The Beca Project

I have loved the Cooperativa Spanish School since my 1st visit in 2007. What really makes the school great are the directors and the teachers and their wonderful social projects, but part of the attraction has been the gorgeous garden setting overlooking the lake.

With rising lease costs and lack of control, the directors of the Cooperativa School – our advisors in San Pedro – decided to invest in a centrally located property and build a new school facility from scratch with 2 styles of study cabañas dotting lawn and garden areas (which will grow more beautiful with time) and a handsome new office structure. At 1st I was sad about the move but am charmed by the new location and the choices they are making. When I visited in March they were just a week away from the move and I’ve posted some photos I took when I was there; you can see the full set here.

The new Cooperativa entrance

Office tile in and awaiting grout

Study cabaña

Mynor checking the progress

I am excited for the Cooperativa staff for this accomplishment and especially for the changes it could mean for the Beca Project.

In the past, having a base for Beca activities like letter writing, tutoring, study groups, English classes, photography workshops, parent meetings, and scheduled use of the laptops (donated to the Beca students last summer) has seemed like a fantasy. Now an opportunity has surfaced that sounds like the perfect solution. The school directors approached me during my March visit about the construction of a shared activity room on the roof of the office, for the activities I mention above as well as dozens more yet to be envisioned. They have shown unending devotion to the Beca Project (without renumeration) and report that sometimes their Spanish students ask to volunteer with the Beca students; having an available space at the Cooperativa School would be perfect.

They have also agreed to the construction of a small apartment. Visiting sponsors and volunteers could use the apartment as well as families who are temporarily homeless while the Cooperativa housing project builds them a new home. When it’s vacant, the school could rent it out to interested Spanish students.

I am very excited because these shared spaces will be a win-win, cost-effective way for all of us to have the space we need to continue our outreach. We are working together on the designs.

The photo below shows the school office during their grand opening celebration – the people on the roof are standing where our new shared spaces will be located and the last photo shows the lovely view.

Mike and I will be donating to get this project off the ground. If any of you are interested, donations specifically for the activity room will be gratefully received!

If you haven’t figured it out yet, I really, truly love being in San Pedro La Laguna. It feels good to be there and to know so many people. It’s great to run into the Beca kids and their families around town; here are some photos of those moments and you can see a larger set of photos by clicking here.

There are lots of additional photos – pushing 800! – including images of my host family, market scenes, Semana Santa (Easter week) celebrations and more in the 14 sets in my Guatemala 2013 collection; check them out if you’re interested!

Acolyte Francisco in a night procession

With Miguel’s great grandmother

Emilson’s typing practice

María Concepción and her dad in the church band

Mynor and I run into Rosemary and her mother

Noe (in the shades) shoulders an anda in an Easter procession

María Ujpan Tuch (left) launches a 3 pointer

Tono’s mother (left) sells flowers in the market

Candelaria at her dad’s jewelry table

Pedro Nehemías (left) and his mother and brother stop by my room with a gift for his sponsor

We took some of the kids shopping with money from their sponsors. I’ve included a few photos in the post below and the rest are here in case you’d like to take a look.

Pedro Nehemías trying on shoes

Juana Micaela, Evelin Elena, and María Ujpan Tuch checking out the shoes

Juana’s selection

Emerson likes the jacket (Emilson in back with jeans)

Rosario and new sweater

Busy shop keeper

Paulina’s selections

Vincenta – lots of options

Some of the sponsors gave money to the families, too; here is Ana Petronila’s dad heading home with 100 pounds of corn

In order to touch base with all the parents, Mynor and I got the word out that I would be hanging out in the beautiful park near the Catholic church in the evenings. Nearly every family stopped by to say hello, some of them more than once. I’ve chosen a few photos to post below and you can click here if you’d like to see more.

Tono and his parents

Juana and family

María Cecilia (in orange) and family

Mariano (on his 14th birthday!) and family

María Elena (center) with her sister and mother

Evelin Elena with her daughter, (less than enthusiastic) brother, and mother

María Concepción and her mother

Another activity I couldn’t squeeze in this trip that I’ve enjoyed the last 3 years is providing a big celebration meal for the Beca students and their families. In lieu of that, Mynor suggested I take the kids out for pizza which turned out to be a new joy.

We hosted 4 lunches for bunches of Beca kids grouped (with a few exceptions to accommodate schedules) by the year they started in the project: 2010, ’11, ’12, and ’13. The groups got larger but quieter as the week progressed. It was wonderful to catch up with each of the kids and talk about families, school, and future goals.

I’ve posted a few photos from each group below and you can click here to see a larger set in my flickr collection.

Mynor serves pizza to Josefa and Rosa

Andrea, pizza artist

2010 Group

2 Pedros

Pizza San Pedrano: ketchup, salsa, and mayonnaise (ew)

With María Osorio, José Nehemías, and Evelin Elena

2011 Group

Ana Marina helps Julissa (left) fill out my form for an email account

2012 Group with Mynor

Noe, Miguel, Emerson, and Juan Gonzalez

Vicenta, Rosario, María Concepción, and Ana Petronila

2013 Group

Greetings from Oregon! I just returned after 2 lovely weeks in Guatemala. Usually I visit in July and stay longer. With other family plans in place for July 2013, I grabbed a few extra days either side of spring vacation and celebrated all things Beca along with Semana Santa – Easter week – in San Pedro La Laguna.

I usually visit every family but with more than 40 students, that was not possible this trip. Mynor and I set our sights on visiting the families of each of the 13 new students and I’ve included some of my favorite photos below. You can access the whole, gigantic set on flickr by clicking here.

With Vicenta and her mother

With Eneyda

Paulina with her aunt, cousin, grandmother and father

Varied reactions to a gift hen at Ana Petronila’s

A treat at María Concepción’s house

Gift from Emilson

Mayke’s bunnies

Lucia Adamari and her mother

With Juan Gonzalez and part of his family

Noe

At Rosario’s

The guys at Emerson’s house

At Francisco Adolfo’s

I’m so happy and proud to announce in this blog that the Navichoc Pacay family has moved into their brand new home! Here’s the photo we received in 2009 when older daughter Andrea became our very 1st Beca student.

The Cooperativa School directors started their Kamoon home building project in 2009 and this is the 2nd home they’ve completed. A former student of the school made this video about the project which makes it very clear why this deserving family needed a new home.

I’ve posted a few photos to show the process below. To view a set of 20 photos on my flickr page, click HERE; there’s a place to click and view a slideshow of the photos.

Old house: now you see it…

…and now you don’t.

Construction begins

Walls going up

Mixing cement for the roof

Mynor lends a hand

Cooperativa Spanish students help with the bucket brigade

Cooperativa director Antonio says a few words

Andrea’s parents enter their new home

A new deserving family has been selected for home #3 – Petrona and kids – and fundraising is already about 80% complete, in large part due to the generous donations of Beca sponsors. Donations gratefully received!

In this video you can learn more about San Pedro, see the family and the condition of their current home, and listen to the local Maya language, Tz’utujil. You can click in the image below to watch it here or go to the Youtube page for a larger version.

I’m looking forward to visiting in March 2013 to (among other things!) see the Navichoc Pacay family’s new home and to meet Petrona and her family. Happy trails!

I am delighted to announce we have 13 new Beca students eager to continue their education in 2013 thanks to generous donations to the Beca Project. I’ve posted a photo of each of them below and you can view the complete set HERE on my flickr photo site. That brings our total to 44 students with renewable scholarships!

Lucia Adamari Mendez Cortez

Francisco Adolfo Marroquin Coché (in gray) and family

Noe Gonzalez Pop

Paulina Velasquez Quiacaín

Juan Gonzalez y Gonzalez (left) and family

Emerson Danilo Ajcabul Ajpop

Rosario Griselda Larios Navichoc

Vicenta Ermelinda Chavajay Navichoc

Maria Concepcion Puac Rocché

Emilson Benjamin Vasquez Choy (right) and family

Ana Petronila Ambrosio Mendoza

Mayke Alexandra Sarai Acajabon Quiacain

Eneyda Magdalena Gonòn Toxcón

I just received a wonderful set of photos from the 2012 graduation ceremony at the Escuela Luisa y Benjamin Paul that our Beca students attend for their middle school years. 7 of our original Beca students graduated from the equivalent of 9th grade this year. They’ll each pick a career field and choose a Diversificada school – like a combination of high school and college – for the next 3 years. One student, Miguel, was unable to attend graduation but here are some of my favorite photos of the others. Three of the Cooperativa’s directors – Mynor, Griselda, and Luis – are pictured in the final photo with the students.

The girls are ready for the ceremony to begin – Josefa Angelina and Andrea Guadalupe are 3rd and 4th from the left.

Rosemary and her walking partner.

Andrea prepares to walk.

María Cecilia and her walking partner head out on a bed of pine needles, common in important Guatemala ceremonies.

The audience and the stage; note that many of the mothers are wearing matching blouses.

Juan Carlos receives his diploma

A proud moment for Josefa Angelina

Rosa Yanira’s turn

Andrea and her parents

From left: Andrea, María Cecilia, Juan Carlos, Josefa Angelina, Rosa, and Rosemary

The group with Griselda, Luis, and Mynor (3rd, 4th, and 7th from left)

The annual Beca celebration was extraordinary once again. More than 200 celebrants including more than 30 families, a dozen teachers, 2 traditional dances, 2 cultural plays, gigantic pots of pepián, and hundreds of photos = powerful memories. I’ve included some of my favorite photos below and you can access a complete set of 40 HERE on my flickr page. Enjoy!

Lorenzo’s wife Andrea cooks 20 chickens at the Cooperativa school over an open fire

Sponsors, heading to the celebration in the back of a pickup

The girls help each other with their hair for the cultural presentation (left to right: María Elena, María Cecilia, Rosemary, María Osorio, and Rosa Yanira)

Some of the boys, ready and waiting (left to right: Pedro Nehemías, Mariano, Juan Carlos, Juan Navichoc, and Pedro Juan)

Enjoying the beautiful setting (María Cecilia, José Nehemías, and Rosemary)

Candelaria’s family is ready for the show

Scenes from the dances

Scenes from the plays

Mynor introduces visiting sponsors

Lunch is served!

With Andrea and her parents and grandmother – I miss them and can’t wait for next year’s celebration.