Hitting the Ground Running

Having settled into our house in Sololá, I am happy to report that the Program Directors of MPI Guatemala have hit the ground running. In the midst of fulfilling house duties and organizational roles (I am the Documentarian, Secretary, and Social Chair – so excited for all three positions), the group and I have been meeting frequently to discuss our long and short term visions and goals for MPI Guatemala. Our primary goal is to establish a strong relationship with the community, and we are in the process of planning long term programs with other local organizations and community members. With a little luck and hard work, we should be soon launching programs in recycling, sustainable agriculture, after-school homework help, and English classes for local teachers. In the meantime, we are teaching English courses to 4th, 5th, and 6th graders in one of the local primary schools. Teaching has not only been so much fun, but it has also served as a wonderful entry way into the community, and we are constantly meeting new people and learning about the community’s strengths and needs.

At the primary school, Jared and I are teaching both sections of 4th grade English, and I absolutely love the kids and teachers at the school. We have roughly 30 students in each class and while they have no previous knowledge of English, but they seem very excited to learn. Likewise, having completed our first class yesterday, Jared and I are both very excited as we get to know the children, create lesson plans, and meet with the school’s teachers. I hope these classes will be equally as rewarding for the students and teachers, as I know they will be for us.

Teaching at the school and spending time in the community, I am constantly struck by a realization concerning the universal nature of children. I have worked with various groups of children in very different parts of the world, and I have not ceased to be amazed by children’s optimism and playfulness. Whether in the Haitian slums of the Dominican Republic, in a bilingual day care center for the children of Spanish-speaking immigrants in Washington DC, or in an after-school nutrition program for elementary school children in Nashville, I have witnessed that young children possess an energy and optimism not found often in adults. For example, the children of Chaquijyá live a very rural, poor community, in which most residents still subscribe to centuries-old Maya traditions and language. Nevertheless, during recess, the basketball and fútbol courts are filled with children wearing the traditional traje who scream and play and beg unknown Gringos like myself to join in the games. Girls still love to talk about the “chicos locos” (crazy boys), and will run through the corn stalks to show me the field with the best climbing trees. Boys still compete to be the first to reach the snack room and to see who can shoot the most baskets. No matter the location or cultural context, kids are kids. They want to have fun, learn, and make new friends. I am so excited to be working with these children, because even though I am fulfilling the role of the “teacher,” I know I have much to learn from them as well.