| |FOCUS ON GUATEMALA

Earlier this month, a group of 100+ volunteers came together in the community of El Remate, Guatemala to help improve and develop a local school. The school is an extremely vital part of the community and the only option for education for many local children. Parents, teachers, and former students all work together to improve the school every year, knowing how important education is for their youth. With the hard work and dedication of the volunteers, the school now has the foundation set in place to be an excellent place to learn and be proud of.

Projects that our volunteers worked on during their week of service include:

Construction of computer lab
Bathroom improvements
Lunch area
Kitchen
Groundskeepers house Installing solar power
Fencing around school grounds
Teacher salary for three years
Recreational area

Lessons from the field: Audrey Wells, Cambodia 2013

“While I was in Cambodia our group was out building latrines for this extremely impoverished family that essentially lived in a shack, and as this elderly lady watched us I remember thinking she had such a pretty skirt on. You could tell this woman had worn her best clothes for having company over. Her skirt was this periwinkle blue with gold detailed embroidery throughout it, and I told her, "I love your skirt, it's beautiful!" And knowing we don't speak the same language, she still understood what I was trying to say, and what she did next was so inspiring and baffling to me... This lady went inside her house, changed her clothes, and offered to give me the skirt right off her body! I was so stunned and taken aback at what a beautiful gesture that was. I was so shocked by this lady's selflessness that it was one of those priceless memories I will carry throughout the rest of my life. “