A senior from Cloverdale High School wrote the following in his scholarship application.

Interact Student’s Impressions

In my sophomore year at Cloverdale High, I joined the school’s Interact Club.  At our first meeting, I learned that our club was responsible for sponsoring the education of three children in Central America.

At first, I did not think much of this idea.  I appreciated that fact that I was helping kids overseas go to school, but most of my focus was on my own hometown.  For a while, my concerns stayed this way; that was, until I read the letters that they sent back to us.

The letters that these children wrote were some of the most heartfelt, profound pieces of writing I have ever heard.  They thanked us over and over again for giving them the money they needed to go to school, for allowing them to educate themselves rather than work in a field or factory.  They even called us, a small group of high school kids from California, their godparents.  The way they reacted to something that, to me, seemed like a basic right impacted me greatly, and it made me see the true value of education.

Although it may seem that way to some, the words of these students have shown me that education is not just a privilege; it is a necessity.  Without schooling the minds of potentially brilliant kids will be wasted, unutilized by the world.  Without education, people become trapped in a darkness of misinformation, malformed world views, and the struggles of poverty.  Education is the best, and the only way to break these chains, and that is why it is so important to me.

Guatemala is under shelter in place orders with a curfew which is strictly enforced.  Our students are learning virtually.  This is a challenge as many cannot afford the cost of the Internet data needed to attend classes.

There are so many things that we are grateful for.  Read the following newsletter to learn more:  https://mailchi.mp/0817df686c48/spring-newsletter-from-amigos-de-guatemala-3038561

This is exciting.  Rotary District 5220’s grant is helping fund a new, safe and secure play area for the children’s library in Zacualpa.  THANK YOU!

Amigos de Guatemala welcomes our new partner who will be managing the day to day activities such as working with the scholarship students as well as any projects we are working on.  Her name is Rosaura Guadalupe Zacarías Chanchavac. She is from the department of Quiché, Guatemala and lives in Zacualpa.  She promises to take on this job with great responsibility, honesty, punctuality and above all with a lot of interest.  Rosaura did her university internship at ADIZ.  She has also been an elementary school teacher.  She continued her studies at the University and graduated as a teacher of secondary education and recently complete her education in Educational Administration.

As a Rotarian, I love visiting other clubs.  They are always so welcoming and great partners.  Here are a few pictures from some of the clubs I visited lately.

Thanks to a generous donation to Amigos de Guatemala, partnering with Funsepa, is adding technology to two new schools in the Zacualpa area.  Fredy, our boots on the ground, has initiated the process.  We are excited to see the students using these new learning tools.