A local sponsorship program in San Pedro la Laguna, Guatemala!

Fundacion Ninos Tuzutujiles

2006-10-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

by Javier Navichoc and Jose Cortez

PROJECT AIMS

We think that a good education nowadays is the only possibility for a child to ascend from poverty and to pursue a successful life. No child should be denied education in school, especially if the child wants to learn. This project aims to help children who like studying but live under conditions which make education difficult or impossible.

Education is a human right and compulsory between the ages of 7 and 14. Primary education lasts for 6 years but in reality only 60% of the children reach grade 5 (11 to 12 years) according to the 2002 United Nations figures. Secondary school begins at the age of 13 and comprises 2 cycles of 3 years each called básico and magisterio. Not all secondary education is free, a major deterrent for many….It is estimated that only 23% of the children in the 13-18 age group are in secondary school.

San Pedro la Laguna is a place of great artistic value, customs, legends and myths. While its lake and volcano create a unique atmosphere, it is also a village that suffers immense problems which prevent the community’s progress. In the knowledge that poverty is the major threat for a better education, we want to act. We often are accomplices of poverty because we accept its presence and turn our backs on it. Therefore it is our conviction to fight back with creativity and spirit.

Poverty can be defeated, the turn around is always possible. To do so effectively, it is essential that economical well being goes hand in hand with cultural and educational development.

After recognizing this fact, we have finally reached out our hands in order to help. We believe, even know, that with this project at least a handful of children will get the chance to study and will have a future with mental peace and prosperity. Finally, the basic knowledge of how to read and write opens the door to this future

OUR PHILOSOPHY
We are a project that combines education and strengthening our Tzutujil culture. We wish to strengthen the sense of identity, dignity, and respect for the values of the Tzutujil Mayan people. We also wish to care, respect, and share ideas on how to respect the environment.

OUR VISION
To be a small, yet strong institution without greed for money. To support and promote the education of Mayan children from San Pedro, so that the poor families in our community can move away from poverty.

OUR MISSION
We wish to contribute to our community, and already financially support the education of four children from families that otherwise could not afford to send them to school.

OUR GOAL
To be sustainable, so that each child in the project has the opportunity to attend university if they wish to. To increase the number of children in the project as we are able to. To provide support to the families, so that they can help their children succeed in school. To make the dreams of these children realities, so that one day they can help others in the same way!

Project Committee

2006-10-16T09:43:00.000-07:00

Name: Javier Navichoc González
Function: Administrator of the Fundación Niños Tz’utujiles
Profession: Teacher
Age: 32
I would like to tell you the story of our project:
We started the project based on our ideas in January 2003. We created “2 Hombres de San Pedro” with enthusiasm but without money. Our basic plan was to raise money by dedicating our weekends to taking tourists on local excursions. Little by little we were able to obtain money exclusively for the project. Today we rely on minimal economic resources, just enough to help four families and to maintain the project. Therefore we depend on help from the outside to keep the project running and to improve our services.

Name: José Agapito Cortez González
Function: Committee member
Profession: Spanish Language teacher, actor.
Age: 25
I studied tourism for two years and Economics for another two years. I started Flor Del Maiz Spanish School with Javier in 2005, teaching and directing the reforestation project there. I wanted to be part of this project because I think that education is the source of our community’s development.

Name: Rai Marti
Function: Committee member
Profession: Student of Geography
Age: 25
I have studied Human Geography and Politics in Switzerland since 2003. Among the several places that I have visited around the globe, I traveled to San Pedro la Laguna in 2002. Charmed by the hospitality and the kindness shown to me during my first stay, I returned again in the summers of 2003 and 2005 to give something of this cordiality back and to express my gratitude by dedicating my time for the project.

The Mayan culture was without a doubt one of the most advanced cultures of all times. For several reasons the Tzutujils have lost much of their knowledge and capability in the scientific areas of mathematics, physics, medicine and architecture, as well as in spiritual areas. But I am sure that many children in this town will be able to achieve a great future if they could only receive some economic support.

Name: Tanja Niggel

Function: Committee member

Profession: Teacher

Age: 29

I am a German teacher actually working in a German School in Santiago de Chile. I came to San Pedro last year in order to learn Spanish. Here I got to know Javier and he told me about his ideas and the project. After having had many opportunities to talk to him, I certainly got the impression that it is an interesting project that is worth my support.

Name: Harald Seemann
Function: Committee member
Profession: Student of European Business
Age: 23

I am a German business student and have been backpacking through more than 8 development countries. I have volunteered in Casa Guatemala/Rio Dulce, but also various projects in Laos and Vietnam. I support the method of helping directly where the people need support instead of donating money to huge organizations like UNESCO or SOS Kinderdoerfer. Sure, they also have sustainable projects, but they already get enough attention. In Germany there are TV shows with celebrities dedicated to them. Furthermore, a huge amount of the donations is used for administrative purposes only. In small projects like this, we can move things and see the positive impact with our own eyes. Education is the only way out of corruption, poverty and crime to lead an independent and happy life. Especially Guatemala is in a difficult situation right now, so if you can afford it, please think about a sponsorship program!

Project Structure

2006-10-16T09:40:00.000-07:00

THE CRITERIA TO BE INCLUDED IN THE PROJECT:

» The children have to study on a regular basis and take care of the materials provided by the project.
» The children have to pass all their classes with 70 points or more.
» The children are obliged to send some kind of report to the donators at least 4 times a year.
» The parents are to inform the project committee about the behavior of their children in school and of their grades every 3 months.
» The parents have to agree to sign a contract which requirements are controlled by the director of the project.

THE PROJECT PROVIDES THE FOLLOWING SERVICES:

» Inscription fees
» School materials
» Food contributions, worth about 10$ per month

ORGANIZATION

Committee (as introduced above)

Supervisor (Dieter Droth, a German teacher living and teaching in Guatemala)
Friends (Godfathers, Donators, Freelancers)

Javier and Dieter

FINANCE (INCOME AND EXPENSES):

» Donations in form of money and materials by friends and tourists
» Income from tours
» 80% of all financial resources go to the families in form of the services mentioned above (There’s no money distributed in cash).
» 20% will be reserved for the project (Expanses for administration and materials)

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POSSIBILITIES TO SUPPORT THE PROJECT:
» Provide financial aid, you can donate through the Spanish school website (Flor del Maiz - see the link on the left on top) under "social project" via PayPal
» Donate school or trekking/camping materials
» Support the project with ideas and publicity
» Donate computers, or school type supplies
» Volunteer on site or remotely via Internet
» Support the project with ideas and grant writing assistance
» Make publicity among your friends for the project

THESE ARE THE POSSIBLE WAYS TO GET IN TOUCH WITH US:

Javier Navichoc González

1ra Avenida 7-45 zona1

San Pedro la Laguna

Solola

Guatemala

Phone: 00(502) 5698-7102

------------------------------

Rai Adrian Marti
Oberfeldring 27
8905 Arni
Switzerland
Phone: 0041 79 227 67 26

or by E-mail: doshombresdesanpedro@yahoo.com or Flor Del Maiz Spanish School – http://www.flordmaiz.com/

The children that receive support

2006-10-16T09:37:00.000-07:00

1- ANDREA

2- EDER

3- ROSA

4- ROSALÍA

1. PERSONAL RECORD
Name: Andrea Guadalupe Navichoc Pacay

Address: 4-67 Zona 2, Canton Tzanjay San Pedro La Laguna,
Solola, Lake Atitlán, Guastemala Central America

Date of Birth: 12/12/96 Gender: Female

School and Grade: Centro Educativo Comunitario Ixmucané 2nd Grade

Parents (Names and Profession)
Nicolás Navichoc Ratzam – day laborer
Concepción Pacay García---- Housewife.

FAMILY SITUATION
Andrea, as first of three girls was born into a very poor family. A family that has little food because the father only gains 25 Quetzales ($3) a day. The whole family lives in a house made of bamboo and straw. The situation gets extremely rough in times of rain and wind. Furthermore Nicolas does not encounter work every day because he lacks a proper school education. Her mother, Concepción finds herself pretty much in the same situation. Neither parent can speak Spanish, which limits both job opportunities and access to services and information.

SCHOOL SITUATION
Andrea likes to study and does it therefore with a lot of enthusiasm. She has all her school material tidy in its place. Andrea is in 2nd grade and especially likes physical education classes.

PREFERENCES
Andrea gives a hand to her mother to clean dishes, to sweep the house floor and to wash cloth during school holidays. In addition she likes to participate in a religious group for children on weekends.

2. PERSONAL RECORD
Name: Eder Cruz Tziná Puac

Address: Tercer acceso 07-80 Zona 4, Cantón Pachay
San Pedro La Laguna, Solola, Lake Atitlán, Guastemala,
Central America.

Date of Birth: 30/12/93 Gender: Male

School and Grade: Colegio Evangélico Bethel 6h Grade

Parents (Names and Profession)
Pedro Tzinà Mendoza – bricklayer
Amalia Puac Coché – housewife

FAMILY SITUATION
Eder is the oldest of three children. His sister is 6 and his little brother is 4. His mother weaves and sells her produce in
the local market in order to improve the difficult financial situation. The salary of a bricklayer is very low and not sufficient that all three kids can attend school. For this reason Eder’s parents have already been thinking about taking him out of classes. This would diminish his chances to get a career and to obtain his goals.

SCHOOL SITUATION
Eder likes mathematics, computer classes and, like all other boys, football.

PREFERENCES
During school holidays as well as in his spare time Eder follows his father to work. Leaving at 7 o’clock in the morning he never comes back before 4 o’clock in the afternoon, along with his father.

3. PERSONAL RECORD

Name: Rosa Salquil González

Address: 4-75 Zona 4 Cantón Chuasinahí
San Pedro La Laguna, Solola, Lake Atitlán, Guastemala,
Central America.

Date of Birth: 23/02/95 Gender: Female

School and Grade: Centro Educativo Comunitario Ixmucané 4th Grade.

Parents (Names and Profession)
Clemente Salquil Baram - day laborer
Cecilia González de Sulquil – housewife

FAMILY SITUATION
Rosa is the third of a total of five children. She has two older brothers, one of them (15 years old) works in a joinery. The other one still studies and works on weekends. Her younger brother and her younger sister also study. Rosa lives together with the other 6 family members in a small cabin which is divided in two rooms. The parents encounter difficulties in finding a decent paid job because they never attended school classes. Her father makes money by selling avocados in the neighborhood.

SCHOOL SITUATION
Rosa is in 4th grade and likes mathematics. After graduating from school she would like to be a secretary or an accountant.

PREFERENCES
She helps her mother during school holidays to clean dishes, to sweep the house floor and to carry corn to the local mill. She also carries out tasks for other people in the village. Her mother is teaching her how to weave, convinced that it will help Rosa in the future.

4. PERSONAL RECORD

Name: Rosalía Tuch Méndez

Address: 1-09 Zona 1, Cantón Pacuchá
San Pedro La Laguna, Solola, Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
Central America.

Date of Birth: 02/01/97 Gender: Female

School and Grade: Escuela Oficial Rural Pacuchá 2nd Grade

Parents (Names and Profession)
Nicolás Tuch González – passed away.
Manuela Méndez Tuch – housewife

FAMILY SITUATION
Rosalia, the second child of three, was born into an intact, economically stable family. The sudden death of her father changed everything. He died in a working accident and the family was left without any income, and in debt to the bank. Her mother takes care of the household and also works, earning 40Q ($5) a week. That makes it extremely hard to support
her three children.

SCHOOL SITUATION
Rosalia likes to be in school. She studies with enthusiasm and pays attention to her school materials. She just started in 2nd grade and calls physical education her favorite class.

PREFERENCES
Rosalia helps her mother wherever she can. She used to do many things children do, but her father’s death also changed her life dramatically.

Fundraising for the Children's Project

2006-10-16T09:35:00.000-07:00

VIEWS

Fund raising for the project is achieved through overnight camping/hiking trips or day walks in the nearby mountains or village.

Trips are led by experienced, local guides. The camping trip entails a 3 hour hike, followed by a night of camping and a 3 hour descent the following morning. The mountain offers spectacular sunrises, sunsets and unique views of volcanoes nearby.

Day walks take visitors into the hills around San Pedro where you can experience a traditional Mayan Market or visit local coffee and corn producers, and of course you’ll get great views of Lake Atitlán.

Sleeping bags and tents are provided for camping.
The trips leave weekly on Saturday night and return on Sunday morning. Pre-booking is required.
Day walks can be arranged for weekends.

Costs for Camping US$ 20
Costs for day walks US$ 10

doshombresdesanpedro@yahoo.com

Cell Phone: (502) 5698-7102

SUNRISE and SUNSET

Working towards a better future for our children in San Pedro

2006-10-16T09:32:00.000-07:00

San Pedro’s Profile

San Pedro is part of the State of Sololá in the Central Highlands of Guatemala. It is located at the foot of the volcano San Pedro and at the western end of Lago de Atitlán

Before the Spaniards arrived, the Maya Tzutujil Kingdom had its capital at Santiago Atitlán which is a short distance away from present day San Pedro. The Tzutujiles were conquered by the Spaniards in l524 when Pedro of Alvarado defeated King Tepepul and brought Catholicism to the Tzutujiles.

Catholicism and Protestantism are strongly tied to the history of San Pedro and are still a large part of daily life. The main fiesta is celebrated on June 29th, the date the Catholic Church commemorates San Pedro the apostle. There are many other festivals through out the year.

About 10,000 people live in the municipality of San Pedro. The cultivation of corn and coffee and the raising of small livestock – such as chicken and pigs - as well as fishing have represented the main economic activities in the area. Coffee is exported in larger amounts while the rest of the goods are consumed locally. Due to increasing competition worldwide many farmers have lost interest in cultivating coffee.
The past few years have brought many changes which alter, once again, the economic realities for those who live here. Tourism is now a great part of the economy. Cellular phones are visible everywhere and internet cafes are commonplace.

Schools in San Pedro range from the elementary level to High School.
Many children do not attend classes and many young adults do not finish their studies because of lack of economic resources. Often, families with one or more children cannot afford the tuition that is required at the beginning of the school term. In addition, school supplies must be purchased at this time. Those children not in school are often seen working in the fields, carrying bundles of firewood for sale, or selling products in the street.

To much of the world the arrival of technology such as cell phones and computers represents progress. To those who cannot read, that technology represents the ever widening divide between themselves and participation in the present day economy because the effective use of technology requires literacy.

This means that many well paid jobs and jobs important to the country’s development remain in control of a wealthy upper class located in the cities.

THE PROJECT PHILOSOPHY and VISION

OUR VISION IS A WORLD WHERE EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO AN EDUCATION.

We often are accomplices of poverty because we accept its presence and close our eyes to its effects. In the knowledge that poverty is the major threat for a better education, we have begun to act. It is our intention to fight back with creativity, spirit and integrity so that everyone can live in dignity.

We believe that it is everyone’s right to get a chance to leave poverty behind and that poverty can be defeated.

San Pedro la Laguna is a place of great artistic value, rich customs, ancient traditions, legends and myths. The village is blessed with the unique atmosphere created by its lake and volcano. It is also a village that suffers immense problems which inhibit the community’s progress, and thus that of its people.

Educational development goes hand in hand with cultural and spiritual health.

The children find themselves at the effect of this difficult situation. We observe that many of them do not attend classes for lack of economic resources in their families.

After recognizing this fact, we have finally opened our eyes and reached out our hands in order to help. We believe, even more know, that with this project at least a handful of children get the chance to study and will have a better chance for future peace of mind and prosperity. The basic knowledge of how to read and write opens the door to this future.

Our primary aim is to sponsor each child until graduation.

During that process, we also promote:

1. Traditional Mayan values
Knowledge of the rich and proud Maya history assists with development of self esteem in a culture that is still subject to racism.

2. The natural environment
Knowledge of the natural environment is consistent with ancient values and in addition is necessary perspective for a healthy future.

3. Reading and writing
If we can help to instill the love of reading, for example, it will help to lift a child up from a life dominated with thoughts of mere survival to one of hope and possibility.

Our project is different from others with a larges number of students. Other projects are useful as well, but limited because funding support is terminated at the North American equivalent of grade 12, still leaving the kids unable to attain full graduation.
We have decided, instead to concentrate our efforts and financial commitment to fewer children but for the whole time until full graduation of the North American equivalent of grade 12.

Making the educational dreams of at least one child come true, can and will equip this child to help others achieve their goals.

-Javier Navichoc Gonzales and Jose Agapito Cortez

Project Committee Members

Director 2Hombres: Javier Navichoc González
Function: Director of “2 Hombres de San Pedro”
Related Professions: Teacher of English and Spanish, Administrator of San Pablo College, Administrator of the Catholic Church of San Pedro
Age: 32
Education: High School graduation Grade 12
As is the tradition in Maya Tzutujil families, I live with my wife and young daughter and other members of my extended family in the same place where my father was born. I speak Tzutujil, Spanish and English. My 4 year old daughter also is learning all of those languages. I have the benefit of an education and recognize that without an education people have limited opportunities. I am deeply committed to the success of this project and I believe that the education of Mayan children is essential. I currently have three jobs to support my family and the rest of my time goes towards ensuring the success of this project.

Name: José Agapito Cortez González
Function: Committee member
Profession:
Age: 25

I have studied tourism for two years and Economics for two years. I am an artist, a nature guide, I work with children, I work as a teacher in a Spanish School and I am active in team sports primarily football (soccer) and basketball.
I wanted to be part of this project because I think that education is THE source of our community’s development.
I am Maya-Tzutujil. I have a profound respect for my culture and my history. I love to work with children and believe that the children are a leverage point for social change. It is a revolutionary act to educate a population that was denied or was unable to access an education. A revolution, without violence, that empowers people to help themselves. Its effects will be multi generational.

For change,
I have to change.
If I change, everything changes.

Name: Rai Marti
Function: Committee Member
Profession: Student of Geography
Age: 25

I have studied Human Geography and Politics in Switzerland since 2003. Among the several places that I have visited around the globe, I traveled to San Pedro la Laguna in 2002. Charmed by the hospitality and the kindness shown to me during my first stay, I returned again in the summers of 2003 and 2005 to give something of this cordiality back and to express my gratitude by dedicating my time for the project.
In the scientific areas of mathematics, physics, medicine and architecture, as well as in spiritual areas, the Mayan culture was, pre Columbus, without a doubt one of the most advanced cultures of all times. For several reasons the Tzutujils have lost much of this knowledge and capability. I am sure that many children in this town will be able to achieve a great future if they could only receive some economic support.

Name: Tanja Niggel
Function: Committee Member
Profession: Teacher
Age: 29

I am a German teacher actually working in a German School in Santiago de Chile. I came to San Pedro last year in order to learn Spanish. Here I got to know Javier and he told me about his ideas and the project. After having had many opportunities to talk to him, I certainly got the impression that it is an interesting project that is worth my support.

E-Mail: doshombresdesanpedro@yahoo.com or Flor Del Maiz Spanish School – http://www.flordmaiz.com/