sunny and hot by midmorning. At the first site the team arrived to find that the mason and his assistant had finished the digging of the trenches. The materials for mixing cement, the reinforcing bars and the cinder blocks had not arrived. At the second site, there was still work required to finish the trenches.

At the first site, the team waited for the materials. The sand arrived and the team spent twenty minutes shoveling it. Then we waited and waited and waited. We went for a walk and explored the neighbourhood. We met a local artist who offered to decorate the house with a mural, which delighted the family. We returned to the site to find that no more materials had arrived. We set up our chairs, and waited, exchanging life stories. When no more materials came, we returned to Open Windows for lunch, feeling discouraged. We were assured that materials would be available in the afternoon.

After lunch a number of our group, not confident that the materials would arrive, went to the other site hoping for work. Almost as soon as they left, the materials arrived, cinder blocks, forty kilo bags of cement, gravel, and rebar. Teresa went to the other site and brought the keeners back. All the materials had arrived at once and there was not enough space, so we piled them along the lane leading to the site. There was concern that the materials might be stolen, exposed as they were. Fortunately, the neighbour’s fence, made of corrugated tin like the kind used for roofing, had blown over during the morning. This was the result of our excavation being too close to the fence post. After some discussion, the neighbour allowed material to be piled securely on his land. Time was running out. We recruited a dozen of the neighbourhood kids, ages from six to twelve, to help the chain gang we had formed to move the cinder blocks onto the site. They were enthusiastic, since we had promised to pay them.

The day finished on a high note, with all the materials on site, ready for the mixing of the concrete for the footings in the morning.

Meanwhile the second team arrived to find the mason and his helper had made much progress on the trenches. The team spent the first hour breaking up concrete slabs, removing the cement pieces and the earth from the trenches. We were working with two broken down wheel barrows, so a decision was made to buy two more wheel barrows and an extra shovel from the local hardware store. The arrival of the new equipment was greeted with enthusiasm. Dirt was shoveled with great vigour onto the wheel barrows operating as a chain gang.

As we worked, the smoke from the family’s cook fire blew over the site. At one point the group leader was found reclining in one of the new wheel barrows, claiming that he was testing it for strength. One of our members, in the heat of the action, threatened to form a union and started to sing a trade union song; he was shouted down. By early afternoon, the trenches had been completed and the materials for construction had finally arrived. We formed a chain gang (again) and transported cinder blocks down the lane, over the path, through the gate and piled them on site. Next we moved the forty kilo cement bags by wheel barrow onto the site in the same chain gang fashion. Last but not least long pieces of rebar were lugged onto the site. The mason gave rebar cutting and bending demos to several of the group.

When we left the site at the end of the work day, all materials were secured for the night, ready for laying the foundations in the morning. Group morale was high with the feeling that much had been accomplished.

February 2011: Day 2.

2011-02-08T16:34:00.000-08:00

On a gorgeous Monday morning the twenty two Canadians piled into our bus and headed north to the town of San Miguel Duenas. We were greeted by Teresa the director of Open Windows, the local NGO, our partner in our project, to build two houses for two local families. After a review of her work at Open Windows, which concentrates on helping to educate children with ability who need assistance with their education, we were divided into two groups, each group responsible for the construction of a house over the next two weeks. We are to be assisted, at each site, by a local mason and one or two helpers.

The entire group of twenty-two arrived at the first site, led by Teresa, through a narrow walkway to a small yard between two buildings, almost all of which was to be covered by our house. After some discussion Teresa led half the twenty-two away to the second site, and we got down to business.

Sheila Hickok provided excellent translation for our mason William, who had laid out and leveled the lines for us to dig. The trenches were to be thirty centimeters wide and seventy centimeters deep. We were overtaken by our enthusiasm and dug them twice as wide in some places, despite cave-ins. Before we knew it, the trenches were finished and we left for an early lunch. The people at Open Windows had prepared a delicious lunch for us in a cool upper room, away from the sun.

At lunch Teresa gave both groups dimensioned plans for the houses they were to build. The plans for both sites were for identical houses. However, after lunch, upon visiting the second site, we discovered that the mason there was using a plan for a larger house than our plans called for. After some discussion, we decided to increase the size of the house we were building to this larger size. The family was delighted with our offer to increase the size of their house.

They filled in a trench already dug and dug another one, working in the heat of the afternoon. By the end of the day our trenches were finished, our objectives were met and we looked forward to the next day's work, building the foundation with reinforcing rods to help withstand earthquakes,

Meanwhile, Teresa had lead the second group back to the principal street of the town, turning left along a paved road that skirted the mountain that over looked the town, then down a second road, over a culvert, down a lane, to the site, a small yard between two adjacent properties. There had been a previous house on the property, since there was a concrete foundation floor covering half the yard. The mason was busy laying out the lines that defined the walls we were to build. Our first job was to dig the trenches for the walls of the house along the lines the mason laid.

The mason and his helper looked surprised to see us, twelve middle-aged, pale men and women, not obviously in one of the construction trades. They had not finished laying out the lines for us to dig. Teresa had a brief discussion with them and then left us to carry on. Our only means of communication with the mason and his helper, who spoke almost no English, was through Zelia Swan, whose mother tongue is Portuguese, but whose knowledge of Spanish construction terminology was not strong. We looked at them. They looked at us. What to do?

North Americans are not good at waiting patiently to see what unfolds. One of our group grabbed a pick axe and started digging energetically a trench along the one lines that the mason had leveled. Then a second one of us grabbed a shovel and stated digging out the earth the pick had loosened. Unfortunately he came too close to the pickaxe, which shattered the shovel handle with one blow. This was unfortunate, since there was no other shovel at the site. The mason looked horrified. Fortunately Teresa arrived with more tools and the work continued. With another pickaxe a second keen Canadian started to dig a trench opposite, but before the mason had laid his line. When the line was laid and leveled the trench was a foot offline. New trench diggers moved in and corrected the error.

At one point, the trench diggers encountered a huge rock, too large for them to move. The mason and his helper came and after much discussion, began to lever the rock out of the earth. The North Americans gathered round and bombarded the two men with instructions in English, some of it contradictory and none of which, fortunately, the mason and his helper understood. Eventually the two men moved the rock, and the digging continued. By the end of the day, our trenches were mostly finished.

Gradually, for both groups, the enthusiasm of the volunteers and the savvy of the masons and their helpers began to connect. By the end of the first day we began to feel satisfaction that the work had progressed according to plan. We understood that the masons had no access to the kind of tools that were used in North American construction and with that, that we needed to find the patience that would allow us to work in the Guatemalan way. We felt that work in our sore muscles and tired bodies.

We felt also that we had exceeded our original expectations by increasing the size of the houses on both sites to the delight of the families. We were all looking forward to the walls rising in the trenches we had dug.

Preston Thom

DWC Team Leader

February 2011: Day 1.

2011-02-08T16:29:00.000-08:00

We are finally here. It seems like we have been traveling for ages to get here but that’s because we took the long route from Guatemala City to Coban, on to Tikal and then back to Guatemala City and finally to our destination in Antigua. Leaving Guatemala City on the direct route to Antigua was delightful as about half of the group decided to see much of the country. We were blessed with an excellent diver,Mario, who carefully guided us through the mountains to Coban and then on to Tikal where we were amazed by the Mayan ruins. A short flight back to Guatemala City through traffic jams to Antigua and we were off to Fernando’s to meet up with the rest of the group for dinner. It was this wonderful group who has decided that they were ready to help the people of San Miguel Duenas by building a couple of houses for those less fortunate than ourselves through Developing World Connections with Team Leader Preston Thom.

The group is a diverse and eclectic bunch all with big hearts and willing hands. We are settling in to our new home for the next two weeks, the Hotel Casa de la Fuentes. It is a beautiful inn in the heart of Antigua.

On Sunday morning it was warm and sunny. Everybody was in a great mood after a breakfast and Marcy had arranged through a friend and Guatemalan activist to meet us and help us all understand the history at a local museum. Later we strolled through the streets and all met for lunch at Hectors – Outstanding meal! We will definitely go back next week.

Cocktails and the Superbowl in the afternoon.

So far off to a great start Day 1.

Preston Thom

DWC Team Leader

February 2011: The group has arrived!

2011-02-08T13:33:00.000-08:00

The entire group arrived in Antigua on Saturday, Feb. 5th. Antigua is known for its boutique hotels. These hotels/BB's are converted mansions and homes that typically have 6-8 rooms and a little courtyard.

By Sunday night the 22 volunteers had settled in, ready to begin building on Monday. After a short visit to Open Windows library the Team divided into two groups and headed off to the sites of the new homes on the outskirts of San Miguel Duenas.

February 2011: 1000 Pairs of Shoes!

2011-02-03T09:11:00.000-08:00

There are over 1000 pairs of children's shoes headed down to Guatemala this week! Packed in 50 pound bags and distributed amongst the 22 volunteers, Team Leader Preston Thom was hoping that the airlines would consider the extra baggage as a charitable act.

Thank you to everyone who responded to the request for shoes for children ages 6 - 14 by Developing World Connections Host Partner, Open Windows Foundation. Your generosity is inspiring!

February 2011: 22 Volunteers, 2 Homes, 2 weeks.

2011-02-02T15:23:00.000-08:00

The first Team of 2011 is headed down to the village of San Miguel Duenas. 22 volunteers and a volunteer Team Leader intend to build 2 homes for 2 families in 2 weeks. The 22 volunteers will be getting their hands dirty,working alongside our Host Partner, Open Windows Foundation and the families.

The village of San Miguel Duenas purchased a piece of land adjacent to the small town. Intended to solve some of the housing crisis in the town very few of the townspeople could purchase small parcels of land and afford to build a home on it. Many couldn't afford the land title but could build a home. And still others couldn't afford either. A committee, comprised of council members and community stakeholders including members from Open Windows Foundation, was formed to figure out a fair selection process of who would receive what.

When our Team of volunteers were set to come down for 2 weeks in February the committee selected 2 families. The first is a family of ten. 2 women and the rest children. and the second is a family of 6, a mother with 5 children ranging in age from 16 - 3months old (as of August 2010). Often families who rent a parcel of land to live on have homes made from wooden. Both of these families also rented their homes which are currently made out of corrugated sheet metal. Their new homes will made from cement blocks with proper facilities to cook and use the washroom.

We wish our volunteers all the best as they arrive in Guatemala and create safe, clean and sturdy homes for deserving families. Keep visiting for updates.

June 2010: Paint, Pinata, Flores and Tikal.

2010-06-28T13:10:00.000-07:00

Hola all! It is hard to believe we are in our last week of volunteering. As expected, the time has flown by and everyone is eager to accomplish a lot before our time is up on Friday. Last we left off, the girls were busy painting the laminate to be used to replace the roof on the schools. Despite the overdose of paint fumes, we were very happy to be contributing to the functionality of the institution where we bonded with many of the eager pupils in attendance. The boys have also been very hard at work completing repairs on a local home. The reaction of the owners was reportedly one of tearful gratitude, which is just what volunteers like to see! We also celebrated Chloe´s birthday last week with a piñata and a failed attempt to bake a cake when a box of icing was confused for cake mix.

Over the past weekend, our group suffered through a rather long and arduous overnight bus trip to the island city of Flores. The trek proved well worth it as we enjoyed an exploratory weekend in the Peten region. The humidity was absolutely palpable and the sweat was pouring as we all explored the small island on Saturday.

On Sunday our group headed into the jungle to explore the historical site of Tikal. Many dub this a cultural highlight of the trip; the spectacular beauty and feats of architecture displayed throughout the ancient Mayan city was fascinating, but unfortunately our many photographs fail to do the temples justice.

As we begin our last week in Duenas, the rain is hindering some of our progress painting at the school, but the boys are busy replacing the new laminate on the roof. We also anticipate another chance to hang out with the children at Open Windows, and maybe another soccer game! I think I speak for the entire group when I say we are all sad to be leaving so soon.

Hasta Luego,
Katie Klein
DWC Student Volunteer
June 2010

June 2010: Volunteering and "Bro-mance'.

2010-06-22T08:42:00.000-07:00

One more week down! We last left off fresh from our weekend trip to Lake Atitlan and since then we have accomplished a lot. Working in Duenas for week number 2 we were fortunate enough to visit the local elementary school to work with the children. Thus far one of my personal favorites; it was unreal witnessing all my friends surrounded by masses of little kids trying to get our undivided attention. Fortunately for me I was put in a class with six year olds right where I belong…in terms of Spanish. I ended up having a classmate grill me on the number system; apparently 4th year finance classes are WAY easier than pronouncing 56 in Espanol.

The boys have been busy being “men”. Doing hard labor such as digging trenches, pulling entire trees out of rivers, making concrete and helping rebuild a house, our boys have developed what they coined the “Bromance”. Although they won’t enjoy me publicizing this to the world, I most definitely witnessed these 5 boys squeeze into a four person (what looked like 3 person) solar hot tub of what I deemed filth.

At the end of the week we began painting panels of a new roof for the local school. Painting will prevent the roof from rusting and hopefully this will mean a long term solution to their current leaky situation. Thursday was Steph’s birthday so we ventured into Antigua and took a salsa dancing lesson. We learned the mambo and rumba steps, worked up quite the sweat, and hopefully upon our arrival in Calgary will not look like the dancing robots we did that first night! Until next time…

Ann Thorlacius
DWC Student Volunteer
June 2010

June 2010: A Volunteer's Perspective

2010-06-21T15:24:00.000-07:00

The last few days of our first work week were spent clearing a river with some locals and creating effective solutions that would remove the debris, and not simply create more blockages further downstream. We also had our first opportunity to spend time with the children who go to Open Windows. Most of us got the children to read to us, but there were plenty of other activities as well ranging from soccer to knitting.

Our group was fortunate enough to be able to travel Guatemala a bit over the weekend. We visited San Pedro De Laguna which is located on Lake Atitlan, a popular tourist attraction in Guatemala. The town was small and quaint with spectacular surroundings! We weren’t able to climb the volcano but we got to hike the India Nose Mountain which is adjacent to it. What a workout! The intense two hour hike was well worth the spectacular view once you reached the top. On our way home we were able to stop at Central America’s largest native outdoor market, located in Chichicastenango. The market was enormous and almost all of us were able to get some great souvenirs and try some local food.

It was quite an eventful weekend but we all came back to Antigua refreshed and ready to work. We started out our second week working in local schools and help the children in classrooms. It was almost as tiring running after kids for a morning as it was shoveling gravel in the afternoon! Each day we learn something new and try our best to help where ever we can. We’re all excited to see where the next few weeks take us!

Adios,

Rosie Singh
DWC Volunteer
Guatemala 2010

June 2010: Student Team

2010-06-10T08:41:00.000-07:00

Hola from Guatemala…

Our journey to Guatemala, along with our time in-country thus far, has slightly deviated from our initial expectations on several levels. The eruption of the Pacaya volcano in combination with the devastating affects of Tropical Storm Agatha told us that good ol’ mother nature had slightly different ideas for the people of Guatemela, and accordingly for our group of volunteers. Both natural disasters, occurring within the week before our scheduled departure, caused an extended airport closure and a three day delay of our flight (not to mention slightly increased levels of nerves amongst our group!) Despite these curve balls, after three extremely long days of waiting in Calgary and checking the news compulsively, we made it to Guatemala.

Upon arrival at Teresa’s beautiful colonial style house, our home for the coming weeks, it is fair to say that any existing nerves were immediately washed away. The next couple days of exploring Antigua reaffirmed everyone’s hopes that Guatemala would be nothing short of amazing. Teresa informed us all that our plans for work had been changed quite significantly. The town we were to be working in, San Miguel Dueñas, was in fact hit hard by the storm, and we would be cleaning up the damage and repairing many homes. Fourteen eager and energetic bodies were going to be of much more use than we had initially anticipated.

We began our work on Monday in an area outside Dueñas that had been severely affected by the storm. While making our way through the streets the extent of the damage became highly apparent, giving everyone a strong sense of urgency to begin repairs. One family’s home had been blocked with a large build up of mud, making access extremely difficult. Our group began by digging up the mud and transporting it out of the area, and covering the damaged areas with stronger dirt to prevent similar problems from occurring again. Since then we have continued working on similar mini projects – transporting mud, removing blockages from streams, and brainstorming preventative ideas in case the rain returns. Luckily we have managed to squeeze in several hours to play soccer with some locals, which really would be more accurately described as getting completely schooled by the kids of Dueñas. However, when the backdrop of your soccer field involves lush green mountains and a towering volcano, one really cannot complain ;)

Our first few days of volunteering in Guatemala have been eye-opening, exciting and highly eventful. I think I speak for the whole group in saying that we cannot wait to see what the next several weeks will bring! Adios for now…

Carla Bitz
DWC Student Team Leader

May 2010 Student Team: Participant Perspective

2010-05-25T09:35:00.000-07:00

A week ago today we broke ground on a new home in San Miguel Duenas. It is currently only a few rows of cinder block, a cement floor, and a sheet metal roof away from completion. By Thursday it should be ready for its family...and you thought your contractor was on the level when he told you your deck would take three weeks. Then again, he probably didn’t have the assistance of nine enthusiastic young DWC volunteers and an expert Guatemalan home-builder named Carlos—who we’ve collectively decided to rename “C-money”, because his measurements are always right on it (the money that is).

Panajachel was our destination for the weekend. We descended into this lakeside town on the slightly treacherous cliff-side road late Saturday morning. Despite the overcast skies; the view of the lake from the windows of our van made Carly’s reasons for booking the excursion obvious. We caught some poolside rays when the clouds permitted, walked up and down the main street to haggle over bracelets or hats or hacky-sacks, and got to know each other a little too well over several boxes of fine wine. The next morning the clouds parted sufficient to gift my legs with a bright red sunburn that one Antigua pharmacist would later describe as “quite severe”...all in all a fantastic weekend.

As I write this I am back in Teresa’s house enjoying some fresh air from the open courtyard behind me. Tomorrow she is taking us to a waterfall in Duenes. Although the morning off work is more than welcomed, we are all looking forward to getting back to the building site in the afternoon to finish off the house we’ve all worked so hard to build. My lower back may be a little sore from mixing cement, my legs may be a lot red from sun exposure, and my eyelids may be pretty heavy from early mornings; but I am pretty sure this has been one of the most impactful weeks of my life, both for myself and the people we are helping. And I am very sure that I have never deserved the icy cold cerveza that sits next to my laptop more than I do right now. If that doesn’t sum up the week, I’m not sure what does.

Rory MacDonald
DWC Participant
Guatemala, May 2010.

May 2010 Student Group: Participant Perspective

2010-05-13T08:39:00.000-07:00

Hola!

Today was a beautiful day! In the morning five of us went to a local school to hand out pencils to all the students while the other four went to work on the house. It was really surprising to see how excited they were to receive just a pencil.

After lunch we all went to work on the house. The boys were responsible for transporting all of the cinder blocks from the street to the house. And the girls were responsible for chiseling holes into the cinder blocks so that they could fit onto the rods that will form the structure of the house. We managed to complete eleven today but we need to finish ninety. As we were leaving the site today the mason asked us, in Spanish, how many we had finished. Thankfully, Carly was able to respond back in Spanish and he replied back saying, “Tomorrow,” while smiling and shrugging his shoulders.

The children that live next to the house we are building are starting to get used to us being there every day. We played catch with unripe oranges that fell from their tree and let them pretend play construction. There are a total a five children and they are all very sweet.

For dinner we had spaghetti and everyone’s plates were licked clean because it was so delicious. We’ve all been working very hard and enjoy coming back to Teresa’s to hang out and have a nice meal. Bye for now!

Sincerely,

Daniella Quagliara
DWC Participant
Guatemala May 2010

May 2010 Student Experience: Guatemala

2010-05-12T08:45:00.000-07:00

Hola from Guatemala! Our group of nine just completed our second day of work at the Open Windows Foundation, and we’re having an amazing time. It’s sunny and hot and everyone in San Miguel Duenas is so friendly. We’ve been working hard the past two days on a few projects.

For the next three weeks we are building a house for a local woman and her children. We are also constructing an eco-friendly fence around the house, made with plastic water bottles stuffed with compact garbage. We have been busy preparing the bottles and digging trenches for the foundation. We also planted a rose garden and played ping-pong with local kids at the library.

We are staying with Teresa, the woman who runs Open Windows Foundation, in her beautiful house just outside of Antigua. Teresa’s sister brings us all our meals every day from her restaurant and everything has been delicious. It’s awesome working hard all day for a good cause, and being able to come home to a safe place, hang out on Teresa’s roof, and enjoy the views of volcanoes that surround Antigua. Hasta luego, more to come from other members in our group!

Carly Smith

DWC Student Team Leader

Guatemala 2010

March 19th- 26th: Balmoral Hall students are home.

2010-05-07T08:51:00.000-07:00

The last leg of the journey was the hardest…the 5 am wake up call at the hotel in Toronto so we could obtain our boarding passes, hit Tim Hortons and catch our 8 am flight to Winnipeg. Everything went so smooth, although the wake up call was followed by some insistent knocking at a few of the hotel room doors.

As with the rest of the trip, this leg of the journey was flawless and our students were excited, yet sad to be returning home. I think the smiles on the faces of the parents waiting at the bottom of the escalator was a fitting end to an amazing journey!

Mr. Williams and I were honored to chaperon this amazing journey with the greatest group of BH students! As we move on and have only memories, I know that I have just shared an amazing experience with each of my students and I will hold each of these memories close to my heart.

To each of my students….thanks for the journey….thanks for caring and taking the time to show that your few minutes can make a difference to someone else in the world. I am so very proud of each and every one of you!

To the parents….because of you, each of your daughter’s have just had an experience that really can’t be put into words but will be a little piece of who they will become.

Goodbye Guatemala and as the moms in the hills around Duenas said, “You are all angels!”

Lois McGill-Horn

Teacher and Developing World Connections Participant

March 19-26: Day 9: Balmoral Hall students heading home.

2010-05-07T08:48:00.000-07:00

Today is a day of mixed emotions…excitement about traveling home but also sadness about leaving this new community we have called home for the last week. The day started just like the others…with cafe con lache, a greeting from Mischa, the cat and the arrival of our two bus drivers. After challenging the drivers to load our luggage for our hour long trip to the airport, we were off for our last ride from Antigua to Guatemala city, through the winding turns and heavy traffic.

After a 9 days of eating Guatemalan food many of the girls hit McDonald’s at the airport for their fill of burgers and fries and with some familiarity with home. It wasn’t long until our boarding call and the first leg of our journey home with a quick flight to San Salvador. The plane sat on the tarmac for about 20 minutes which had me worried as the connecting flight was already on a tight schedule. Arriving in San Salvador, we walked into the terminal from one side and immediately entered the next plane on the other side and were headed for Toronto. Flights home always seem so much longer but we arrived on time in Toronto at approximately 10 pm. Customs went smoothly and we caught our shuttle to the hotel for our final night away from home. Although late (midnight) pizza and Chinese food were ordered in as we hadn’t eaten in some time. We loved the size of the room and the amount of hot water and water pressure in the showers. What Mr. Williams and I thought might be a late night wasn’t as many were exhausted.

Off to bed!

Lois McGill-Horn
Developing World Connections Participant

March 19 - 26th - Day 8: Last Day in Antigua

2010-05-07T08:46:00.000-07:00

Well our last day in Antigua…it started just like any other…knocking on Mr. William’s and each of the girl’s doors at 7 am and while the girls showered and dressed, Mr. Williams, Julie and I headed next door for our hour of cafe con lache.

A quick trip to the market to pick up the last few items followed breakfast and then off to Open Windows for our last day. We had some last minute donations to sort and some groceries to purchase before lunch. The groceries and a few candies were sorted into four boxes for families we would soon be meeting. After a quick (and delicious) but tiny lunch we left to deliver the boxes to families who lived on the hillside around Duenas. The walk was steep and most of the dwellings we passed were tin walled with sometimes plastic for a roof covering and dirt floors. Teresa accompanied us and after a brief conversation with a woman surrounded by four children, we were invited in to her small yard. This house is along the path that leads up the hill and during the rainy season, the water runs down the hill into their house, often soaking all their belongings. (Teresa and the Opén Windows Foundation are collecting plastic water bottles which will be filled with trash and used to create a retaining wall to help slow the erosion along these steep banks. ) Once the girls had a quick visit inside her house, we left a box of groceries and continued our climb. Soon we came to another yard with a couple of tin dwellings, again with dirt floors. This yard is home to 3 families with a total of 15 children ranging in age from a month old to 14 years. We stopped for a quick visit and left the remaining three boxes of groceries. The mom at this house spoke in spanish and when interpreted said that she is so grateful for people like us who are willing to help and that the students were angels sent to help. When talking with the girls later, this visit had a huge impact on them.

Once back at the center, we spent the next hour in the library reading with the children who attend the center in the afternoon. (approximately 60 children) Activity time follows reading time and today was our last chance to organize the daily activity. Our girls have done a fantastic job all week of organizing fun and new activities for the children and I think today, the hugs received at the end of the activity time was reward enough for our students. While activity time was on, a few of us spent the last remaining time sorting our donations and boxing and labelling them for ease of distribution. Not only does Open Windows distribute supplies to the community and surrounding schools, but they also create 150 gift bags for Mother’s Day gifts and 500 Christmas gifts for children in the area.

By 5:00, the day had finally come to an end and we had to leave the centre for our last time. We were invited to the home of a retired couple from the US, who sit on the board of Open Windows. We met many of the board members and had a wonderful bbq with Teresa, Julie, and the staff of Open Windows.

We arrived late back at the hotel, but Mr. Williams, Julie and I had arranged for dessert night at the restaurant next door this morning before we left, so those who wanted were treated to “raw apple pie” and terra mazu.

Last minute packing is still to be done tonight and we should be travelling much lighter than when we arrived…although we have some shoppers in the crowd!

Off now to pack and up again in the morning for our usual routine and last cafe con lache!

Lois McGill-Horn
Developing World Connections Participant

March 19th- 26th: Reflections

2010-05-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

“Take a step back and it won´t hit you in the face”. (anonymous BH student)

Last night after we returned from dinner, we went to the rooftop to reflect on the day. Each of the girls spoke about their experience so far and the quote above was so fitting. Although this student was talking about how she adapted to the crazy shower head in her room, she brought the discussion full circle and related it to how she felt about what she had seen so far. She talked about how things really aren´t so different and how people really are alike regardless of where they are from and if you just take a step back, it is so much easier to see. Mr. Williams and I love this metaphor!

Day 7 -It was amazing how easy it was to get everyone up this morning and to breakfast on time when shopping was first thing on the agenda. Even those who hadn’t been feeling well over the past few days pepped up with the thoughts of shopping. After a quick exchange of money we went to an outdoor market where the girls tried out their best bartering techniques and by the amount of bags accumulated after a couple of hours, I’d say they were successful. I hear that we may be returning in the morning to pick up a few last minute items.

Around noon we left the market and ventured out in tuk-tuks, three wheeled taxis for a short ride to Teresa´s (director/founder of Open Windows)house, where we had been invited for lunch. We felt like we were in the Amazing Race reality show as we raced down the street one after each other in 6 tuk-tuks. We arrived at a typical doorway, much like any other in Antigua, but once through the door, we found the most beautiful house filled with magnificent archways, gardens and artwork. The girls enjoyed homecooked lasagna and were invited to relax until the buses arrived to take us to the centre for the afternoon.

We weren´t at the centre long before we were lacing up the runners in preparation for the “soccer match”. A short walk brought us to a soccer field where we began a quick warm up…only because we thought we should…not because we thought it would help! I know BH is known for some of its sports teams, but I´m afraid the BH Guatemalan soccer representatives won´t go down in history for their incredible game. A great effort ended and we distributed candy to all the children who played against us and all the children who were watching.

We are now back at the centre after another great dinner at the local Mexican/Guatemalan restaurant just down the street. They are thrilled to have our business and have gone out of their way to make sure we have a great experience and pass on the word to upcoming groups.

The local teens are just arriving for teen drop in night and word on the street is that more are coming to participate tonight after hearing about all the fun had on Tuesday night with the students from Canada. I think tonight´s activities consist of games, some Salsa dancing and maybe a few rounds of Sing Star!

We´ve all made comments today about the fact that tomorrow is our last day at the centre and our last chance to interact with the children, and how sad that is as the local children are really just getting to know us.

Another busy day is planned for tomorrow….off now to see how Teen night is going.

Lois McGill-Horn
Developing World Connections Participant

March 19 - 26th: Day 6 for Balmoral Hall Students

2010-05-07T08:41:00.000-07:00

I´ve decided to blog today before leaving the school so I can use a keyboard that actually works and so I don´t have to fight for time on the only computer at the hotel!

After our long day yesterday, we slept in this morning and started our day at 9 again today. Our morning consisted of completing all the jobs that we started yesterday so when we leave today, all is done. The front of the center has a fresh new look with bright yellow paint and all the desks have been repaired and re-painted. We are hoping on Thursday that we can personally take the desks to the school that they are being given to so we can see who will benefit from our work.

Right now all the girls are involved in two craft activities and one music activity in a new room that was just completed with donations such as ours. The students from the center have been divided into three groups and are rotating through each of the stations. The two craft activities are going great and our girls that are running the music center have learned that they never want to be music teachers. They are trying to communicate with 15 students and a language barrier how to play Hot Cross Buns on the recorders! As I sit in the next room, the sound at times is recognizable….only one more group to go.

Tomorrow is our shopping day so you can only imagine how excited the girls are. Because we are staying late tomorrow night again, we are taking the morning off to do some shopping at the market. Teresa the director of Open Windows is hosting us for lunch at her house and then we will be back here at the center. We have been challenged to a soccer game tomorrow afternoon, so I´ll blog tomorrow and let you know how we make out. From what I hear, I think we are in trouble!

The girls are doing great and working hard. Teresa, the director is impressed with the work ethic and dedication of our students and that of course makes Mr. Williams and I feel great as well.

I´m heading off to catch the last round of Hot Cross Buns! And yes…I have found the ‘ on this keyboard.

Lois McGill-Horn

Teacher,

Developing World Connections Participant

March 19-26th: Posts from the Balmoral Hall Group.

2010-03-23T09:36:00.000-07:00

If you educate a girl, you educate a family…if you educate a boy, you educate a boy – a quote that had a huge impact on all of us today!

All of the girls concerns that the food was going to be awful turned out to be for not as we have had the most incredible meals at every place we have eaten. Even the meal prepared for us by the local women in Duenas met with the approval of all the students.

Our hotel is great and very comfortable and the couple who own it also own the restaurant next door where we eat breakfast and they also help to arrange all of our cultural tours. They hold a trivial pursuit tournament on certain nights and we have been challenged to a game.

We spent our first day in Duenas today and after a quick tour of Open Windows, we spent the next couple of hours walking through the village. Teresa, the founder of Open Windows accompanied us and as a respected member of the community, we were well received everywhere we went. We were taken to a small yard where a family of five sleeps in a room the size of a large closet and cooks in an outdoor kitchen about the same size. Three families share this small yard and kitchen.

Next we visited a “finca family”, a compound that is provided to the families of the coffee plantation workers. The size of the compound would be about half the size of the our school's gym and during the busy season, 500 people share this yard. I think this was one of the most influential moments of the day today.

The remainder of the first day was spent at Open Windows where the girls read mostly in Spanish to the children. It was interesting watching the interaction between two groups of people who couldn´t communicate but in the end read over 25 books with each other. The children loved teaching our girls some Spanish words and by the end of the day a real bond had been created.

After a very nice meal in the town center, we returned to the hotel and spent some time on the rooftop looking at the lights of Antigua. Each of group shared their favorite moment from the day and as Mr Williams and I had hoped, each of the girls understands why they are here and why what they are doing is so important.

Today was a working day with some girls rebuilding desks, some painting the new desks, some painting the outside of the building and a few preparing craft activities for the afternoon session with the children. The desks are actually not for Open Windows, but are being donated, once repaired to a government school which is badly in need of equipment and supplies. (word was out about the excellent painting and a school from another town called to see if we would come and paint their building as well…we sadly had to decline)

The afternoon was whirlwind of activities with the children that including reading time, craft time and play time. The girls did a great job of working with the local children!

I spent some time in the computer lab on Friday watching a computer lesson and realized that they had a shortage of software and lesson ideas. I spoke with the director of Open Windows and offered to help with some ICT training for the teachers and she loved the ideas. Mr Williams and I spent the better part of the afternoon updating software and downloading some free online programs that will allow the children to work collaboratively and creatively.

Just recently, Open Windows started a teen drop in program that runs a few times a week and we decided it would be great to stay and help out with this program. The older children attend school from 1 pm until 6 pm and after a quick dinner, they have the opportunity to attend the teen drop in program. This program is in place to give the children an alternative to crime or gang participation. Although the attendance tonight was not great, our girls had a wonderful time interacting with the teens who did drop in. After a few ice-breakers, a game of Pictionary was followed by some Dance Dance Revolution on the newly donated Play Station.

Lois McGill-Horn
Developing World Connections Participant

March 19-26th: Procession and Parade Day

2010-03-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we drove for about an hour and a half to get to the town at the bottom of the Volcano that we were going to climb. As soon as we stepped out of the bus, we were crowded by little boys selling us sticks to help us walk up the Volcano. In the end, everyone who had bought the sticks said it was probably the best $1.00 purchase they made on the whole trip. What looked like an easy walk at first, ended up taking about 3 hours. Our tour guide Roberto was making his first of a few trips up the Volcano that day. He was older than everyone of us and managed to stay in the lead of the pack with very little effort. When we finally made it to the top, it was boiling! Some of us ended up walking down to actually see the lava that had started flowing the day before. When we roasted marshmallows in a cooler spot, most of us had red legs from the heat. When we finished on the lava, we started the walk down to the bottom. By the end of the trip we walked into the bus dusty, tired, hot, and sunburnt.

After cleaning up, and eating a big dinner, it took us about half an hour to make it back down the busy street to the hotel. The practice round of the procession was on that night and we were asked to make one of the carpets out of flowers and grass for the outside of the hotel. We finished our design and watched from the balcony of the hotel as the parade walked over our carpet of flowers. It was amazing to see the amount of people that came out to watch the practice celebration, and to know that there would be way more watching the actual thing.After the parade, our day was finally over and we emailed and skyped our families then went to bed.

Alexandra
Developing World Connections Participant
Balmoral Hall Student

March 19th & 20th: The first days for the Balmoral Hall Students.

2010-03-22T14:34:00.000-07:00

Today was more of a learning experience than anything else, the girls and I were very surprised with what we saw. It made us happy, yet it made us feel that we can not take what we have for granted. Everyone here is so polite and courteous.

March 19th:
Today we went to the village, San Miguel Duenas, where Open Windows Foundation is, we went for a walk around the village for about 2 and a half hours, it was really pretty, we learned alot about how people live here.
After we finished our walk we went to the Open Windows Library/School, and ate lunch. Then the children started to arrive. We started to read with them. It was difficult at first, then everyone relaxed, and the children started to teach us some Spanish. Then we came back to the hotel, and had a very good meal. Things have been going great!

March 20th:
Today we went zip lining, it was so much fun! We hiked up a huge hill, it was exciting and adventurous, yet a little bit tiring. We had the time of our life going down 8 fast zip lines. It took us about an hour and a half to finish everything, then we went to eat. After lunch we took our bus to another village, and we went for a boat ride on a beautiful lake called Lake Atitlan. We went across the lake to a small town where many people bought gifts for family and friends from the women's Cooperative . When we were finished our boat ride we wondered around the town some more, and then got back on the bus and back to the hotel it was a long day and a long ride, but most definitely worth it!

so far it´s been an awesome Experience, totally worth it.

Natasha,
Developing World Connections Participant
Balmoral Hall Student 2010

March18 - 26th, 2010: Balmoral Hall High School Students head to Guatemala

2010-03-22T14:30:00.000-07:00

Last Day for Kamloops High School Students in Guatemala:

2010-03-15T10:00:00.001-07:00

Today was our last day in Antigua. We woke up and went for breakfast at Fernando's as per usual. Then some of us hit the daily market, the one we went to on our first day here. It was so funny to see the newbies trying to talk and barter and work their way around the crazy Guatemalan traffic. We felt like seasoned pros at this time. After this we went to McDonald's. The service is so fast, it's like they know what you are going to order. We sat in the beautiful courtyard to eat. We have been told that people have their weddings in the McDonald's courtyard haha.. Sort of hard to believe until you see it.

We came back to the hotel and went on the roof to suntan (or for me, lay in the sun with SPF 60..). It was so nice out! Sara and Riley got TORCHED. They are so burnt. We met the rest of the Canadian group that we had met last night.. It's so fun to compare their experiences in Guatemala and in Canada. We went out for dinner at Subway. Spanish Hannah Montana was playing! First TV I have seen in ten days :). After that we walked back down to the market because we all have so many quetzals left that we needed to blow. After that we walked back to the hotel for a team meeting.

ANOTHER procession was going on. This time they all wore red robes. People would pay to carry this thousand pound statue. The music was very loud and very heavy. We all met on the roof and reflected on this past week. We talked about not forgetting about the things we saw and learnt because it is so easy to slip back into old patterns.

Torry Harris
Developing World Connections Participant

March 13th: Lake Atilan

2010-03-15T09:58:00.000-07:00

Hola! Sorry for the long delay.. Today was Riley's 17th birthday! We went to Lake Atitlan. It was crazy! It was about a two and a half hour drive on the WINDIEST roads. We travelled through some pretty poor towns. The first thing we did once we got to "the most beautiful lake in the world" as it's dubbed, we went ziplining! It was so crazy! We got strapped up and climbed about twenty minutes up a mountain and went down eight different ziplines. It was SO much fun! The lake was so beautiful and it was huge. Most of the water is filled with parasites so you can't swim, but some parts are fine. We ate out for lunch at the Sunset Cafe. There was an Iron Man going on. Lots of runners dying in the heat! We took a boat to two different islands. One was crazy -- it was literally built on the side of mountain. All the streets were cobble stone and burned your calves as you CLIMBED up to the shops. We saw lots of women weaving scarves etc. The second island we stopped at was fun. We went into a cafe and got ice cream. All these little boys were asking Shane to buy them ice creams. So he did..all like six of them. Women and their children would hassle you like crazy because they wanted you to buy their goods. They would follow you up the street and back down to the docks where the boat was. We travelled back to the mainland and took the bus home. Everyone fell asleep; we were so exhausted. We came back to Fernando's for dinner and had potato and leek soup, salad and an enchilada. The enchilada kind of looked like a really big pizza pop. For dessert everyone had tiramisu and we sang Happy Birthday to Riley. Fernando and Gerlinde (his wife..they own our hotel next door too..) made me a chocolate cake without eggs. It was soo nice of them. We went up on the roof at night and hung out on the swings. We met a Canadian group from Toronto that was staying here after they had just built two houses this week.

Torry Harris
Developing World Connections Participant

March 12th:

2010-03-15T09:54:00.000-07:00

Today we woke up at 7:30 AM and realized it was the last day with the kids :(So sad!) We came to Open Windows and started putting together the desks and then painting them. Ali and Riche sorted through the eight suitcases we brought. They are both feeling A LOT better, by the way.

At 10:30, Teresa wanted to take us to see the finkas. They live on the side of a mountain in San Miguel. It was so sad! They literally have nothing. Once we reached the top of the hill, around thirty kids came to see us. We brought them mints and they were so excited. They were all really dirty and none of them were wearing shoes.. We also brought some soccers balls. Every day they have to walk down the mountain to wash their clothes or attend church or just do daily things that we take for granted. Their houses are made of tin with tarps as roofs. Lots of people in Guatemala have pets that they cannot probably take care of. We have seen hundreds of dogs and horses that are starving! They are all so skinny. So skinny that you can see their rib cages.. When it rains, the kids can hardly walk up the hill because the water is higher than their knees. Their mayor built a cement playground when the majority of the village wanted a place where they could wash their clothes. Teresa said if the mayor was female, he probably would have taken a more maternal approach and would have given the village what they needed. She said that most men don't even think about washing clothes because down here it is considered women's work. I agreed 100%. The kids did not even use the playground, they still just play in the streets.
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We returned back to Open Windows and worked on the desks some more. The Doctor was in today.. One comes a couple times a year.. A group from Winnipeg is coming next week is going to finish the rest. In the afternoon, we helped the kids in the library. At 3 pm, we were all divided up into groups of ten kids and two members of our group. We had to teach them a game.. My group taught jump rope and hopscotch. Some taught soccer baseball, sewing and hand clapping games. When it was time to leave all the kids sat down in the courtyard and gave us cards and certificates. I, once again, cried!

We left the kids:( at OW and walked to Liz and Tom's house for a bbq. Their stories were so cool. Tom just came down here for a trip similar to ours and then he ended up staying forever. Doesn't sound like a bad plan to me... :) We left there at 7:15 PM. It was hard saying bye to Teresa and the others! We drove home and went to Fernando's to see how he made chocolate and coffee. So cool!

I hope that the snow melts before I get home because the weather is SO nice down here. All my love to my fam-jam and friends and thank you so much for taking the time to read the blog:)

Torry Harris
Developing World Connections Participant

March 11th:

2010-03-11T11:15:00.000-08:00

I do not want to come home.

At all.
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Ali and I woke up early today (we have the morning off.) and went to Fernando's for breakfast. We came back to the hotel to get Riche, but she couldn't come with us because she had been throwing up :(. Not to worry, it's nothing serious. Probably just dehydration.. But Ali and I went out shopping. We dropped our dirty laundry off at this cute little laundry mat and we will pick it up when we return. We went down to the market and to some of the stores by our hotel. It is still strange that when we walk by McDonald's there is a security guard holding a rifle. It's like that at the bank too and lots of fast food restaurants.

We left for Open Windows at about 11:45 AM, but first we stopped at Teresa's (founder of OW) house for lunch. It was NUTS. She has fourteen bedrooms, three floors and this crazy backyard. She showed us some of her coffee plants (she makes her own coffee..). She has a chef and a maid and her roof is huge and flat so you can sun tan on it. She has a beautiful courtyard in the middle of the house. That's another "I like" about Guatemala - most of the hotels, houses and restaurants are part indoors and outdoors. The buses picked us up and we went to OW to play with the kids. We read in the library for a bit and then it was time for the big soccer game.

We walked about fifteen minutes to one of the local soccer fields in San Miguel. Kids had received special permission to get out of school to play. Two girls from OW came with us as well. We showed up to the barb wire encased field to see about fifteen boys (all way younger than us) wearing Kamloops Blaze jerseys! A previous team must have donated them and that's what the team wears. Lots of locals came to watch the game and we got murdered 8-0. One of the girls and I listened to my iPod on the sidelines; she also ate my lunch because I was allergic to it hahah.. Ali and I played pass with two little boys on the side. They were so cute! After the game, we got a huge picture of all of us and I promise I will upload it when I get a chance! We left for the hotel at 5 PM and we were all way to tired for salsa dance lessons.

At 6:30 PM we went for dinner at La Punta, an Italian restaurant. Our pops (Pepsi, Coke, Fanta..) come in glass bottles! Ali and Riche weren't feeling well so they stayed home. We walked back to the hotel and hung out. We were all exhausted!

Adios!

Torry Harris
Developing World Connections Participant

March 10th:

2010-03-10T16:13:00.000-08:00

Buenas tardes! Our Group is at Open Windows right now on our lunch break! We woke up this morning at 8 and went to breakfast at Fernando's. I got my usual toast and a plate of fruit. The fruit is so fresh. This trip was the first time I've had papaya. We came to San Miguel at 9 am and started working on the desks. The boys put the pieces together and all the girls painted them navy blue. I was COVERED head to toe, in paint.

We read with the kids in the library part of OW. Marta was not there :(.. Later in the afternoon we were paired up with a child and got to paint pictures for our art show we are going to have when we get home. I was paired with Herenzo (age 11) and we painted a picture filled with arboles (trees), montañas (mountains), a lago (lake), a barco (boat), nuves (clouds), a sol (sun) with a bright cielo azul (blue sky).

Later Katerine took me to do a craft. We made pictures of Spanish women. She wanted to keep mine. I have no idea why though! Mine was so feo (ugly). After that three girls took me over to play chess (I've never played before and it was even harder to learn in Spanish) and this princess dress up game. They dressed me up in all of the princess jewelry including a crown, necklaces and bracelets. THEN they insisted that each one of them would take a thousand pictures of me haha. It was 4:30 PM, time to go home (although none of us wanted to..). We came back, showered and then went out to dinner. Dinner was all right; the place was tiny and the only lights were candles. After that we walked to an old building where a blues band was playing. The building looked SO beautiful with all of the lights. I promise I'll post pictures tonight! :) All night people were lighting fireworks. They were SO loud; they sounded like gun shots. That freaked all of us (even thought it was only 8 PM) out so we walked home. All of us were so tired, we all just kind of fell asleep together.

That's it for now. Hasta luego!

Torry Harris
Developing World Connections Participant

March 9th:

2010-03-10T16:10:00.000-08:00

Hola! Today we got to San Miguel at 9:30 AM. We immediately started working on the desks. Some of us drilled the pieces together, some of us sanded the pieces and some of us sanded the old paint of the chair frames. We ate lunch and then headed down to the library. I met Marta who is actually the coolest little girl I've ever met. She taught me so much Spanish and I kept the pictures we drew together. Her mom and dad work in the coffee plantations (a very common job in San Miguel) and her mother washes laundry on top of that (also very common). Next we went into the Community Room at Open Windows and watched a presentation on eye care, eye examinations and injuries. All of the kids paid attention the whole time and at the end they asked a billion questions and this wasn't even at school! It was after. It was totally different from a Canadian class. After this it was play time. I played some more games in the courtyard with the girls. They are hilarious. A couple of them are really good at explaining the rules, thank gosh! We played until 4:30 PM when we had to go back to Antigua. All of them give us big hugs when we leave. I will hopefully get to see Marta tomorrow. We got home and OG (minus the chaperones) went out on the town! We went to the Mediterranean restaurant that we went to for dinner a couple nights ago. We hookah-ed mint and mango shisha. After that, we went to the McDonald's that is crazy nice! There were candles on most of the tables and the courtyard was lit up with lights. We walked back to the hotel at 7 PM to eat dinner at Fernando's. We had a broth filled with salantro that had to chunks of squash and a piece of chicken. On the side was rice and carrots. We drank juice as well. Guatemala's juice is definitely different than North America's.. It is usually pretty thick because it is fresh. And so good! The rest of Our Group (because I was allerica) ate brownies for dessert. Tonight we are going on the roof again! I knew it would become a regular spot to hang out.. but the view is so pretty because the balcony just shows the beautiful skyline and volcanoes. Anyways, tomorrow we are going to OW to paint the desks! Buenas noches!

Torry Harris
Developing World Connections Participant

March 9th: Busy already.

2010-03-09T15:20:00.000-08:00

More thoughts from yesterday:

We worked on desks and prepped them to replace the old wood for new wood and then paint them. At 4 PM the kids could play because school and homework time was over. We read them stories (in Spanish) and asked them basic questions like how old are you, how many brothers and sisters do you have? etc etc. Some of the eleven and twelve year olds could not read.. :( We coloured with them. Ah, they were so cute. I met three kids I liked in particular -- Delmay, Franklin and Daniel. Daniel was so good at art! The girls really liked my nose ring, but did not like my rook piercing at all! They openly laugh at our bad pronunciation too. Some of us played soccer in the Open Windows Foundation courtyard and I played games with the girls. I had to do the KitKat bar hand shake/game with so many girls! We played games that were kind of like Ring Around the Rosie and other elementary school games, but in Spanish. It was so, so much fun. At 5 PM, all the kids go home for dinner.

We walked down to another house where two girls and their mother and their father lived. Their dad was an alcoholic and didn't support them. The mother's father died suddenly and he had not written a will yet. So the government took hold of the property. The family can still live there, but the house needs to be able to be taken down if or when the government says so. This means it is made out of bamboo with a tarp as a roof. It gets really windy and rains, and their "backyard" (a dirt path with chickens and laundry hanging up to dry) will get wiped out. I think the saddest part that got to me was that the older daughter is handicapped. They don't even know what mental illness she has and her family cannot afford a wheelchair so she sits in the room that is their house in the dark everyday. That was hard for me because last year I was a Teacher's Assistant in the Resource Room at school. Here, the government does not provide funding for her to go to school in a special classroom with an aid. When our group gets home we are going to start a fund-raiser to build her a house and provide her with a wheelchair. We also went out for dinner in San Miguel's ONLY restaurant. It was Mexican/Guatemalan food. After that we went back to Open Windows and participated in a youth group that happens every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It was International Women's Day so we learnt about famous women around the world (Hillary Clinton, Rosa Parks, Helen Keller etc..) We played some "ice breaker" games as well. We left at 9 PM and we went on the roof. It was clouded over tonight. We haven't been able to see the moon yet.

Today we got to San Miguel Duenas at 9:30 AM. We immediately started working on the desks. Some of us drilled the pieces together, some of us sanded the pieces and some of us sanded the old paint of the chair frames. We just ate lunch and now we are going to go to the library portion of OW (Open Windows) and play with the kids.

Adios amigos! ;)
Torry Harris
Developing World Connections Participant

March 8th: First Day of Volunteer Work.

2010-03-08T14:21:00.000-08:00

Today is our first day of volunteer work. We left at Antigua at 8:00 AM and drove in two vans (and our eight suitcases) to San Miguel Duenas. It was about a fifteen minute drive. Even though it was so close, Antigua is very different from San Miguel. It is not cobble stone and it is very, very poor. Teresa (the leader of Open Windows Foundation) gave us a tour of the village. First we went to the Fire Hall. It was tiny! We all slid down the fireman's pole though. Riche was so scared! But we finally convinced her to come down. Shane, Riley and Miles climbed back up the pole. Show offs.

It's funny because on some houses you will see North American references like a poster of High School Musical or Shrek. We went do the City Hall next. The government is really corrupt. Teresa says that they encourage all children to go to school, but they turn a blind eye when they need money for school supplies. This prevents them from being able to have enough for everybody. Small children go to school in the morning while their parents and older siblings work. Then they come to the library (which is the Open Windows building) or take a siesta while the teenagers go to school.

We stopped at a "house" that four families lived in. It was so dirty. The father was making bread that he could sell. All of the families sleep in one room with two mattresses. They have a lime and an apple tree. They wash all their clothes by hand and hang them to dry. They had rabbits, a dog and chickens. Their sinks were filthy and they didn't have any electricity. The oldest son had to work night and day to pay for his little sister's education. It made me cry. That was definitely the moment that everybody has been talking about -- that minute that changes your life, that minute that makes you feel so bad and feel so grateful for what you have. It was unbelievable. Poverty now has a face and a name and it makes it that much more real.

Next we went to a private school where all of the students were considered "upper class". It was recess time and it was pandemonium! All of the kids would ambush you for pictures! They all wore red school uniforms and ate lots of junk food. They would laugh at how tall Shane was! They were all so friendly. They would ask me questions in Spanish and I would have NO idea what they meant. After this, we went back to the Open Windows building and starting fixing up desks. We have to take them all apart, put them back together with new wood and then later we will paint them. We ate lunch here and now it's our break before we will get back to work. Tonight we are going to a youth group. I'll keep you posted. Husta luego!

Torry Harris
Developing World Connections Participant

March 7th: Saw a Volcano Blow!

2010-03-08T14:19:00.000-08:00

OMG!! Today was the craziest day of my life. We woke up at 6:30 and went for breakfast at Fernando's at 7:15. Then we took a two hour bus ride to the Pacaya volcano. While we were driving we saw another volcano steam (Guatemala has four active volcanoes). I'll post pictures when I can! But yeah, we went through two very poor towns. At the bottom of the volcano (it's 8,000 meters high) we buy walking sticks made of bamboo for Q5. Right when the bus pulls up, men and younger boys flock to the door so we buy the stick from them. We drove some more through a village at the base of the volcano. We took some pictures with some little boys. There was one Caucasian boy! It was weird.. Like how did he get there? We then started hiking and about ten locals would follow us with horses. They wanted us to pay to ride them up to the top (they finally left when we were half way up). It was so steep! We were ALL dying (especially Riche and I). I looked angry in every picture hah. You could feel the altitude increase considerably. It was about a 6 km hike to the top. There were tons of metamorphic rock! We had to then climb on the metamorphic rock and shale. Once we got pretty close to the top it instantly got so hot! We could see red lava spewing out of openings and every couple minutes the volcano would "burp". Mary had brought marshmallows and our guide roasted them over the lava. Yum :). Right now, locals are putting on a parade for Lent. It's very bright and colourful and there is loud music.

We went for dinner at a Mediterranean dinner last night! Ah it was so good! It was also a hookah bar. They had the most beautiful decorations. One thing I noticed was the pop tastes way different here. I drink Diet Pepsi (called Pepsi Light here) and it is way sweeter than in North America. It tastes like it has been sweetened with cane juice.

We walked back to our hotel and the parade came by again. Everyone was wearing bright purple robes and carrying huge statues! All of us got burnt so we had to pick up aloe vera from the pharmacy! Riche is sooo burnt! Surprisingly, mine is not bad. OG hung out on top of our hotel´s rooftop again which I think will become a regular spot to chill. We brought up an iPod dock and we could see all of the stars so clearly. We found Orian's belt and the Big Dipper etc :). At about 12:30 AM we saw a volcano blow! The red lava went everywhere. It was crazy!

Torry Harris
Developing World Connections Participant

March 6th: Dinner, and Dancing

2010-03-08T14:00:00.000-08:00

We woke up and it was SO nice out! We went to Fernando's (a cafe next door that has very good English) for breakfast. We walked to the local market a couple blocks away from our hotel. Their driving is pretty crazy.. The sidewalks are about a foot tall and there are lots of locals trying to sell you things. It is so hot out! I have been applying sunscreen like crazy. Everything is also so cheap. They sold machettis and lots of different kinds of knives! It was different hah.. I have improved my Spanish so much! Zander, Ali, Riche and I saw a truck of coffins drive by. Locals just sit in the bed of trucks and people NEVER stop at stop signs. There are beautiful buildings everywhere! Ah, Mom you would die at how beautiful the flowers at the market are.

We went for lunch at a place down by the market, I had a cheeseburger. :) After lunch, Ali, Riche and I went to McDonald's.. hands down nicest McDon's I have ever seen. There was a courtyard with a fountain and tables where you could eat. Three sixteen year old locals tried to pick us up! It was a good attempt, no dice. :)

We hung out at the hotel for a bit while Teresa, Ali, Riley, Shane and Sara went to a church service. We then went out for dinner at a nice restaurant a couple blocks away from our hotel. There was live music -- xylophone type instruments. While we were waiting for our food, the lights dimmed and about ten dancers came out and danced to a few songs. They then took people who were dining.. Mary and Teresa were selected first. I totally thought I was in the clear, but I was wrong! They picked Shane and I next. It was hilarious! We danced in a big circle with the rest of the dancers and some people out for dinner. They gave us maracas as well. Of course OG took a thousand pictures! Those I will not be posting! Miles and I shared spaghetti. It got a little messy.. ;) Around 10 PM some of us went to the roof were there is a patio with swings and met around ten Americans (they were from South Dakota) joined us.. Ugh they didn't know ANY of the provinces. They had heard of BC because of the Olympics, but knew no others. One asked if we boarded AlbertO. Ah, not quite boys.

Torry Harris
Developing World Connections Participant

March 5th: Heading to Guatemala

2010-03-08T13:57:00.000-08:00

Ah! It has been quite the day. We woke up this morning at 3:45 AM to drive to the Vancouver airport for our 7:40 AM flight. The flight was not bad at all -- a little bit of turbulance that was scary though. I am currently writing from the George W Bush Intercontential Airport in Houston, Texas. It is very cloudy and not that warm :(. We will arrive in Guatemala city around 10 PM and drive about forty five minutes to Antigua, where we are staying. (Pictures will be posted later on..) The trees in Kamloops better not be blooming without me!

Torry Harris
Developing World Connections Participant

Guatemala 2010

2010-03-08T13:55:00.000-08:00

Read about a group of high school students (and three chaperones) from Kamloops who are volunteering in village of San Miguel Duenas, Guatemala. Along with refurbishing buildings, the group will be helping the host partner provide children with a basic foundation of literacy and life skills.

Most of the posts will be excerpts from Operation Guatemala, written by Torry Harris. She has been blogging about Operation Guatemala since she first signed up to volunteer with Developing World Connections in June 2009. For full posts visit:http://operationguatemala2010.blogspot.com/

August 29: (well really, September 14)

2009-09-15T13:37:00.000-07:00

We are all back at home safe and sound, very happy to be on Canadian Soil again! We did more than survive in Guatemala…we thrived. I think its safe to say that we all did a lot of growing in the past three weeks- be it killing bugs and cockroaches (after seeing 2-inch long flying cockroaches, or cleaning biting ants out of our bags nothing really phases us anymore), or learning a new language, or being away from home for the first time we all found new ways to grow and change in Guatemala.
One thing’s for sure, we left a piece of our hearts in the vast and impressive tropical paradise. We were so fortunate to be to have been welcomed into Duenas’ community, and to have such a unique opportunity to knit (Riley), read (Ash, Chris and Nik), play (Shannon), sing (Shawn and Salina), and horse around (Terry, Ryan, Jimmy) with these very special, very loving children. The work we did left our hands and bodies sore, and for some of us the sight of yellow paint is enough to send our eyes into shock---but what an impressive end product and unique opportunity to work with local youth to improve their community! We hope and pray that the children will enjoy their freshly painted classrooms with clean windows for many years to come- and that as they learn about their world they remember the time we spent with them, working side by side. Our hearts swell at the thought that these children now have a clean, bright place to learn.
For the 8 of us that were fortunate enough to spend a week touring the incredible country to take in the sights and sounds of Guatemala, we were left with the feeling that we are one small piece in this large world puzzle. Standing on top of the Mayan Ruins, in the middle of the jungle where there was once a bustling civilization over 2000 years ago, gave us an incredible indication that we are, despite our very anthropocentric view of life, all a part of a worldwide ecosystem. Nature always wins. Jumping off of a swing into a river, diving through caves, laying on hammocks, hiking up mountains and volcanoes, taking jungle tours down rivers, and dipping our hands into the Atlantic/Caribbean oceans has empowered us to always, always, push ourselves as far and as hard as our bodies can take us. There is so much to learn and discover about our world. Oh! And the monkeys were cool too!
Along the way we met beautiful people: the locals who shared what they had with us and who made our time in Guatemala so pleasant. We owe a very large and very heartfelt thank you to the children at the Sierramar Lodge who danced with us and sang with us late into our last evening in Guatemala—we will carry their energy and spirits with us along with the memories of salsa dancing late into the night. We hope they’ll never forget how to play locos ochos (crazy 8s) which Salina so patiently taught them—in Spanish!
The late night chats on hammocks; the 6 hour van rides; playing mafia into the wee hours of the night; sharing meals, stories, life experiences and laughs; helping each other through the rough times and celebrating our mini accomplishments in the good times has bonded us closer together into connections that cross age, schools and provinces. This journey would have been nothing without the company. We learned so much about each other, and from each other. Each one of you brought out a piece of me, a quality I had never noticed before, and for that I am eternally grateful and very fortunate.
We have a newfound appreciation of our families and the gifts given to us by them: we missed our families so much while we were gone, and it goes without saying that absence really does make the heart grow fonder. We also appreciate our homes (and hot showers) and our opportunity to access boundless education to achieve all our hopes and aspirations. Finally, we appreciate our Canadian identity. We did our best to be ambassadors of our nation, representing our country to the children and families we met on our travels. We left behind our Canadian spirit, and over 200 Canadian flag pins that the children proudly wore as we said good-bye.
Life here is very different than in Guatemala, and it will still take time for us to acclimatize. For one thing, the Papayas are much smaller, and there is no Fanta. However, what I have learned is that as Canadians who are blessed with material riches galore, we can still learn so much from the people of Guatemala. The families and children that had so few possessions had so much richness in their faith, generosity and kindness. German (a cobbler who lives in a 1 room shack with three children and no electricity) taught us to value our lives, value the beautiful days and value each other—because that is what German teaches his children. Amidst the poverty there is hope, and with this hope comes happiness. There was no shortage of happiness in Guatemala. Life is sweet, life is beautiful, and life is good—and it took going all the way to Guatemala for us to remember it.
I have attempted to express all the emotions we feel now, as we look at photos and reflect on our amazing journey. However, in this case no words can ever describe how much we have learned and changed- we come back to our lives as more mature youth who have been inspired and motivated to keep working as global citizens. If pictures say a thousand words, I believe we have over 40,000 words between all of us, but nothing will ever, ever come close to the feelings we have when we think about Guatemala, and the memories we will cherish forever.

Besos, abrazos y muchas gracias (kisses, hugs and many thanks)
Alia Dharamsi
Developing World Connections Volunteer Participant

Our Last Day on the Project

2009-09-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

Sadly, today was our last day working with DWC. We started the day with our regular group discussion. But this particular time, there was a solemn vibe upon us as Tony started his group goodbye. With nothing but kind words, Tony shared his appreciation and admiration for the team and the amazing journey we had all ventured on together. Then we were off to la escuela Cantonal where we were determined to finish off as much as we could. When it was time to pack up, we DWC volunteers proudly looked at the work we had accomplished at this small school: 5 complete freshly painted classrooms (plus one almost finished classroom), fixed windows and working electrical circuits. But before we could leave, Phil (one of the teachers of the school that had helped us during the two weeks) gave us a very sweet and sentimental thank you speech. On behalf of the teachers and the students of la escuela Cantonal, Phil told us they were truly grateful for the work we had done and what a pleasure it was to work with us. We left the school for the last time and headed back to Open Windows where we admired all the yellow walls we had painted that were once cold and gray and the new and improved gardens.

After lunch, we had a few minutes to play with the kids before the talent show. Just as it was time to go upstairs, the rain came POURING down. Everyone dashed up the stairs and gathered in the large classroom. All 100 or so kids, Open Windows staff and DWC crew huddled into that room with the sound of the heavy rainstorm surrounding us. The show began with a beautiful traditional Guatemalan dance performed by the teachers. Then it was the kids' turn to show us what they got. We got to enjoy 3 dances with the children all dressed in adorable costumes (from tiny rats to cowboys and cowgirls then finally to the best dressed salsa dancers you'll ever see). We added our own little flare to the show with a ground-breaking acoustic performance of the Eagles' "Hotel California" with Shawn on the guitar, Chris and Shannon on percussion and Ryan with the vocals. We also demonstrated our excellent dancing skills with the infamous Hokey Pokey. As the show was winding down, Open Windows presented us with certificates and said their official goodbyes and thank yous. It was a tearful goodbye as we saw all the faces we had come to know and love over the past two weeks, knowing it would be at least a while before we saw them again.

As we drove away from Open Windows, we all felt heavy-hearted. We were saying farewell to the small town of San Miguel Dueñas and to its incredible citizens. We were all in some way touched and changed by this place and I believe we will go home better people because of it. The past two weeks had been filled with so much laughter, life and pure joy it's hard to believe it has come to an end.

From all us DWC volunteers to the country and people of Guatemala (especially to those in San Miguel Dueñas and Antigua), thank you from the bottom of our hearts for an amazing trip and all the wonderful memories. We hope to see you soon!

Guatemala Love...

Nikki
Developing World Connections Volunteer Participant

Thoughts from Day 9 by "Scraper Sensei"

2009-08-31T14:01:00.000-07:00

Holas Amigos!

Already day 9 of our 2 week journey with DWC has arrived! Although it´s only been a mere week, I feel I have a true understanding of the Guatemalan culture thanks to the locals who have welcomed us with open arms. The people and children we´ve met are absolutely incredible, and despite the language barriers, they are always here to help. I´ve never met such a warm and accepting culture.

We began this Monday with an early breakfast at Fernando´s (the local cafe just around the corner). We ate the cafe´s delicious selections such as the Americano with eggs, or the Panqueques, and even Nutella crepes. Our bus arrived at 8:30am, driven by Fracisco, unbeknowst to him, the next 20 minutes would be spent listening to the group's (may I add at times off key) singing!

We arrived at the Open Windows Foundation Centre bright and early. Just like any other morning, we were greeted by Herman (the local cobbler who lives adjacent to the centre) and his adorable 3 year-old son Hosuay. Despite my poor Spanish, Herman speaks to me in Spanish which at times can be challenging, but definitely a learning curve! He´s so patient with me, words cannot describe my gratitude!

The ladies headed straight to work by 9:45am. We continued painting the main entrance of the centre, a beautiful lemon marang yellow. The boys, prior to continuing their work at the local school, had the opportunity to roll large barrels down the streets of Saint Miguel Duenas which did attract some local stares (according to Sean) however it did not stop the boys from having a wicked time.

During lunch we were met with a delicious chick pea soup and a portion of home made bread. Then, by 2:00pm, most of the local children arrived. As everyday passes, the number of children seems to exponentially grow. I believe we had just about 100 kids visit the centre. Once again, we were assigned to our activity groups consisting of singing, reading, knitting, games and sports.

For dinner, we dined at the local restaurant 'Frida´s'. The restaurant was a true dediction to the renowned Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. Not only were the decorations authentic and flawless, but also the food was excellent. The group especially enjoyed the restaurant´s music; many of the songs that were played we recognized, and therefore, sang along to!

For the later portion of the night, a definite highlight for the group was hearing that Ryan (this is for you Barata) would be joining us during our last week of traveling in Guatemala. He brings such laughter and excitement to the group that his company would have been extremely missed. After some trials and tribulations, I´m ecstatic to officially announce that Ryan will be joining us in Coban, Semuc Champey, Lake Lanquin, Florice, Tikal, Rio Dulce and Livingston. (Ryan verbally listed the cities for me himself)

Thanks to my marvelous group, team leaders, and the beautiful people of Guatemala! I will sincerely miss you all! This experience has been nothing but positive, I´ve learnt more about myself and the kind of life I want to lead, one that will live up to these past 2 weeks.

Ashley (aka the SCRAPER SENSEI)
Developing World Connections Volunteer Participant

August 26: Our last days in San Miguel Duenas

2009-08-31T09:25:00.000-07:00

As we reach our last few days in San Miguel Duenas, there is both a sense of progress and sadness. On one hand, the work at the local school is reaching its conclusion with all but two of the six classrooms painted, and almost all of Open Windows completely painted. On the other hand, we are nearly reaching the point where we will have to say goodbye to this place we have called home and the people we now call family.

Some of us will spend a week touring around Guatemala taking in the sights (Mr and Mrs Dharamsi, your daughters are still safe). Others, will be leaving for home upon completion of our work in San Miguel Duenas (including our group leaders Tony and Anita). We will all have to come to terms with saying goodbye to our friend from Alabama, Andrew (who has become an adopted Canadian over the last two weeks). There will be the farewells to the other people who have made this place so special for us, such as Open Windows operator Teresa. Most heart breaking, will be seeing the children of San Miguel Duenas for the final time. It is the children, where our sadness turns to progress. Yes, we may never see them again, but we can be sure that our presence here has made a lasting impression on both them and us.

This trip may have started out with the goal of servicing others in the global community, but I can firmly say that this trip has provided unexpected self realization. Upon returning home, we will not walk through those airport gates the same people that boarded two weeks ago. Instead, we will return with a new found appreciation for what we have, and the opportunities we have been granted merely by living in Canada. Opportunities that many in Guatemala can only dream of. More importantly, the memories of this place will forever be apart of us. Memories that we can use to shape our daily lives back home as we move forward and grow as individuals.

Ryan Barata
Developing World Connections Volunteer Participant

Post from the Team Leader

2009-08-31T09:18:00.000-07:00

I believe I should tell you something about our group.

We range in age from 18 to 29 with the addition of a couple who are eligible to receive CPP cheques.

We have two sets of sisters, 'Master Painter' Ashley and her 'Hey let me do that' sister Nicole, Alia our group organizer and her card sharp sister Salina, then a very determined Shannon and Anita who has taken on a kind of 'Den Mother' role. On the boys side Riley (who doubles as our soccer coach) and Jimmy are our two camera buffs closely followed by Ryan and Terry. Shawn mans our 'Farmacia' and is the trickster. Chris is the quietest (if that is possible) yet still holds his own with the rest.

The group has taken on any and many varied tasks and in addition have shown an tremendous talent for being able to connect with the children at Open Windows so readily. Riley, in his first attempt, did admit to being out 'knitted' by one little girl he called the 'Alpha' knitter of the school.

As raucous as they may be (Anita and I sneak off for 'quiet time' every now and then) these young people have done all that has been asked of them including providing a daily blog.

If young people are to be the future, and I truly believe they are, then I have no doubt that this group of volunteers will feature very prominately. It has been a priviledge to have had the opportunity of being associated with them.

Tony Dufficy
DWC Team Leader

August 24: What to say that has not been said before.

2009-08-26T13:57:00.000-07:00

Day 10 from Fuatemala and what to say that has not been said before. From salsa lessons to over 100 kids in one short afternoon or more, enough empty yellow paint cans to build a large wall. The long walks to find where to eat, as tourist guys ensured its Guatemala we see and not miss a block. Soon this will be over and only memories will remain, but friends we have made and will not be forgotten soon. With pictures to remind us of things we have done and seen, what a great experience this has been.

Anita
Developing World Connections Volunteer Participant

beauty.in.the.brew.

2009-08-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

As I sit here alone in Fernando´s Cafe, soaking in the sunrise as it breaks through the garden plants, my coffee arrives in front of me. The waitress delicately sets it on the table with a sense of local pride; after all, this particular restaurant claims to trump all other brews in Antigua. I relay a graçious in return, and commence to slowly enjoy a small piece of Guatemala; waking up with the city in unison.

That simple moment at breakfast sums up my experience in Guatemala so far; a partnership with, and participation in, a culture that does not require manipulation by Western hands. We are here to serve the needs of those who live in San Miguel Dueñas - through their guidance and direction.

The days have assumed a balanced blend of routine and adventure; each day is shaped in similar fashion, with unique content filling them to capacity. It is difficult to localize the most significant experience I have encountered so far, however the summation of six days definitely has brought a unifying feeling to the trip. We have completed a lot of construction and renovation work for a local school. Another group of us is near completion of painting of the library, our home base, and the progress is definitely visible. The commonality between this work, is that they are loose end jobs that we are tying over for the community. We have a group of motivated volunteers that are oriented to complete these kind of tasks, with little other responsibilities. We do not have to feed a family, attend school, or go to work, so we are here to serve in ways that the locals do not have resources or time for.

Overall, it has been an excellent week of orientation, renovation, and exploration, and all of us from Guatemala are looking forward to the new experiences to come. Adios.

Riley Golby
Developing World Connections Volunteer Participant

"Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood."

August 23rd: Atitlan Lake!

2009-08-24T11:24:00.000-07:00

Hola from Mono Loco Internet Cafe in Antigua!

After a tiring day climbing Pacaya Volcano, we started our day by waking up at 6am to get to breakfast at 6:30. Then, after a 1 hour bus ride, we arrived at a market near Lake Atitlan where street vendors line the streets to promote their goods. Many of them would come up to you and prompt you to buy their items, which would most likely be met with a ¨non gracias (no thanks in spanish)¨ by our crew. Bartering is the name of the game and after much practice, I have to say I am a bit more familiar with that form of art. Almost no one from our Canadian crew left the market empty handed. A good hour and a half was spent in the market and a two hours bus ride to the infamous Lake Atitlan ensued.

Lake Atitlan was marvelous; a lake of crisp blue water enclosed by towering volcanoes. The scene was surely one to note and remember.We had lunch while enjoying a full view of the lake but let´s just say that time stood still in the restaurant which made it extra long.
After, we walked on the beach for a bit while taking group pics everywhere we go.

After a long stay of outdoor adventures, to pass the three hours ride back to Antigua, the van lit up with team bonding activities, and fun was definitely had by all.

Dinner was great and we all look forward to get back to work and be with the kids once again tomorrow!

Adios from Guatemala!

Chris Orr
Developing World Connections Volunteer Participant

August 22: Our trip to Pacaya Volanco

2009-08-24T11:21:00.001-07:00

This is Shannon, I am going to tell you about our trip to Pacaya Volanco.

After a long Van ride to this volcano we had a really long walk UP that was 2,255 meters. Two of us took the horses for an extremely enjoyable ride up (it was scary in parts for these two.) We won't tell you who they were. The walk UP was like hiking up Grouse Mountain X2 except with sharp lava rocks and on lava sand. Watching out for horse poo and trying not to get cuts all over ourselves (which didn't work so well because we got some anyways. Also it was really HOT at the top. After our long walk UP this volcano, we worked up a big appetite. We enjoyed our meal at a Thai Resturant called Cafe Flor with a live pianoist and singing in the background. It was amazing!

I hope you enjoy reading this.
Shannon Barker

Developing World Connections Volunteer Participant

August 21/22: The much anticipated soccer game.

2009-08-24T09:05:00.000-07:00

Hola,

Yet another beautiful day in sunny Antigua, Guatemala for the DWC contingent. The day started out as usual, at a fabulous little café named Fernando´s just a few steps from our accommodations. The coffee in Guatemala is absolutely amazing, I´m sure that there will be many pounds brought home.

The boys made a lot of headway at the school today, wrapping up the majority of the window installations, and the electrical work. The girls have nearly completed their painting of the new building at open windows, things are really coming along nicely.

We spent the early part of the afternoon playing games, singing songs, and doing crafts with the children at Open Windows; it sure is nice to give the kids a bit of structure, but still be able to make it fun for them. The Canada vs. Guatemala soccer game dominated the later afternoon´s activity, pitting the DWC volunteers against the finest young up and coming soccer players San Miguel Dueñas had to offer. Team Guatemala got an early 2 goal lead on team DWC; we kind of started out a bit slowly, but started to find our legs in the second half. Some late game heroics by "Coach" Golby and "Homer" Barata saw team DWC pull to within a goal of team Guatemala, but a botched penalty by "Clutch" Dufficy enabled the home team to come away with the victory. Fun was had by all involved, and a rematch is slated for next week!

Our evening was spent dining at a quaint little Italian restaurant near the main square, accompanied by our friend Andrew from Alabama. Andrew is here on a volunteer mission with the Open Windows Foundation, and will be celebrating his one month anniversary in a few days. Congratulations Andrew, good luck with the remaining 4 months of your stay!

Terry Chiasson

Developing World Connections Volunteer Participant

August 19/20: Add some Spanish to your life!

2009-08-20T15:59:00.000-07:00

Hola from San Miguel Dueñas!

It´s a beautiful día here, and much like yesterday alot is happening here in Guatemala.
The boys have been working really hard at one of the local public schools here in Dueñas. There´s already a recongnizable improvement of la escuela`s condition with much love and effort invested into a variety of labor intensive projects like cementing, electrical work, and the replacing of los ventanas. Windows that aren´t broken are in the process of being cleaned with windex and newspaper.

Here at Ventanjas Abiertas las chicas have been continuing to paint the exterior of the foundation amarillo y blanco. We´ve been enoying singing songs from home (mostly Disney) while we paint both the walls and eachother. We´re also in the process of planning a group mural that we hope will bring furthur happiness into the lives of the amazing los niños we´ve met here.

In the tarde, we started our first session of structured activities. Us Canadians split into cuatro groups: singing, reading, physical education and soccer. Shawn, Shan, and I led the singing activities and taught the kids "head & shoulders, knees & toes" and el alphabeto song. They in turn taught us both these songs in Spanish.

Hope este blog gives you a glimpse into our lives here. It´s not alot like Canada, but sure has much to offer. Life here is simple and beautiful.

Mucho gracias to Jimmy for the picture, more may be posted in the blogs to come.

With a Guatemalan abrazo,

Salina Dharamsi
Developing World Connetions
Volunteer Participant

August 18/19:Repairing, Reading and Readying ourselves for the soccer game

2009-08-19T08:51:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,
Jimmy here and I'd like to fire a few updates along your way.
Today was the first day that everyone started to get down to business in terms of our own work projects. What this consisted of included groups working on electrical repairs and replacements, a team working on fixing and replacing windows, and painting up the education centre. These projects kept us all quite occupied during the beginning of the day, while the afternoon consisted of reading, playing, and learning arts and crafts with the children. Salina and Alia also revealed our team's donations to the Open Windows Foundation today, and they were very delighted with all the items that were there. We also had some time to hone our soccer skills as a group, as the big soccer game is only two days away. We've been hyped up (mostly due to Tony's tall tales), but I'm confident that we're going to be representing Canada pretty well, especially with Coach Riley Golby on our squad.

Today our group spent our time exploring the local market places and seeing what local treasures we could acquire. There was such a wide variety of colourful vendor stalls, each full of coloured beads, textiles, clothing, and other baubles. For those people in the audience who love a good negotiation, you should definitely give the markets here a go.
Speaking about going, I think it's about time for me to head on out. We just had some dinner at this delightful Caribbean restaurant called Los Palmos, a definite recommendation for that place is the tropical chicken skewers. Well that's it for me, take care everyone!

Jimmy Yan

Developing World Connections Participant

Aug 16/17: We arrive!

2009-08-18T11:26:00.000-07:00

Aug 16/17: We, the midnight flyers, have finally arrived in Antigua. Our "hotel" is small but beautiful. The view from the roof looks out over the rest of the city which is built in typical colonial style Spanish architecture. From the streets, the neighborhood looks poor due the cement walls which close in on the narrow cobble stone paths. On the inside however, there are beautiful courtyards that overflow with vegetation.

We visited the Open Windows Foundation and have prepared a work plan for the next few days. Meeting the kids was fun. Some of the 12-16 year olds wanted to challenge us to soccer. Our Team Leader, Tony Dufficy, in joking around told them that we are Canadian champs and now they are intimidated to play us. The younger ones really enjoy watching us play guitar and reading with us.

After the all night flying yesterday, we are all still very tired, the bed will feel amazing tonight...

Developing World Connections
Volunteer Participant
Shawn Crockett

AUGUST 2009: Mixed Group of Students travel for 2 weeks to San Miguel Duenas

2009-08-18T11:23:00.000-07:00

The group left on Saturday, August 15 with promises to blog while they are working on a project with Host Partner - Open Windows Foundation.

Keep visiting to follow their time and work on the project.

In closing…

2009-06-17T09:04:00.000-07:00

Of all the things I could say about our trip and my experience, it was that it was one of the best times of my life. It was the most empowering, rewarding, eye-opening and exciting experience. And, I wish everyone could take the time to step out of their normal life for awhile to do something similar.

In closing to all of these blogs, I thought I would simply share some words that were given to me in Guatemala…

“Service is the rent we pay for life.”

Having done some, I now truly believe in it. And, I truly believe that giving to others is a guaranteed way of finding happiness, love, fulfillment and peace in life. To those of you who are considering it, I hope you have an amazing time as well.

Be well,

Heather

Across Guatemala and Back…

2009-06-17T09:03:00.000-07:00

During our one week of travelling around Guatemala, I felt like I watched the whole world whiz by my bus window. As I’ve mentioned in other blog entries, I love car rides. I just love watching. I love the moments when you catch a kid laughing on the side of the street, or a couple embracing, or the beautiful views that suddenly appear when you turn a corner. I loved being stuck in traffic, but not the 401-kind of traffic in Toronto…I’m talking about hundreds of cows being herded down the street and just not being able to go anywhere until they’ve crossed.

Despite sometimes being too hot and a little bit claustrophobic, I loved seeing Guatemala the way we did. We covered so much distance in so little time, yet I still feel like I truly saw as much as possible. I even felt that because we saw so much, and we were in such diverse places that it was like being in multiple countries. After a month of living in Antigua, which by the way I am convinced has to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world, it was exciting to get into the bus every morning and drive to a new and unknown area of Guatemala.

It felt like one minute I was driving in the highlands and winding through beautiful mountains, and then the next I was in the jungle ziplining and visiting Mayan ruins… only to end up suddenly back on the coast, enjoying the beach and the sound of salsa music drifting through the air.

I swam in limestone pools and tanned on the rocks like the hundreds of lizards in the jungle. I spent a beautiful and lazy afternoon tubing down a river with girls on my team who became the closest of friends. I met amazing backpackers at a great hotel in Coban called El Retiro. I saw monkeys. I stood at the very top of a Mayan Temple and felt like I was on top of the world, in every sense. I found a little known waterfall and jumped off with almost no hesitation, almost.

I could go on forever about the last week, but I think you get the point. I did so much in such a short period of time I left Guatemala with the feeling that I could do anything. And, I think I probably will.

Hasta Luego,

Heather

The Last Day of Work!

2009-06-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

Our last day was the perfect end to our month of volunteering. In the morning, Teresa and the Board of Directors hosted an inauguration for the building that the previous Developing World Connections trip built, which we were able to finish painting and use for our programming. I was almost brought to tears with pride and joy when Teresa handed me a pair of scissors and we cut the ribbon together to officially “open” that part of the library. To be part of something like this truly touches your heart every day and on our last day I know we all felt overwhelmed with all sorts of emotions. It was also an amazing morning because we were also able to be part of the graduation ceremony that Open Windows had for the computer class students. After interacting with some of these kids for a month, it nice to be able to acknowledge how hard they have worked and how much credit they deserve for being such good students in the face of many obstacles.

Then, of course, in the afternoon we threw a party! Teresa told us one night at home that her dream was to buy 100 kids McDonald’s and that if she had the money to do it she would. When she said that, we all looked at each other and immediately said we would do it. It may sound unimportant, but I share in her way of thinking and understood immediately why she would want to do so. I remember being very little and having my Dad take me to McDonald’s to get an ice cream cone after scoring my first soccer goal of the season. Or, coming home for lunch in grade one and my Mom surprising me with a happy meal. Yes, I know it isn’t the healthiest option and there is a lot to say about the corporation, but the joy that it brought to the kids… well let’s just say it was more than worth it when we did it. It may have been my favourite part of the trip actually.

I was surprised when we handed out the burgers because a lot of the kids looked so excited and so thrilled, yet they wouldn’t dare open it up or take a bite. I asked Teresa what was wrong and she said that the kids were saving it because they wanted to share it with their whole family, or their brothers, or their friends, or anyone special to them. Hearing that was heartbreaking and a huge learning moment for me. Would I have done the same as a child? Many of these kids had never had a burger before, let alone McDonald’s. There certainly isn’t one in their small town, and even if there was, they probably wouldn’t be able to afford it.

All in all, I’m just thrilled that something so simple and affordable to us was so exciting for these kids and that we had the opportunity to share in one of Teresa’s well founded dreams.

Hasta Luego,

Heather

The Last Week of Work!

2009-06-17T08:59:00.000-07:00

Our time in Antigua just flew by. I don’t think any of us can believe that we have completed our work here and are packing up to tour around the country for one more week. It’s an exciting feeling to be done, but at the same time I don’t think I’m ready to part with this place or the people. Somehow, I feel like Open Windows has become sort of like a family for me in Guatemala, and it will seem odd when our bus driver doesn’t pick us up for work in the morning or my few favourite kids at the library don’t ask me how I am doing or when we are going to go play soccer.

In the end, I’m proud to say that our project was a success. After weeks of painting, cleaning, helping to build and teaching, I can say that every one of us poured our heart into the experience because of the thought of making the lives of those kids better.

The library looks amazing after we attacked every wall we could find with paint. When you come down the street, you can’t help but notice the library first now after we painted it the happiest and brightest yellow you can find. I swear, I may go crazy if I’m in another yellow room though (it was the colour Teresa wanted for almost all of the library). Anyway, I’m happy that the kids have a bright, clean and safe place to learn and play.

I know that the kids were sad to see us leave and not have us around for soccer practice, music lessons and all of the other activities we participated in, but my hope is that our efforts were sustainable. I hope that the older students and even some future volunteers will be able to pick up where we left off and keep these kids active and having fun.

Hasta Luego,

Heather

Roasting Marshmallows on a Volcano

2009-06-17T08:57:00.000-07:00

So, this has officially been an exciting and unpredictable trip. To date, there have been three earthquakes since I’ve been here (which is a weekly thing in Guatemala) and this past weekend we successfully climbed Pacaya volcano. I won’t lie, during that intense 2 hour hike I just kept thinking over and over again that we actually better be able to see real lava. I mean the oozing, red lava that you can imagine gushing over the side of a volcano, and especially because Mary packed a big bag of marshmallows to roast up at the top. Well, we did see lava, and it was completely worth the effort. The marshmallow was absolutely delicious and hilarious at the time. This past weekend would have been May 24 weekend at home, so as I took fun pictures with Joelle and our mallows, I thought of all my friends gathered around a campfire at a cottage doing the same thing. I think it’s fair to say that my experience was a little more unique. One for the memories, that’s for sure. The only bad part, it was actually so hot that my new running shoes melted while we were up there! I guess picturing that can give you a great idea of just how hot it was.

After that we headed on to the black sand beach at Monterrico and stayed at the best little spot, Café de Sol. It was like having our own private hotel and beach to lounge at for the weekend. After a week of hard work and more physical labour at Open Windows, it felt amazing to jump into a pool and just relax.

I think my team could agree that so far this trip has been the perfect amount of work and play.

Hasta Luego,

Heather

My Soundtrack to Guatemala.

2009-06-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

Music has always been a huge part of my life. When I gave my team five questions to answer on the day that we arrived to help them reflect on who they are and what they find important in and essential to their life, my answer to the question, “what is one thing that you packed that you think you can’t live without” was iPod. If you ever catch me on the street in Toronto I definitely have my iPod on. Same thing when I am working out at the gym, grocery shopping or reading at a coffee shop. I have songs that remind me of certain days in my life, of friends, of family and especially of my best travel memories. The word memories doesn’t even really describe it though. It’s more like moments.

We went to Lake Atitlan this weekend and after a long and amazing bus ride winding through the mountains and volcanoes, I turned to Lisa and said, “Have you ever had one of those moments that are just perfect, and then the perfect song comes on your iPod at the same time too and it is just that much better.” She burst into a big smile and said “Yes! I love that!” Lisa and I went to high school together and have been close for years now, so I actually knew that she would get exactly what I meant.

We spent hours driving around the Guatemalan highlands this weekend and I love every minute of it. I’m also a huge car-ride-loving person. So, I thought maybe it would be fun to share my soundtrack, instead of just writing about my experience. Each one has atleast one line that I love. And, some I just love… because they came on at the right time, when I was in the right place..

‘Better People’ – Xavier Rudd

“Giving food to the hungry or to the needy, giving life to a baby, giving care for free. There is freedom around us. We have everything we need, and I will care for you because you’ll care for me… There’s good people around with more good to do…”

‘Ain’t No Reason’ – Brett Denen

“Keep on building prisons, going fill them all. Keep on building bombs, going drop them all.”

‘All About You’ - Classified

“Life… its all about you. So, every morning when you wake, before the first step that you take just thinks its all what you make it and you’ll make it through. ...life is all about the things you’ll never figure out… it’s all about the people you allow and the memories you keep.”

‘Running’ – Danny Michel

“Run. I’m running all the time. I’m running to the future… with you right by my side.”

‘Chocolate’ – Snow patrol

“This could be the very minute I’m aware I’m alive. All these places feel like home”

‘360’ – Asa
(the song I do yoga to on the roof… when the sunsets over the volcanoes)

“All you are looking for is with you. Open your eyes. Soften your mind, ears and mouth…as I song my song… as you hear my words. ”

And, ‘Square One’ – Coldplay

“My song is love…”

Love from Guatemala,

Heather

The Best Things About Guatemala…

2009-05-19T09:34:00.000-07:00

Here is our list of the best things about Guatemala.
By Joelle Tomlinson and Heather Farragher

15. Teresa (Open Windows - Project host)
14. Getting high fives from kids
13. Being disconnected from the technology that fills our life at home – constant text messages and blackberries
12. Being free from the distractions of home
11. Getting to play soccer anytime and anywhere with tons of kids
10. Living between two active volcanoes
9. Guatemalan people being so friendly that you absolutely cannot walk past someone without them saying
“Buenos dias!”
8. Guatemalan breakfast - eggs with tomato sauce, quesadillas and black beans
7. Learning Spanish
6. Seeing how happy children are to have the simplest things
5. Hot weather and plenty of sunshine
4. The juiciest fruit you can ever eat
3. Salsa dancing
2. Cold cervezas after a long hard day of work
1. Meeting new people

The few challenges we’ve dealt with in Guatemala…

1. Not being able to speak Spanish
2. Cultural differences
3. Sticking out like a sore thumb in a crowd
4. Brutal cell phone reception so you can never call home
5. Handwashing your clothes (takes forever)
6. Dealing with drastic and constant changes in the weather
7. Killing huge bugs in your bedroom before you go to sleep
8. Team members dealing with that special kind of travel sickness
9. Getting bus drivers to let us off at the right stop
10. Sunburns

May 17: Teaching English, playing Soccer: these activites are beneficial too!

2009-05-19T09:30:00.000-07:00

When we arrived here Teresa had originally wanted us to focus on fixing up the centre or teaching English. The first part has been no problem and we are actually running out of paint before they can get it to us. The second part you would think would also be no problem. But, when the kids know nothing but the numbers 1-10 and their colours, and we are all deers caught in headlights, mumbling phrases that we learned in class… lets just say it doesn’t work. So, we’ve all come up with a different plan and today finally put it into full swing. We are such a diverse team with different areas of expertise and interest, so we decided to just roll with it and see what activities we could pull off with the kids.

I worked with three of the girls on the team to come up with some plans for soccer practices and a schedule for the local kids to play organized games. If you know me, that shouldn’t be at all surprising! Last week we played two pick up games of soccer and they ran the pants off us, but we held our own. We decided it needed to be more organized though because we only had one girl out to play and we clearly want more! I brought old jerseys and balls that my team at home donated to the cause and it was great to see the kids enjoy more resources like this.

Dave taught some of the kids how to play the guitar and some caught on so fast it was great. One even managed to learn enough to teach me a few things, although he was better than me. And, the rest of the team worked on arts and crafts with the kids and taught them how to knit wash cloths. Although these activities may not seem as important as building houses, libraries or wells, it was amazing for the kids. I came home with a huge smile on my face because of it all. I think my team is slowly starting to understand that all the activities, conversations and teaching opportunities that they are creating and leading are so beneficial to these kids and this small community too. It’s easy for us to take for granted the years of our childhood when we were able to go to soccer practices or after school piano lessons. There are no girl guides or boy scouts here, and from conversations with Teresa about the way people spend time here, it seems that many kids don’t have the same opportunities for interaction. Sure, a lot of the boys play soccer, but they don’t have their parents on the sidelines cheering. So, tomorrow we are going to be their fans and I’ll let you know how it all goes.

Hasta luego!
Heather

May 17: Learning Spanish

2009-05-19T09:19:00.000-07:00

One week down – four to go!

I had my first “Spanish” conversation today! It may not seem like a huge deal, especially considering the fact that it was with a 9 year old boy, but for me it was a breakthrough. It was as basic as basic gets, but it was something and it made both of us smile. It even ended with a high five! Good sign right?

After a week of being here, I can say that language is the biggest challenge that I’m dealing with. Very few people I meet speak English here, and I’m definitely not fluent in Spanish. My team really isn’t any better either actually. Out of the nine of us, one speaks Spanish fluently and I think we are overwhelming her already by asking how to say things and asking her what words mean every five seconds. That being said, it hasn’t been impossible though. Actually, I couldn’t be more impressed and proud of my team so far. I knew that I was taking on a huge challenge by leading a development project here while I don’t speak Spanish, but everyday I’m more and more confident that we will find a way and that we will all pick up the basics by the end.

I knew from the first day of work that my team was hard working. I’m sure you would agree if you saw us sitting at the dinner table every night plowing through our meal, with dirt smeared on our faces and paint all over our clothes, just absolutely exhausted. Today I realized though that they are even more courageous and amazing for coming to do work here knowing that they would deal with a language barrier. It’s been hard, but they have already put themselves out there and are figuring out how to communicate. A few of them also had their own breakthroughs in our morning Spanish class. Some don’t know that I heard or saw, but I caught them stumbling through conversations and actually successfully getting their point across to the kids one way or another. Somehow you aren’t as intimidated to try to talk to a nine year old and make mistakes in every sentence, or to make ridiculous gestures and try to speak with half words and half charades. Maybe by the end of week two I’ll even manage to speak to an adult in full sentences!

Hasta luego!
Heather

Arrival in Guatemala: The wonder of it all.

2009-05-07T08:52:00.000-07:00

Buenos Dias!

Finally! After months of preparation and anticipation we have arrived in Guatemala. The beauty of the country and the people left me speechless when we first arrived two days ago, so I am only getting to my first entry now. Now that I sit down and try to find the right words, I realize that it is much more difficult than I had anticipated to blog. How do I put into words what I feel, what I see and speak of my team so that you, wherever you are, can get a true taste of Guatemala? I hope that the pictures speak for themselves in many cases and that I can bring Guatemala alive in your imagination.

I suppose the best way to explain the past 48 hours is to say that I can’t close my eyes. I’m on sensory overload. I am constantly watching, listening, feeling, smelling and tasting new things. I love it. There is nothing that I would rather be doing right now. There is nothing like the feelings you experience when you are travelling. I’m especially thrilled to be here as I just graduated from Ryerson University and to be having a “grad trip” like this. In fact, I can’t imagine being in Toronto right now and working a “regular” job. I feel like this trip found me at the perfect time, that I found the best team, an amazing host (Open Windows Foundation) and the most gorgeous country.

First of all, I should tell you why we are here. My team is here to work with Open Windows Foundation, to experience and live life in a different culture, and begin to learn Spanish. Open Windows Foundation started out as the only library in San Miguel Duenas and has now grown to be a library, school, computer lab and community centre all in one. As illiteracy is such a large problem in Guatemala, it is clear that OW is absolutely essential to improving the well being of the children and families in the community. The opportunities that OW offers are priceless.

We have been so excited and inspired by the work that OW does, that we also haven’t wasted any time in getting to work. As you can see in the pictures, we’ve started painting the second floor of OW, which is the new edition that the previous Developing World Connections team built in November. Already we can see the difference that a bright yellow can of paint can do for the atmosphere and how excited the kids get when they see that their “biblioteca” is improving. We’ve also helped to plan and prepare for the Mother’s Day celebration that OW is hosting this week for all of the local mothers. In addition to improving OW physically, it has been amazing to be connected to and welcomed by the community already. We have a busy schedule lined up that includes playing soccer with the local kids, taking Spanish lessons, plastering and repairing the walls at OW, painting and teaching English. In addition to our “team” activities, members of my group have also decided to take on individual projects and initiatives. For example, two of my team members who are studying Journalism and Radio and Television Arts are making a documentary and a team member who studies nursing has been presented with the opportunity to shadow a local nurse. I’m sure that they will give me tons of exciting and interesting things to write about next time and maybe even post some entries themselves.

Hasta Luego!

Heather