I think that I visited my worst off school the other day. EORM (Escuela Official Rural Mixta) Paiz is about a 30 minute walk from my house mostly along back roads which should be fun once the rainy season really starts. This school is in bad shape. The kids were dirty many of their shoes were so old and falling apart that I could see their dirt covered feet. The kindergardeners are in half of a wooden shack with a tin roof. There is absolutely no insulation. I sat there in my Northface and pants and practically all I could think about was how cold I was. I couldn't imagine the girls in their traditional skirts and sweaters. Come to think of it I don't think that there was a light in the classroom which might have been why they kept the door open. This school did have a more traditional cement building with the kitchen (kids eat snack at school every morning) and two classrooms. Get this: first grade, second grade, and SIXTH GRADE were all in one classroom and thought by one teacher. Third, fourth, and fifth had another classroom with another teacher.
On the bright side I did see a teacher pass out soap to some kids and had them wash their hands before snack and some kids did brush their teeth after snack. These are two main objectives of Healthy Schools so I was extremely happy with that!
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| Kindergarden is on the right half of this shack |
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| Large gaps between the boards in the walls and the teacher's desk |
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| The girls |
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| The whole class |
Wow Meg. It does look grim but the kids are so adorable. Makes me want to come down there and build them a real school. I'm surprised that you were cold. What was the temperature? Hope it warms a bit. Kathy.
ReplyDeleteI'll sign up for Kathy's building team. And, we'll bring along some boxes of supplies for the classrooms. Do Guatemalan children have much in the way of toys like legos, dolls, building blocks, trucks, etc.? It does break my heart. Those children are beautiful. Mom
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful little faces..but not a smile among them...makes me sad... S.
ReplyDeleteJust for an attempt at perspective: The conditions look pretty spartan--perhaps that's generous--to us. We couldn't imagine our Megan as a five year old in that shack. But in the context of where they likely live I would expect that the kids themselves do not feel deprived and even their parents may not be aghast at their surroundings. The room is decorated with their drawings on the walls--as you might find in any kindergarten. They have their workbooks out and seem engaged. And only one of the girls--closest to the camera--has what I would describe as a less than happy expression. The kids are given a snack each morning.
ReplyDeleteYes, could be better, but other third world countries are too poor to even offer kindergarten. Besides the Peace Corps there are many--maybe dozens--of NGOs working in Guatemala to improve education and health. Any other volunteers to join Martha and Kathy?
Take me on your building trip!! -Eleni
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