¡Hola!
Today marked the teams second full day in Guat and it was sure full of ups and downs. We began the morning with a drive into Guatemala City, where we visited the cemetary lookout over the garbage dump. The cemetary really showcased the wealth disparity in Guatemala - some graves were apartment style while others were almost like castles. Rent has to be paid every year to keep a body preserved in its resting place - if the families fail to pay the fees, their loved ones are disposed of in the dump. It was heartwrenching to hear that families have to work to pay for both life and death. The cemetary overlooked the garbage dump, where thousands of Guatemalans come each day in search of valuables that can be resold. Hundreds of vultures flew overhead and scoured the trash alongside those digging. The process has been going on for so long that natives have it down to a science - people get dibs on certain garbage trucks by putting their hands on the side of them and following the trucks until they are emptied. Dirt has to be placed over areas of the trash in order to supress the methane released into the air, thus reducing the risk of fires. The dump helped us all realize the true meaning of why it is that we are here.
After the cemetary and dump, we headed to the Jardin Infantil to meet with preschoolers. The school is inspired by nature because the childrens mothers wanted it to be bright and colorful - having grown up in mainly Squatter communities with stolen electricity, no running water, and very little vegetation, it was important the school be full of life. We got a chance to spend time with the youngsters at recess and it served as a nice introduction to our day. The kids were so full of life one would never know what theyre going through at home.
Following the Jardin Infantil, we traveled to the Cre, the main Safe Passage building. We met with the administrative director Mariela, the English teacher Grant, Ilu, the head of Adult Literacy and Social Entrepreneurship, and Oscar, one of the five social workers responsible for covering 590 students. We sang an ice-breaker song with the English class we will be working with later in the week and also learned about the Adult Literacy program, which educates the mothers of children attending Safe Passage. We got a sneak peek of Creamos and the beautiful jewelry the mothers make out of recycled newspaper - the business has given the women purpose and pride, and has taken all of the women involved out of the dump for good.
We finished up the day with a dinner at MonoLoco with our amazing Support Team Leader Jessa and ordered all of the desserts on the menu (and finished them, too!). All in all, it was another exciting and eye-opening day in the beautiful country of Guatemala.
Until tomorrow,
Katie, Erin, and Lindsey