After a month in Guatemala, it is a pleasure to look back over the last 4 weeks and reflect. It was a good group that installed stoves in Los Chivitos. I have been back to the community 3 times since then and the families are so happy with their stoves. The last group left a lasting impression and that includes the nutrition team. I have yet to decide what the next step will be in this program as there are lots of options and possibilities. It is definite that we will build more stoves in Los Chivitos in January 2012. Dona Chuz was very happy with that decision.
The Festival de Artes co-sponosored by Corazones y Manos was a huge success. Participants from about 20 communities competed either in song, dance or recitation. The gymnasium where it was held was full to capacity of 700 people. I was a judge for singing and it was a difficult role. Many were so good. It was so good to see the children perform with so much pride and confidence. Communities cheered on their specific participants and what fun it was. No doubt the Committee did an excellent job and all look forward to next year.
We enjoyed the 2 days with the Ripple Effect Program and the representatives from CRCID. We learned lots from them and they mutually learned lots from us.
I survived lots of meetings and some were definitely very productive and meaningful for our future. I am most exited about a meeting Rebeca and I had with the Department Director of Quiche of the Ministry of Education. I left the meeting feeling that cooperation was a very real possibility in the future.
Meetings with both scholarship programs is alway fun. How great it is to see the degree to which the students are maturing. Uspantan students are quickly becoming a close group and enjoy their time together. How surprised I was when they gave me a surprise birthday party. I was given a beautiful bag and nightgown. It was a fun time for us all. IMMBI Band was present to play for us.
While in Guatemala this time I have had to cope with horrible weather. First, it was an earthequake just a couple days after we arrived. Thank goodness it was in the south of Guatemala, so we suffered no effects. It has been the rain that has been the problem. In a month there has been only 3 days that had no rain. It has been heavy rain that usually comes early afternoon and lasts all night. The volunteers worked in very muddy conditions and it has gotten much worse since they returned to Canada. The roads are horrible and mudslides and many. There has been a hurricane sitting on the Pacific coast which has brought heavy, heavy rain to Uspantan and the western highland region. We drove from Uspantan on Tuesday and the mudslides were so many and it was very dangerous. Thank goodness we only planned to drive and overnight in Chichi as we could not get any further. The rain was coming in torrents. We saw mudslides as they were happening. It made me very nervous with fear of being buried in one. We drove to Solala on Wednesday and found Colegio Maya closed due to the hurricane and danger of mudslides. Pana again suffered a washout of the road and is unreachable. We finally reached Guatemala City around 5pm and I was much relieved to get here. Today it continueas to rain and is supposed to for another 48 hours. I cannot imagine the destruction from mudslides when it is over.
Tomorrow I leave early for home. It will be nice to escape the rain and dampness. I have had a cold since the 1st week here. It just keeps hanging on like the rain. I will miss my friends here, but will return in January with another group.
Till next time, Jan
