Special Report from Guatemala
Pampay School Project
In January 2005, families from the village of Pampay requested a meeting with representatives of the Arms Of Jesus Mission, to share their needs and make a request for help for the fifty or so families in their community. Pampay is in a very rural and poor area located approximately one and a half hour’s drive from Guatemala City.
The families in the area are dependent on finding work in the fields and therefore the poverty rate is very high. More than half of the families have three or more children. They are indigenous having Spanish as their second language. The community has a Catholic Church, a public school and the homes are very basic.
On February 3rd 2005, Dr Martin, the founder of the mission along with Rafael Araneda, the Guatemala Director, met with representatives of the community to determine their needs and how the mission could help them.
The immediate request was that the mission begin a school in the village. Parents explained that the children had to walk for almost an hour, uphill in all kinds of weather to get to the public school where things were in terrible shape.
On Friday February 4th 2005, the AOJ mission team made its way to the local public school, to be met by more than half of the population of the village. It was shocking to see the three concrete buildings in such a terrible state of disrepair. On closer examination, with the school Principal/Teacher, the team observed the following:
- The school had no teaching supplies for the children
- Each classroom was filthy and in need of repair
- The plumbing was not working
- The school had 63 children enrolled covering grades one to seven
- The sole Principal/Teacher had to teach all grades at the same time in the same classroom
- The Spanish-speaking Principal/Teacher was unable to communicate in the local indigenous language
Needless to say the teacher was very discouraged even to the point of despair and she indicated that she would appreciate any help we, as a mission, could provide for the children, even if it meant the establishment of another school.
Following the meetings at the school, we felt perhaps it would be more practical for AOJ to take over the existing school, do the renovations etc. and staff it with teachers knowledgeable in both the indigenous tribal language and Spanish. Then we would arrange a sponsorship partnership for the children.
As a result of this conviction, we approached the Department of Education and explained the request we had received to build a school, and our feeling that it would be more appropriate that the Arms of Jesus Children’s Mission take over the operation of the Public School, that it become in fact “Colegio Cristiano Los Brazos de Jesus Pampay”.
The department head agreed to do this and indeed was excited, stating that our present school in Parramos was one of the best in Guatemala, not only in the quality of education being offered but also in the care we take of the teaching staff and students.
Educational Partnerships
Recognizing that education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty, our desire is to make available 70 places for children to receive a full education, meals, uniforms etc. through our new “Educational Partnerships”.
Each partner will give $15.00 a month, knowing that this gift will make available to a child a full Christian Education. The partner would receive reports from the school and from the children, but not one specific child, and throughout the year, pictures and letters from the students.
This, as you can imagine is both a challenge and a priviledge for us, but to proceed we need your help! Over and above this, capital funds are needed for building improvements and the provision of educational materials etc.
Call 905-831-3646 today to become a
“Special Partner in Education”
This would be a great challenge for Christian Schools, Sunday Schools or Church Groups.
Special Report From Guatemala