Guatemala Video Clips

Here is a video clip I took on our first day of the trip, overlooking the Guatemala City dump:

Ever wondered what it's like to run down the side of a volcano?  Check out this clip from our hike up Pacaya, near Guatemala City:

Here are some photos from our walking tour of Antigua, Guatemala from Thursday, March 25

 

 

 

 

Photos from Pacaya Volcano Hike

On Wednesday, March 24 we visited a village outside of Antigua where the women have formed a weaving cooperative. They weave textiles by hand, with girls as young as six years old working alongside their mother and grandmothers.

In the afternoon, we traveled to the Pacaya Volcano which we climbed and then descended in total darkness.

Photos from Cooperative--Guatemala City

On Friday we visited the Safe Passage site, and were privileged to purchase jewelry from the cooperative that has been formed by women who work in the garbage dump. Many of the materials for the jewelry are culled from the dump itself. Note the cooperative members using their business skills to create receipts, track inventory, etc.

Taking off from Guatemala

Sitting on the runway at Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City, I have much to reflect on. Looking across the dusty tarmac I see gleaming office buildings and close by their flanks, shacks. As we roll down the runway and lift into the hazy sky, I glimpse open warehouses filled with luxury cars, and just beyond, gray cinderblock dwellings clinging to the sides of steep ravines. The airport has been completely renovated since my last visit more than a decade ago, and the sleek duty-free shops and cafes inside belie the smoggy air and crime that plague this city. As a Safe Passage employee said at our farewell dinner last night in Antigua, as horrific as life can be for the guajeros, there are others in Guatemala City suffering even more dire living conditions in drug-and-gang-ridden areas with no employment opportunities, where working the dump would be an advancement.

I suspect that my reflection process will take some time as I make sense of these past nine days. As one of my companions on this trip mentioned a few hours ago, the challenge will be to avoid sounding self-righteous when speaking of this week with friends and colleagues in the US. My goals in embarking on this journey were to serve those in need, but also to draw attention to the Safe Passage project and the many ways--large and small--that those of us who are fortunate enough to be able to contribute can do so. Serving others, whether in this project or another, does not require international travel or large sums of money. I feel fortunate to be in the position to have gone on this journey, and blessed to have support systems at work and at home.

Friday was our final day at the Safe Passage site in the capital. We visited the adult literacy project (formerly all women but now several men have joined as well). In addition to the empowerment and opportunity that come with learning to read and write, these women--ranging in age from 14 to more than 70--have created a jewelry-making cooperative. Using materials culled from the Zone 3 garbage dump, the women create beautiful jewelry items for sale. In addition to benefiting individually from the sale of their creations, women working in this project learn business skills that will serve them in the future if they move into the formal workplace environment. In the short term, the income from jewelry sales has permitted several of the women to reduce the hours spent working in the dump, and even leave the dump altogether. If handled properly--the cooperative has a board of directors drawn from its membership, and there is discussion of teaching the women financial literacy and money management skills--the jewelry money will likely have a direct and dramatic impact on many families' quality of life.

Yesterday (Saturday) we accompanied twelve of the elementary students to an amusement park/zoo/water park in Guatemala City. On the way we stopped at McDonald's where students ate breakfast and climbed on the indoor play structures. Seeing the bright plastic tubes and bubbles and slides of the playground, one boy shouted, "Look at all these colors!" At the amusement park, students swam, rode a model train and mini-rollercoaster, and ate lunch. I noticed that many students finished only part of their lunch, carefully packing the rest away to take home. During the entire day trip I didn't hear any students complain, even when a boy was not permitted to enter the pool area due to lack of appropriate bathing suit, or when a girl cut her head exiting the rollercoaster. There are many lessons to be learned from these kids' outlooks on life.

Last night we attended our farewell dinner, which included having each service team member present a written note to another member whose name they had drawn from a hat the day before. The comments were thoughtful, comical, and moving, and each of us is returning home to the US with a small but significant reminder of the kind words of friends.

Work at Safe Passage office and Antigua Tour

Even though we didn't get a chance to visit the Guatemala City site of Safe Passage today due to security concerns, the yesterday was a productive learning process for me.  In the morning we walked the 15 minutes to the Antigua office of Safe Passage, where we started the day with several videos that have been made by various people including Safe Passage volunteers that address the everyday realities of the guajeros.  Perhaps the most impressive of these for me was one that dealt with the adult literacy project.  The power of learning to read and write after a lifetime of illiteracy came across so clearly in the eyes of the women who were interviewed for the film.  One of the interview subjects was a 75-year-old woman who decided to commit herself to learning to read after seeing one of her fellow guajeros learn to read--at the tender age of 95.

After viewing the videos, I worked in the volunteer office for several hours translating letters Safe Passage students had written to their US sponsors.  Invariably, students mentioned that they were doing well in school, that they were happy at home, that they had many new friends, and that they loved their sponsors and hoped to meet them soon.  Reading and translating these messages into English was a humbling experience for me.

In the afternoon, we took a guided walking tour of Antigua.  We visited the municipal headquarters and learned much about the history of this breathtaking city.  Our guide called the architecture here "earthquake baroque" because it was built to withstand the frequent seismic activity.  For me one of the most informative parts of the tour was our visit to the ruins of the cathedral.  We descended into the subterranean catacombs where the bodies of commoners were left to decompose until the bones were exposed and could be deposited in another interior chamber.  These chambers are also part of a weekly "ghosts of Antigua" tour.  We also saw a monument to the burial of such historic characters as Pedro de Alvarado (Spanish conquistador) and Bernal Diaz (who accompanied Alvarado and wrote much of the Spanish perspective on the conquest of Mexico).

In a few minutes we head back into Guatemala City for our final day at the Safe Passage site.  We have heard that the violence in the capital has died down, so we will proceed with caution but everything should be fine.

Have a great Friday everyone!

DS

Another day away from Guatemala City--Thursday March 26

Today dawns sunny and bright in Antigua, but there is a cloud of violence hanging over the capital Guatemala City.  Last night we learned of several more bus drivers and passengers being shot and killed in the capital, and the project directors decided for the second day in a row to keep our service team away from Safe Passage.  I am disappointed in this decision since my reason for traveling to Guatemala was to serve others.  I also understand and appreciate the need to keep everyone safe.  It appears that some of the Guatemalan staff will be traveling to the project in order that the children receive food and services today.  Without Safe Passage, many of them do not eat.  I am hopeful that we will be able to return to Guatemala City tomorrow (Friday).  We will be doing volunteer work here in the Antigua Safe Passage office--I am slated to translate some documents which will be interesting and I hope a bit helpful.  In the afternoon we are going to take a tour of historic landmarks in Antigua.

As I mentioned earlier, we hiked the active volcano Pacaya yesterday afternoon.  What an incredible experience!  After driving for about an hour, our shuttle dropped us at the base of the mountain.  Our guide Carlos was knowledgeable and helpful, and 

Another day away from Guatemala City...

Today dawns sunny and bright in Antigua, but a cloud of brutal violence hangs over capital Guatemala City.  Last night we learned of several more bus drivers and passengers being shot and killed in the capital, and the project directors decided for the second day to keep our service team away from Safe Passage.  I am disappointed in this decision since my reason for traveling to Guatemala was to serve others.  I also understand and appreciate the need to keep everyone safe.  It appears that some of the Guatemalan staff will be traveling to the project in order that children receive food and services.  Without Safe Passage, many of them do not eat.  I am hopeful we will return to Guatemala City tomorrow (Friday).  We will do volunteer work here in the Antigua Safe Passage office--I am slated to translate some documents which will be interesting and I hope helpful.  In the afternoon we are slated to take a tour of historic landmarks in Antigua.

As I mentioned earlier, we hiked the active volcano Pacaya yesterday afternoon.  What an incredible experience!  After driving for about an hour, our shuttle dropped us at the base of the mountain.  Several of us bought walking sticks from a group of young boys who swarmed around as we stepped from the shuttle. Our guide Carlos was knowledgeable and helpful, and we started up the mountain with the idea that it would be a 'modest hike.'  

After about 45 minutes of hiking on dusty wooded trails, we emerged onto what can only be described as a moonscape.  Black volcanic sand and rock stretched before us, split by a narrow walking trail that nonetheless accommodated not only hikers but also riders on horseback. 

We dashed down a short slope of sand, the sensation much like skiing in deep powder, without the cold.  Beyond this we began a slow ascent to the peak, scrambling and sliding and trying not to get cut on the sharp lava rocks or collide with the other groups of hikers and horses ascending and descending the trail.  Some in our group stopped short of the summit; those of us who pushed on saw pockets of slow-moving lava, red-hot against the black surrounding rock.  We intended to roast marshmallows in the lava, but as we approached we were told that in a short time the lava would be flowing down toward us and that it would be unsafe.  A European tourist did roast marshmallows, but I was content to take a few photos and head down to meet the rest of our group since the sun was setting and a thick, wet cloud cover had blanketed the mountain.

We descended in total darkness, thankful for our headlamps and flashlights and hungry and tired from the hours of hiking.  I was exhilarated by the experience, however.  We had the privilege of observing the power of nature up close, of hiking into the clouds and returning to earth at the end of the day.  This experience was a rare treat and one I won't soon forget.

As we walked into the tiny village that clings to Pacaya's base, a group of small children ran towards us.  I recognized the boys who had sold us walking sticks.  Without saying a word, they grabbed the sticks from our hands and turned a darted into the darkness.  I guess we had only rented these sticks, not purchased them!  This was evidence for me of the creativity born of economic necessity  in a country where young children must work to support their families and to feed themselves.  As I dragged my tired body into the shuttle bus, I wondered if these boys were among the roughly 80% of Guatemalans who would never graduate from elementary school.  Sadly, I think I know the answer.

In a few minutes I am off to the Safe Passage local office to translate documents.  This afternoon, after the tour, I will upload the volcano photos as well as some from the tour today.

Note: I am having some technical difficulty with moderating the comments on this blog.  I have received some emails stating that not everyone can see all of the comments.  If you are among these I apologize; I will try to work on a solution this afternoon.

Best regards.

DS

A Turn of Events

Late last night we learned that due to increased violence in Guatemala City we would not be permitted to visit the project today (Wednesday).  Reading the newspapers and watching the somewhat limited Guatemalan television news, it appears that there has been a wave of attacks on urban bus drivers, with between two and three deaths, depending on which source you believe.  Though the students who attend Safe Passage live in the immediate area and arrive on foot, the employees (Guatemalan nationals) take urban buses to work every day.  Because of the attacks, bus service in the capital has been affected, and the directors of Safe Passage decided to close the project for one day.  While this decision will keep employees safe, it also means that there are students who may not eat today.  I don't envy the Safe Passage administration who have to make this agonizing decision.  As for our volunteer team, since we travel in private shuttle we are not impacted in the same way.  However, there is talk that there may be mass street protests against the violence in the capital, which could very well snarl traffic for hours and hours.  I am sad to not be able to volunteer at Safe Passage today; on the other hand, we are going to visit a local indigenous village that specializes in beautiful weavings and later today we will hike a volcano and watch the sunset from the summit.  There is a rumor that we will even be roasting marshmallows in the lava, so stay tuned for updates!

I would like to thank the many AEA teachers and students who have so kindly followed this blog and posted comments and questions.  Since the internet service here is so spotty, I am hurrying to today to post this and include photos; I will attempt to answer individual questions in the next day or so, as well as address the lists of questions that were submitted to me in advance by students.  I have not ignored your questions and truly value your interest in this endeavor. 

 

  

  

 

  

  

  

  

  

The photos in this post show some classroom activities we did with students yesterday, as well as the oasis quality of the Safe Passage site (note the beauty of the gardens, etc.)  I also included some photos from the streets of Guatemala City.

I hope to post more soon....tonight's hike should provide some interesting images.

Abrazos desde Guatemala.

DS

Oasis

Today was my first opportunity to actually do some volunteer work at the Safe Passage project in Guatemala City, as yesterday was an orientation.  Our Bowdoin College alumni service team was broken up into small groups, and we spent the morning working as assistants in elementary and middle school rooms during English class.  I was impressed by the students' eagerness to learn English, and by their cheerfulness and energy despite the conditions in which they live.  It may seem strange to think of these students studying English, but as we learned yesterday, if students pass an English proficiency test this fact alone can double or triple their potential incomes when they apply for jobs.  In Guatemala an elementary school education (up through 6th grade), has roughly the same impact on a person's earning potential as a GED degree does in the US.  One of the goals of Safe Passage is to support students that they may graduate from elementary school and then move on, including to the university level.

After assisting in English class we worked on two art projects: creating plaster masks of each student's face (later to be decorated as an expression of identity), as well as making wooden birdhouses.  After a day spent in the classrooms at Safe Passage, I am again struck by the feeling of spending time on an oasis.  Looking out from the second story classrooms, as far as the eye can see lie ramshackle grey cement dwellings, with an occasional white-washed wall.  The streets are dusty, littered with trash, and in desperate need of repair.  In contrast, within Safe Passage there is great attention to aesthetic beauty.  Color, light, and love abound, and the center of the site is a garden where students and volunteers can relax around a bubbling fountain.  Spending time at the site, if you don't look outside the walls, you would never guess where it is located, nor the stories that lie behind each child's smiling eyes. 

At AEACMS much of our work is focused on creating and maintaining a positive and supportive school culture.  Safe Passage and its tireless employees and volunteers has managed to accomplish this and much more, against seemingly impossible odds.

I am in the process of uploading today's photos and will have them posted to the blog soon.

Thanks again for your interest and support during this venture.

DS

First View of the Garbage Dump and Safe Passage facilities

Today was our first exposure to the Guatemala City garbage dump in Zone 3. After a shuttle ride into the capital, we drove to el mirador which overlooks the dump site. It was a truly astounding experience to stand above the dump and hear the sounds of trucks and the whistles and calls of the guajeros at work and to watch the dust clouds and smell the untold tons of garbage. The vultures, or sopes as they are called here, were omnipresent. They waited, perching on denuded tree branches and dusty hillsides and swept into the sky in whirling dark clouds.


Contrasting with the horrors of the garbage dump were the various Safe Passage facilities we visited. The first was the guarderia or pre-school. Set in a neighborhood of lamina-roofed shanties, this facility is truly an oasis of beauty and safety and calm. They will soon be embarking on a project to install a proper surface for their sports field, and there is a wonderful garden that was donated and installed by students from the University of Washington.

After visiting the guarderia we traveled by shuttle a short distance to the main facility for Safe Passage, but not before enjoying a lunch at the comdedor next door: chicken, rice, and beans. The comedor serves not only the Safe Passage employees and volunteers, but also the employees from local factories.

Our tour of the main facility revealed a site that illustrates how much can be done with so little in terms of resources. We observed partnerships between private and public entities, involvement from international volunteers, and programs in social work, medicine, and educational support. I will post more details about these in subsequent days as we launch more into the work.

We finished up with a visit to the adult literacy center at Safe Passage. We will be returning there for an art project, and to visit the jewelry-making cooperative that was established to provide the women who would otherwise be working in the dump an alternate income.

Overall the day was emotional, inspirational, and full of sobering lessons and information, including:

• only 18% of Guatemalan children graduate from elementary school (grade 6)
• currently there are about 17 murders a day in Guatemala City
• despite international attention, the Guatemala City garbage dump continues to grow at an alarming rate
• the average dump worker (guajero) earns 7-20 Quetzales a day, about $1-$3

I look forward to your comments!

Abrazos desde Antigua, Guatemala...

First Visit to the Dump

This afternoon I had the privilege of meeting the other members of the volunteer group.  What a great group of people.  I am confident that we will all work well together and accomplish our goals this week.

At our welcome dinner this evening, we watched Recycled Life.  This Oscar-nominated documentary (2007) provides a powerful and unsparing look at the lives of the guajeros as those who work and live in the Guatemala City dump are called.

Tomorrow morning early we are off to Guatemala City for our first glimpse of the dump, and to tour the Safe Passage facilities.  I hope to blog tomorrow after this experience, and include some photos.

To the AEACMS students who are faithfully logging on to read my blog, and to the teachers who facilitate this process in class, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!  I will do my best to answer your questions and it is my hope that you learn something along the way.  Here's to a fantastic week of success at AEA...

First Full Day in Guatemala: Answering Student Questions

As I sit in the colonial gem that is the city of Antigua Guatemala, enjoying the temperate weather and the marimba music drifting from the nearby central park, I will address a few questions that were submitted to me by AEACMS students.  Since I literally received dozens, I have condensed these into categories.  Today I will deal with the categories of Transportation and Housing.

Several students asked me to provide information on the various ways in which Guatemalans travel around this moderate-sized but geographically-challenging country.  Others, prompted by an IB unit in Ms. Burnham's Spanish class, had questions about the various forms of dwellings in Guatemala.

 

  

  

TRANSPORTATION
One of the major challenges to transportation in Guatemala stems from the lack of a nation-wide system of high-quality and well-maintained roads.  This is not such an issue near the capital Guatemala City (and where I presently am in Antigua),  but in more rural areas the percentage of paved roads decreases significantly.

I arrived from the airport in a shuttle bus, yet a large percentage of Guatemalans travel by bus.  There is an extensive system of buses, both within cities as well as in rural areas.  You will note the photo of the bus in this posting; I visited the bus depot in Antigua today--a large, dusty lot bustling with the activity of passengers coming and going.  My hotel sits a few blocks from the depot, and last night it seemed that buses operated without interruption.  Most buses have ayudantes or helpers who assist the drivers, recruit passengers, load luggage on roofracks, and collect fares.  Their urgent hawking cries can be heard as they try to pack as many passengers on board as will physically fit.  You will note the photo of the ayudante on the roof--this bus was in motion, and it is not uncommon for these helpers to climb outside the bus and onto the roof while traveling at high speeds.

In addition to buses and cars, many Guatemalans travel by bicycle (short distances) and motorcycle.  There does not appear to be a helmet law for motorcycles.  Many deliveries are made by motorcycle.

I have also included some photos of people riding horses in Antigua; it appears that for the most part these are for tourists to hire, much as in New York's Central Park.

Whatever the mode of transportation, within Antigua the roads are made of cobblestones, which makes for slow progress.  In rural areas, during the rainy season (May-October), dirt roads often turn to impassable mud troughs.

Coming from Southern California, where we live in our cars and take high-speed, hassle-free transportation for granted, being here forces me to consider the benefits of both contexts: getting where we need to go in a hurry has its merits, but so does slowing down and enjoying the view--and the bumps and potholes--along the way.

 

  

  

 

HOUSING
Once we start the service project in the Guatemala City dump tomorrow morning, I will be able to add more impressions to this category.  However, I have included a variety of photos here that highlight some of the various features of dwellings in Antigua.

One of the most interesting observartions for me is that the houses are all connnected, forming a continuous wall to the street.  Yards tend to be small, and mostly within the center of the house, surrounded by four protecting walls.  I am posting this from a wonderful courtyard seating area, with a gurgling fountain at its center and small grass areas.  Because the climate  is mild--similar to San Diego--in many houses moving from room to room requires that you go outside into an open corridor.

Another striking element that can be seen in some of these pictures is the haphazard mix of colonial buildings--some of them ruined in the multiple earthquakes and floods that have decimated this city over the centuries--and modern architecture and building supplies.  The aerial photos were taken from the roof of my hotel.  They show that although some of the architecture here has endured centuries (note the width of the walls), other construction is much more temporary (note the lamina rooftops and cinderblock).

I hope that I have anwered some student questions, and generated others.  I look forward to your comments on this blog, and will undoubtedly have more to say after the service project officially begins tomorrow.  I am off to meet my fellow volunteers who have just arrived from various parts of the US.

Hasta pronto.

DS

Arrival in Guatemala

I arrived in Guatemala City today about noon, after an uneventful flight that was punctuated by some jostling crosswinds right before landing.  After meeting up with one of the trip directors, we took a shuttle to Antigua, Guatemala, a trip of about 45 min.  As we descended the mountainside into the city, I was struck by the beauty of the countryside and especially the majesty of the Volcan de Agua which looms to the south.

One of the AEA students had asked me a question about literacy rates in Guatemala, and how these compare to the United States.  The specific answer to this question can be found on my earlier Guatemala Fact Sheet post.  However, the issue of adult literacy is a critical one, and merits more discussion.  The student might be interested to know that while I was filling out my customs declaration forms at the Guatemala City airport today, a man approached and asked if I would help him complete his forms.  "I don't read or write," he told me.  I assisted the man, and afterwards I reflected on the fact that I had been on the ground for 10 minutes and already the issue of adult literacy was a relevant and concrete one.  In contrast, I have never in my life been asked to assist another adult in completing a form due to their admitting illiteracy. 

--
David Sciarretta, Principal
Albert Einstein Academy
Charter Middle School
3035 Ash St, San Diego, CA, 92102
tel: 619-795-1190
www.aeacs.org
Principal's blog:
http://aeacmsprincipalscorner.blogspot.com/

Teaching our children today to advance our shared humanity tomorrow.

Just 24 hours to departure...

With just 24 hours to go before I depart for my service trip to Guatemala, I thought it might be helpful to include a brief fact sheet to give our students a better idea of where I am going.  I am encouraged by the dozens of student questions that our teachers have submitted to me; I hope that some of these (at least the fact-based ones) can be answered below:

GUATEMALA FACT SHEET

• Population: 11.2 million
• Life expectancy at birth: 65 (US: 77)
• Adult literacy rate: 69% (US: 99%)
• Female adult literacy rate: 61% (US:99%)
• Percentage of population living on less than $2 a day: 34%
• Infant mortality rate per 1000 live births: 44 (US: 7)
• Annual electricity consumption per person (kilowatt hours): 341 (US: 11,994)
• Annual carbon dioxide emissions per person (tons): 0.9 (US: 19.9)

(Source: Noble, John. Guatemala. Snapshot Reading: History. Lonely Planet.)

As I set out on this trip, I want to thank all the members of our school community who have expressed interest and support in this endeavor.  Upon my return I will share photos and stories with all who are interested.

Service Trip to Guatemala

As I have mentioned to several people on campus, I will be participating in an exciting opportunity March 21-29 when I join an alumni service trip from my alma mater Bowdoin College for a week-long trip to Guatemala. This project, organized through Safe Passage, will bring volunteer labor and resources to assist the neediest of the needy in Guatemala City, the residents of the city dump.

I am working with Ms. Peters and Sra. Burnham to involve our students in this trip as much as possible. I will be visiting classrooms to gather a list of student questions which I hope to answer on this blog, along with many photos and video clips. If any other members of the school community are interested in participating in this dialog, please post a question or comment and I will include it in my list of questions to be answered.

Watch excerpt from Recycled Life--a film about the Guatemala City garbage dump

Watch Recycled Life in Travel Videos  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com


I found this video online and thought it might provide some context for understanding my upcoming alumni service trip that I mentioned in a previous posting.  I will be sharing this clip with students next week as a way of previewing my trip for them and discussing how it relates to our IBMYP work.

'Treasure Hunt' builds collegiality and collaboration

The teaching profession can be an isolating one, especially in a school culture where collaboration among teachers is not encouraged or supported.  I have often heard such school cultures described as 'silos,' with each teacher reigning over their own isolated realm.  Fortunately, AEACMS teachers have worked collaboratively since our inception as a school, whether creating and refining curriculum, analyzing student performance data, or brainstorming ways to meet the social/emotional needs of all students.

Recently, we have developed and inaugurated an exciting process that groups teachers to observe other AEACMS teachers in action in the classroom.  We have dubbed this process the "Inquiry Treasure Hunt," in reference to the IB focus on inquiry-based instruction.  Teams of teachers, who have given up a portion of their preparation periods to participate, use a checklist of inquiry indicators when observing a lesson.  The observation is followed up with a note to the teacher, a subsequent team debriefing, and finally, an email to the entire teaching staff that highlights the various 'treasures' that were discovered during the classroom visit.

Our school-wide goal is to have every teacher participate in this process as a visitor as well as a host.  Several teachers have shown interest in evolving the Inquiry Treasure Hunt to include unannounced visits and constructive criticism targeted at improving student achievement.  As a recent visitor to our campus noted when he learned of this process, "It would be great if you could now move from 'Open Doors' to 'Open Mouths', from congeniality to collegiality."  I agree with this sentiment, as do our teachers.  I will report back in the future as this powerful process evolves.