Really, guate am i doing?

I’ve realized that I haven’t been really specific about what I’ve been doing the past four months that I’ve been in Guatemala. And now that I have a pretty good understanding as to why I am here and what I’m doing, thought I would share.

My partner Abigail, or Ab-e-guy-eel (in Guatemalan accent), and I are working with the 17 schools of our municipality. We’re working with a wide variety of schools a few which are in the town center, one which has close to a thousand students. Then there are schools in the surrounding aldeas, some which have as few as 30 students. In the smaller schools they’ll combine classes. I’m still trying to figure our why sometimes they’ll combine 2^nd and 6^th grade in one class. Hmm.

So what we’re doing, or trying to do, is work directly with the directors and teachers of all the schools, teaching health. Before the volunteers would work closely with two schools, visiting each school twice a week, teaching the children. Now they’ve changed the program to work with the entire municipality, and the teachers. Hopefully creating more sustainability and putting more responsibility in the hands of teachers and directors.

The program, Escuelas Saludables, I’m working with tries to certify each school, as a healthy school. And to certify you have to meet a list of requirements that include things such as

75% of students practices healthy habits (washing hands after bathroom, brushing teeth, arriving clean to school).

Teachers give health classes at least twice a week,

The school has water 5/5 (the 5 hours the kids are in school, 5 days a week)

At least 8 working faucets in the school

There are a few other requirements but these are the main things that we focus on. It’s funny, Ab-e-guy-eel and I were talking about how on paper, the profile of a “healthy school” seems so easy to accomplish. But there are schools that take more than 6 years to be certified. For many different reasons. Lack of motivation from the community, teachers or volunteers. Also the simple fact that many of the schools don’t have running water of if they do, only one faucet that serves the entire school.

We’ve been introducing ourselves to every school, teacher, student and director. It’s been a slow start, trying to build confianza, and trying to give people a reason to actually listen to us. Trying to convince teachers that have been working in the schools for over twenty years, or parents, to listen to a pair of 22 year olds, females, is challenging. However, here in Guatemala, the facts are that intestinal diseases (acute diarrhea, and intestinal parasitosis) are the second and third leading causes of general morbidity. Number one, is acute respiratory infections. So we’re working on prevention, and education. Hoping to give our first 2-4 hour workshop in a few weeks.

More details and information to come. I find myself surprising myself with how quickly this country is becoming home, and the little customs I’m picking up. Just yesterday, Abby opened my cupboard to find a plate of melted butter in my cupboard, and in my microwave oven a complete meal from a few days ago.