This was our week to begin working at Safe Passage. Feeling like elementary school kids ourselves, we leave Lucky and Jose´s house each morning with our backpacks to walk the 6 blocks to the bus stop, where we catch a yellow American school bus for the ride to Guatemala City. Safe Passage provides the bus and driver for the approximately 20 volunteers. We are the only ¨seniors¨. Most are young Americans, many from Maine, with a sprinkling of Canadians and Europeans. Like us, most are here temporarily, but some have found themselves very commited to these children and have extended their stays or have even decided to live here.
Our week began in the pouring rain, with daily mudslides threatening to cut off the road between Antiqua and Guatemala City. Huge traffic jams slowed things down, stretching out the trip to 2 hours - from the usual 45-60 minutes. Bruce and I spent the first part of the week working in the kitchen or the storehouse (the bodega), where we bagged 350 bags of navy split peas, donated from Canada. They will be given out to the Safe Passage families, along with other commodities, to offset the loss of income that results from their children attending school instead of working. It was a bit mindless, but we got a good system going and were weighing and filling like crazy. I topped the day off with some time with the two year olds, realizing how much more satisfying kids are than beans!
When the volunteer coordinator returned from the USA on Wednesday, we newcomers, 6 of us, had an intense and thorough day of orientation. Since my Spanish language skills remain rudimentary, it was decided that I would spend each morning working in the kitchen at the Guarderia, the beautiful day care center, and the afternoons working with the teacher for the 6-7 year olds. Luckily, I like to muck around with food, so it seems like a good balance and will hopefully allow me to gain more language skill. Entonces, following our Thursday holiday to honor the Day of Revolution, I began my new assignment on Friday.
Friday morning involved peeling pineapples, chopping tomatoes, pouring juice for 50 kids, chopping meat, and trying my hand at making tortillas. Not as easy as it looks! The two women in the kitchen pat-patted their way through a large mound of corn dough while I struggled to get a few small tortillas to hang together long enough to get onto the griddle. My goal is to be able to make a decent tortilla by December. There should be lots of opportunity to practice, since tortillas are served to the kids every day.
The afternoon was spent with the 11 students in the grade between kindergarten and first grade. The teacher was amazingly adept at fun movement activities for this boy-heavy group, and the afternoon flew by.
In the meantime, Bruce spent part of the day with 12 year olds and part of the day working on an administrative project that promises to be engaging and meaningful. We´ve both spent time this weekend thinking of our coming responsibilities. So, we´re off to a good start at Safe Passage.
Our week began in the pouring rain, with daily mudslides threatening to cut off the road between Antiqua and Guatemala City. Huge traffic jams slowed things down, stretching out the trip to 2 hours - from the usual 45-60 minutes. Bruce and I spent the first part of the week working in the kitchen or the storehouse (the bodega), where we bagged 350 bags of navy split peas, donated from Canada. They will be given out to the Safe Passage families, along with other commodities, to offset the loss of income that results from their children attending school instead of working. It was a bit mindless, but we got a good system going and were weighing and filling like crazy. I topped the day off with some time with the two year olds, realizing how much more satisfying kids are than beans!
When the volunteer coordinator returned from the USA on Wednesday, we newcomers, 6 of us, had an intense and thorough day of orientation. Since my Spanish language skills remain rudimentary, it was decided that I would spend each morning working in the kitchen at the Guarderia, the beautiful day care center, and the afternoons working with the teacher for the 6-7 year olds. Luckily, I like to muck around with food, so it seems like a good balance and will hopefully allow me to gain more language skill. Entonces, following our Thursday holiday to honor the Day of Revolution, I began my new assignment on Friday.
Friday morning involved peeling pineapples, chopping tomatoes, pouring juice for 50 kids, chopping meat, and trying my hand at making tortillas. Not as easy as it looks! The two women in the kitchen pat-patted their way through a large mound of corn dough while I struggled to get a few small tortillas to hang together long enough to get onto the griddle. My goal is to be able to make a decent tortilla by December. There should be lots of opportunity to practice, since tortillas are served to the kids every day.
The afternoon was spent with the 11 students in the grade between kindergarten and first grade. The teacher was amazingly adept at fun movement activities for this boy-heavy group, and the afternoon flew by.
In the meantime, Bruce spent part of the day with 12 year olds and part of the day working on an administrative project that promises to be engaging and meaningful. We´ve both spent time this weekend thinking of our coming responsibilities. So, we´re off to a good start at Safe Passage.
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