The Market in Chichicastenango and the Mayas

In the end of November, I went on a weekend trip to the market in Chichicastenango. Chichi is world-famous for it's endless Sunday market, one of the oldest and biggest in Central America. I arrived there by bus on Saturday afternoon, and had time to wander around and explore a Mayan museum and tour a local temple. One notable thing about Chichi is that the Mayan culture is very strong- to the point that the majority of people do not speak Spanish in the street, rather a local indigenous language called Quiche.

I haven't really mentioned the Mayas in my blog thus far, but you really can't come to Guatemala without noticing them. The Mayas, described in most history books as being "conquered", are very much alive here. Everywhere in the streets, most people are still wearing their traditional dress and have strong ties to their past.

Some Mayas in Guatemala have adopted Catholicism as their religion, but some blend their faith with that of their ancestors, making for some fascinating temples. The Mayas here have been very much discriminated against since the war in the 1980's, leading some people (such as my friend Yulisa at work), to refrain from wearing their traditional dress in professional settings. The marginalization of this culture here in Guatemala have left many Mayan men, women, and children in extreme poverty. In spite of this, however, the Mayan people are a crucial part of Guatemalan society and add a special spice to the culture. Their are over 20 indigenous languages spoken here in addition to Spanish, and the Mayas where I live (including many of my kids at the house) speak Kachikel.

On Sunday in Chichi, I woke up and walked outside my hotel to find that the streets that had existed the day before were now just a plethora of stores and booths and vendors yelling out prices. I hardly knew where I was! I bartered for masks and gifts and clothes all day... the rule here is generally that the price the vendor initially gives you is at least double what the item is actually worth. I think I made out pretty well in the end. :)

My kids

I am at the 5-month mark since my arrival in Guatemala, and I can honestly say that it is starting to feel like home. I have forged an unforgettable relationship with my kids, and every day with them is an adventure! It's amazing how, after just a few months of living with them, I feel personally responsible for the children who live at NPH and being a part of their lives.
I know I have said alot about the kids I work with, so I thought I would take this opportunity to share some things about the other 300 kids who live at the home! Most of the kids who live at the home do not have a mother, and have 2 or more siblings who also live at NPH. Every kid's story is different, but the most common situation is that the mother passed away and the father could no longer financially nor physically care for the children. A large percentage come from abusive households, or have drug/alcohol dependent parents.

The kids all live in dormitory style buildings with rows of bunk beds and lockers- just like in the movie "Annie". They wake up in the morning at 4am to begin chores, eat breakfast at 6:30, start school at 7:30. Then, lunch is served at 1:30, after which the vast majority of the kids engage in workshops to teach them vocational skills. This could be carpintery, beauty salon, farmwork, or a slew of other things...all offered right on-site for them at the home. At 5pm there is a 1-hour break, followed by dinner at 6pm. Afterwords, more chores and homework take them until bedtime, which is usually around 8pm. The kids work very hard, which keeps them out of trouble and keeps the orphanage running- we have no cleaning staff because the kids clean EVERYTHING in the entire facility.

Speaking of trouble, I would say that the biggest behavioral concern we have overall is robbery. Every volunteer and staff member has had at least one personal item stolen. I think it has to do with the past of these particular children, and the fact that everything at the house is provided for free. Also, with such a closed facility, the children are constantly searching for ways to "entertain" themselves and their friends. Consequences are difficult to enforce at times, so our precious little kleptomaniacs are usually let off the hook. We're working on it.
The kids live in very close quarters and sometimes get into fights and arguments due to their proximity (and just being kids!). The house provides them many benefits that they would never receive outside, but also many challenges that they need to deal with.

Here are some pictures!

Lake Atitlan and general life udate!

Wow its definately time for an update... first off, my camera battery is no longer functioning, so until I find a new one, I will be sharing pictures with other people whenever possible. Bear with me!

I went on another vacation to Lago de Atitlan (wikipedia it), which is a really famous lake here and I went swimming and just hung out. We were are this village called Jibalito, which is tiny and mostly indigenous, so we got to see how the local Mayan population lives which was really neat. I did some hiking, swam in the lake, and just rested with the other volunteers...very sweet!



This weekend was independence day for Guatemala so there was a torch run which the orphanage did for about 10 miles! I didn't run the whole way because the altitude is super high here and its hard to run sometimes, but I ran a good chunk. There was also a parade, but I was down with the flu that day so I didn't get to attend. However, I will post pictures from other people soon.

Work has been...intense. The more I work with my kids, the more I discover the hidden problems with the administration here, the reality of my students' capabilities, and the attitudes of other people in the Guatemalan society towards disability. The people here have two main attitudes towards people with disabilities: 1) They believe that disabled individuals can't achieve anything so they refuse to assist with medical care, education, or advocacy, 2) They freely hand out money and gifts to disabled people without training them in any way. Both attitudes are harmful to the kids. I struggle to find a balance between work and daily life, as my kids require an INFINITE amount of therapies every day. However, in spite of it all, I LOVE my kids very much and enjoy spending so much time with them.

Pictures soon....not only of the lake, but also more of my kids and the house.

Monterrico!

Last weekend, I took my first vacation to Monterrico, right on the Pacific coast! It was a black sand beach...absolutely beautiful. I stayed in a quaint hotel called Hotel Delfin, with the ocean right outside my back door. The town of Monterrico itself has only 2000-3000 residents, and it seemed like every single one had a hammock in their house. The town also boasts a wildlife sanctuary and turtle preservation museum. After the last two months of changes and stress here in Guatemala, it was such a relief to just lie out by the beach. Here are pictures of the beach and the wildlife sanctuary....

It began with a dream...

Big news this week... my classroom is finally ready for use! When I got to the house a month ago, I was shown a small room filled with insects, old tables, and benches. I couldn't even walk in because of all the "stuff" that was randomly being stored there! After weeks of hauling out the junk, finding donations, cleaning profusely and moving new furniture, my students started their individual classes this week. I am so proud of this space, because it is my own creation! Here are some pictures....

Interesting pictures

My students at horseback riding, my permanent room at the house, a couple shots of my kids, and the rodeo!

At the 1-month mark

Well...I´ve been in Guatemala for one month as of today. I feel like I have been settling in to a groove in terms of what I do every day. At 5:45 every morning, I jog around Parramos, the nearby village, and sometimes stop to talk to the owner of a local restaurant called La Familia which the NPH volunteers have adopted as their local hangout. He runs a small stand during the day which sells corn cobs seasoned with ketchup, salt, cheese, and maybe some other things, not really sure! Then I finish my run and hit the cafeteria in the morning, which serves the same plate of beans, rice, cheese, and tea every single day.

I get to my first classroom at 8am (6 students with moderate disabilities) work for a couple hours, and hit my second classroom (9 students with severe-profound disabilities) at 9:30. I spend the rest of the day there, with the exception of lunch and one hour of workshops in the afternoon, in which i help some of the special ed students in the school participate in pre-vocational tasks. I am done around 6, and then I grab dinner at the cafeteria (hoping for vegetables if I am lucky!) , and visit with my section of girls. I get back home around 7:30 or 8, read for a while and unwind, then sleep. The highlight of work this week was when my students went to hipotherapy (horseback riding)... what a great experience for them.

The weekends have been a different story. There is always shopping, drinking, and many new places to explore both alone and with friends. I haven´t done any travelling yet, but I know that will come soon! I went to a huge rodeo in Chimaltenango this weekend, which was quite the cultural fiasco. Also, there was a concert in Antigua for a festival which was really fun. I am moving into permanent housing this week, which should help everything at the house become more stable.

Pictures wouldn´t upload again...so sorry! I will try again soon. Also, FYI--- snail mail has not been coming through, so I will post an update when it is safe to send me letters!

Volunteer Orientation- The orphanage

NPH, the orphanage, is situated in a little village called Parramos, about an hour outside of Guatemala City. It is tiny and there is really nothing here- but I like that because I see the same faces every day. The house itself has over 300 children and 24 volunteers in addition to the local staff. The NPH orphanage is not just a home.... the organization runs a school, medical clinic, beauty salon, bakery, and carpentry workshop, making it perpetually its own microcosm. The children learn vocational skills in addition to traditional subjects to better prepare them for life on the ¨outside.¨

My first week here was spent getting aquainted with the other volunteers. There was alot of information and ¨getting to know you¨ activities which were somewhat tedious. For now, I am living in the guest house with 5 other girls, but I will be moving in a couple weeks to a different volunteer house with a girl who was raised in the USA, but has Guatemalan roots in her family. It should be a good time.... I can´t wait to start working.

Interesting things that happened this week- a dog rummaged through the trash can outside our house in the nighttime. I woke up to a yard full of trash which was gross! Also, I started running every morning just to relieve some stress. Finally, I watched many reruns of the Office and Sex And The City in Spanish with my new roommates. Here are some pictures from the week!

Pictures from Antigua

My host parents, their home, and general sites of Antigua!

More Antigua!

So I have been here for over a week now, and I´m starting to settle in. I am a little homesick because there are so many new places and things, but I think that´s actually a good thing because once I get through the initial homesickness, it´ll be alot easier.

Bad news... the pictures wont upload in the lab here in antigua, so I will have to wait till I am in Parramos to upload more!

Other than language school, I have gone out with the other volunteers who are here in Antigua about 3 times, taken a salsa class, tried about 20 different foods, and watched the soccer finals with new friends.... Not too bad for one week!

The first few days in Guatemala!

Well I´m here!! The flight was totally fine, and I got all my baggage on time. I went to the orphanage which was about an hour away, and one of the girls there was having a going-away party to celebrate the end of her NPH term. So I went out in Antigua! It was really fun- good drinks and bands.

The next day, I got up and hung out with the other volunteers some, and I arrived at my host family´s house at about 4pm. I was a little sad when I got there because it felt wierd staying with some family I didnt even know. But the house is beautiful and it has an open area in the middle with a garden. The dad took me on a walk through Antigua which was also awesome. They are very nice, but pretty busy with their grandma, who lives with them and is 96 years old and quite ill.

I met my new class today... the students have pretty severe disabilities, but they seem like they are able to communicate in some capacity. Also, the volunteer speech therapist, OT, and PT are really open to ideas. It seems about like what I expected.

So far, it has been kind of a whirlwind because there are lots of new people, everyone speaks spanish, and I have no clue where I am. But on the other hand, everyone pretty much understands my spanish, so thats a start. Language school has been relatively easy and the teacher is very patient with me.

Pictures of my host family and antigua to come soon...

My last few days in Columbus/Cincinnati

Last week, I packed up the last 5 years in Columbus and moved home to begin my pre-trip preparations. It was extremely difficult to say goodbye to my friends in Columbus, who have been a second family to me throughout college. That being said, we had some GREAT nights on campus and around the shorth north as a send-off! Back in Cincinnati, my parents threw me a Latin fiesta to say goodbye. OLE! It is so encouraging to know that I have the support of my family and friends when I decide to do crazy things like this. What would I do without these people?

Map of Guatemala

Note the cities of Antigua and Chimaltenango!

My first post!!

Esperanza- (n.) hope, expectation, anticipation

Hi Everyone!!! I am starting this blog to keep my friends and family up to date on my activities in Guatemala. I guess I'll start with the basics... Having just completed my master's degree in Special Education from Ohio State, I am leaving for a 13-month volunteer position in an orphanage in Antigua (the city in Guatemala, not the tropical island) on June 21st. I will be attending language school there for 2 weeks and staying with a host family until July 4th. Afterwards, I will travel to the orphange in the nearby city of Chimaltenango to begin my orientation and placement.

The link below (posted on May 31st) for NPH international describes where I will be living and the orphanage itself. There are 360 children at the house. I will have a classroom of 8-10 children with moderate-severe disabilities- The Castillo Magico, as this section of the orphanage is called, provides education, therapy, and medical care for children with a full range of intensive special needs.

The orphanage will be providing me with food, lodging ,and a monthly stipend to cover my expenses in Guatemala. I will be paying health insurance, travel, and language school out-of-pocket.

More information to come as I actually figure it out myself...

NPH International - Caring for orphans and abandoned children

NPH International - Caring for orphans and abandoned children

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