Paraíso Guatemala School Sanitation Project – A critical need

As some of you may remember, Kerstin Kirchner of the Saco Bay Rotary Club spoke to us at a recent meeting about an upcoming Rotary service trip to Guatemala to be led by Carolyn Johnson.    In Guatemala only 3 out of 10 children graduate from 6th grade. About 25% of the country’s population is illiterate, and the number jumps to 60% among the Mayan population. The Guatemala Literacy Project (GLP) is an initiative between Rotary Clubs and Cooperative for Education is to provide textbooks, computer labs, scholarships, and literacy and training programs to children in Guatemala. Since 1998, over 23,000 students at more than 300 schools have received the needed support. A big thank you goes out to the 28 Rotary Clubs in our District that have participated in Global Grants and donated a total of $32,000 through the beginning of 2015.

 

              

 

However, the Mayan schools need a lot more; for example, the Paraíso community asked our District for help to build toilets for the school.  They are looking for about $2,200, which will cover the cost of the materials (block, cement, rebar, sand…); the parents will do the construction.  The school now has only two toilets for 150 students, but needs to construct four more to accommodate the school enrollment and provide toilets designated for the girls. There is no Rotary club in the immediate area. 

 

The school, Paraíso, is one of the CORP schools.  It is a rural village, a very beautiful but remote area.  Our PDG, Carolyn Johnson, founder of the Culture of Reading Program, began working in the school in January 2014, so is now in our second school year with them.  She is working with grades 1-2 and 3-4 right now (will pick up 5-6 next January) and will continue to work with the school for two more years. 

 

                                                                  

 

If you would like to help with this project to build additional toilets needed by these students, and needed to help keep girls in school, please bring your contribution to our meeting on September 29.  Checks can be made payable to:  Wells Rotary Charitable Fund.  We will send all contributions to their treasurer on Tuesday.  Funds will be designated for the Guatemala sanitation project and provided to PDG Carolyn Johnson for use during the upcoming trip in October.