Bonnie Dilger: Supporting Schools in Santiago Atitlan
I first met Bonnie Dilger, author of Blood in the Cornfields, in Guatemala and recently we met up with each other in Marin County, California, when she came to visit her daughter.
How long have you lived in Guatemala and what first brought you there?
I've lived in Guatemala approximately thirty years, intermittently, but on a permanent basis for the last twelve. My first experience in Central America found me in El Salvador. It was 1973, and just a few weeks into my trip, my son David called me from Guatemala with an invitation to join him in the tourist town of Panajachel. The thought of touring the mountains of Guatemala was more appealing than the over-crowded city of San Salvador, so I accepted the invitation. I missed him, my youngest, anyway. I had not originally thought that my visit to Lake Atitlan would culminate in so long a stay, but thirty years later, here we are.
What, if any, political changes have you seen and experienced?
The country has had a succession of civilian presidents, beginning in the mid-eighties until the present and following the military dictatorships of decades (and centuries) past. These political changes have affected many reforms for the better in terms of humane behavior on the part of the government. In addition, before the guerrillas (the opposition party to the military-backed government) would sign the Peace Accords with the civilian administration, they mandated equal rights to health and education, and the right to hold public offices for the indigenous Mayas. When I arrived on my first visit to Guatemala (in early 1973), a mere 2% of the population of Santiago Atitlan could read and write. Tuberculosis, dysentery and other illnesses were rampant due to poor nutrition and the villagers' impoverished conditions. Only half of all children born at the time survived beyond the age of six years. These appalling statistics existed throughout Guatemala among the poor, particularly among the Mayan population. In the past few years, many health and education workers have come to the pueblo in attempt to improve living conditions. According to statistics of the students of the San Carlos University, there has been a quantum leap to 76% literacy among the youths in Santiago Atitlan. I don't have any statistics involving the whole country.
What are some of the most pressing needs facing the Mayan people of the Guatemalan Highlands?
There is an ever-present need for food and clothing, plus health care among the poor. Unemployment is high, and due to the confiscation of property that dates back to the Conquistadores, their property rights having been taken away, leaving them without adequte space even to grow their crops. Many non-profit groups and individuals are attempting to address these needs and though much has been done, much remains undone.
Where do you recommend travelers stay around Lake Atitlan, Guatemala City and Antigua?
There are two very comfortable and attractive hotels in Santiago Atitlan, both with moderate prices when compared with U.S. prices. The names are the Posada de Santiago and the Bamboo. Both are located at the edge of Lake Atitlan, affording a glorious view of the lake. Aldous Huxley once visited this part of the world and named Atitlan as the most beautiful area in the world. There are numerous hotels in Antigua.
Have you ever been worried for your life in Guatemala? If so, why?
During the bloody conflict in the early 80's, which lasted for 16 years, it was necessary for me to flee the area where I was living and helping my son in construction of the hotel -- Posada de Santiago. I actually reported the deaths and disappearances in the pueblo, which were then occurring on a daily basis, to all the wrong people in the government, thereby putting myself at extreme risk. I realized I had to leave when I returned to Santiago Atitlan from a visit to Panajachel and found my home broken into, my possessions destroyed and my little dog stabbed. A neighbor took me out of the pueblo in the family helicopter, enabling me to purchase a ticket back to the States in Guatemala City.
Do you feel safe now?
Yes. The military no longer in power. What worries us now is street crime and break-ins among youthful gangs. Government violence is now rare or non-existent.
Tell me about the schools you support in Santiago Atitlan.
I began my experiences with three schools a matter of five years ago. The founders, who had formed committees with the intention of building schools, came to me asking for my help. At the time, I had no resources to speak of, but I promised solidarity with them anyway. The young students had no school supplies, no desks to balance their books, if indeed they had any, really nothing except the desire to learn. They were also sitting in the mud with no roof over their heads. Much has changed since then. They now have desks, school supplies and, at times, we've been able to provide breakfasts for the children. We have one new school due to the help of theformer first lady, Dona Wendy Berger. She sent us the materials that enabled the fathers of the students to build the school. Presently, the second school has a tereno (piece of property) to begin building. A third has no property with which to build. They are looking to me to fulfill this need. At present, I have no resources available to purchase this property. Also, If possible, I would like to build a simple housing structure for the young volunteers who come to teach or provide other services, such as health care. I have to add that I've mainly been a committe of one, working alone. I keep no money, but all donated funds (primarily from private donors who are friends in the States) go directly to the schools.
What is your hope for the children of the Mayans?
A tall order. I want to help every child in the pueblo study and learn. When these three aforementioned schools can operate without me, I would like to start a scholarship program. Our schools only reach the 6th grade. I recently learned that a couple working in the area has started a scholarship program for higher education for students who will become professionals (such as medical students, studying to become accountants, prospective attorneys, etc.) but in between there is need to bridge the gap, such as funds for high school, college, or trade schools.
What changes have you seen in Guatemala since the signing of the Peace Accords Treaty in 1996?
As mentioned above, the Mayan children are in school for the first time in history. Their elders also hold governmental public offices for the first time. Their voices are being heard. I could compare the changes that have occurred in Guatemala with those of the Civil Rights Movement in the States. Many Mayas have held Martin Luther King's identical convictions and carried them out to facilitate freedom and equal rights for their people so that the chains of virtual slavery that have bound countless individuals since the Spanish Conquest in their grip could be broken.
To learn more about Bonnie Dilger, visit her website here.
Guatemalan Child Sponsorships Needed for 2009 School Year
Once upon a time, I was the American Director for a school in Guatemala. I left knowing I'd continue to be involved with education and helping the Mayans around Lake Atitlan. Globally Minded Works, Inc. was created to help support education through sponsorships of students, teachers and schools. It is my hope that we can raise enough money to support several impoverished schools and families in the Highlands in Guatemala.
The school year in Guatemala is from January to October and young children go to elementary school in the afternoon and older students attend middle school in the afternoon. During November and December, many Mayan children help their parents harvest coffee beans for export. Many Guatemalan Mayans are very poor and struggle greatly to send their older children to middle school as they are responsible for paying tuition and books. Elementary school is compulsory and free, though most schools are in dire need of everything, including school supplies and an adequate building.
Schools around Lake Atitlan are in varying degree of need. Yet, most, if not all, are in need of ongoing support as the communities are poor and the schools don't get enough help (if at all) from the government. Teacher salaries are always in jeopardy and it not uncommon for salaries to be withheld for several months at a time! Globally Minded Works seeks to partner with communities in Guatemala, one child, one teacher, one school at a time.
Bookmark us and come back as our online donation feature is coming soon!
Why Do Guatemalan Children Need Help
When I first traveled to Guatemala in 1997, I was immediately overcome by the beauty and poverty of this magical country. I made a commitment at that time to make a difference in the lives of the Guatemalan poor. Since then, I've been involved in a myriad of projects in Guatemala, including education, business, and technology. Guatemala is a country rich in natural resources but the oppression of the poor is rampant. Many villages lack schools and those that do have schools lack books, materials and equipment to facilitate academic progress. Globally Minded Works seeks to fill that need, by providing school sponsorships so schools can be built and obtain needed materials to educate children.
Many of us take education for granted, but in Guatemala it is a privilege. Many families rely upon the help of their children to make money for the family. Time and again you will see children carrying their baby brother or sister on their back, picking coffee beans, working the fields, selling produce in the open air market, washing clothes, and other, in an attempt to contribute to the meager wages of the family.
All children deserve the gift of education so they can grow and prosper. Education opens the mind of all us, teaching us knowledge and higher order thinking skills. To help a country struggling in poverty, education is an essential building block. We are committed to supporting education in Guatemala through the kind and generous partnerships with people like you.
Will you help us secure a better future for Guatemalan children by sponsoring a student, teacher or school? Think about it and when you are ready, click here to learn more about our projects and how you can get involved.
Globally Minded Works is now a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
We are delighted to share with all of our readers that GLOBALLY MINDED WORKS, INC., just received its 501(c)(3)non-profit organization approval. We are now accepting donations for student, teacher and school sponsorships! We invite you to get the word out about GMW to your family, friends, church and colleagues. We need your support to make a visible and lasting difference in the communities around Lake Atitlan in Guatemala.
Updates to our website and blog will soon provide more information and stories, as well as the ability for you to donate online.
Give a child an education and you can help to transform a nation; one child, one teacher, and one school at a time. Get involved with us today!
The Question of Guatemalan Adoptions
In 2007, nearly 5,000 Guatemalan babies were adopted by Americans. In recent months, however, Guatemalan adoptions have come under enormous scrutiny due to allegations of child-trafficking. As a result, Guatemala signed the Hague Convention on January 1, 2008, in order to "clean up" their adoption procedures and protect the rights of children and their parents. The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption (HCICA) was launched in the Netherlands in 1993, as part of an initiative to standardize adoption laws amongst participating nations. On April 1, 2008, the US will sign the Hague Convention and, if Guatemala has not reformed their adoption system by then, the US will no longer approve of Guatemalan adoptions.
Child adoptions have become a major business in Guatemala, averaging $30,000 for each adoption. In addition, it is highly unregulated, thus the concern for child-trafficking and allegations of child abductions and selling.
According to an editorial in the LA Times, The Adoption Quandry by Elizabeth Larsen, there is much concern over the ethics of Guatemalan adoptions:
The larger ethical issue has been the role of buscadoras, recruiters hired by Guatemalan adoption lawyers to search for pregnant women willing to relinquish babies, in some cases offering them money. As the demand for babies has grown, so has the power of the buscadoras; to connect a lawyer to a pregnant mother, they demand up to $8,000. Meanwhile, Guatemalan children who have no living parents, who aren't infants or who have special needs constitute only a tiny fraction of completed adoptions.
Guatemalan adoptions have come under question with these types of corruption and activities in mind. In order to protect the rights of children and their parents, the Hague Convention stipulates that child adoption abide by the following processes:
- Family preservation - It is considered best for the child to remain with their own family.
- Extended family adoptions - Every attempt should be made to keep the children within the extended family, if staying with biological family is impossible.
- Adoption within Guatemala - Inter-country adoption is the next preferred step in the adoption process.
- International adoption - Foreign adoptions are considered a last resort.
One of the primary goals of Globally Minded Works, is to provide sponsorships for children so they can go to school, providing economic support to families so their child(ren) can go to school. We believe that Guatemalan children should remain with their families as well, and not be given to adoption, unless absolutely imperative and necessary for the welfare of the child. We hope that our sponsorship program will help to keep families intact, while empowering children through learning.
What do you think?
Support Development in Guatemala
Education is fundamental to empowering the poor in Guatemala, as well as other countries around this small globe. In time, we will post stories and information about the villages and schools we support on our website, through the kind and generous donations of people like you. Once we obtain our tax exemption status, we will seek donors and invite them to get to know their sponsored student, teacher and community in Guatemala. We won't twist arms about it, as we know people are busy, but at least the option and opportunity is available for donors to get more involved.
Clean drinking water and fuel efficient stoves are two other initiatives we seek to provide for the Mayan families around Lake Atitlan. We are looking for partners to make this a reality, including donors and in-kind donations. Clean water is a necessity for all people yet many around these communities can't afford clean water. Many have to walk long distances to get bottled water, if they can afford it, while many continue to drink water that is polluted and toxic. As a result, many have intestinal and stomach problems. Fuel efficient stoves are warranted as the traditional open fires cause serious respiratory problems as well as require a large amount of wood. Please consider helping us with these initiatives and projects.
We have trusted partners and volunteers on the ground to help us support schools and communities. In addition, we work with the local leaders to support our initiatives, knowing that their buy-in is critical to our success in each community.
We incorporated Globally Minded Works in April 2007 and are waiting for our official 501c3 tax exemption approval from the IRS. Meanwhile, will you consider placing our banner on your website and promoting our work on your blog or website? Tell you friends, colleagues, and church about Globally Minded Works and consider joining us as we impact the lives of children and communities in Guatemala.
Poverty and Beauty in Guatemala
Guatemala is a land of contrasts, a land tragically beautiful yet ravaged by the effects of extreme poverty. Poverty is paramount everywhere you look in Guatemala: adobe homes, aluminum lean-to's, barefoot Mayans carrying wood on their backs or baskets of vegetation on their heads, trash laden streets and river beds, old diesel cars omitting black filth from the exhaust, and dirty toothless faces of the struggling poor. In the midst of the poverty, breathtaking beauty of rolling hills, valleys, waterfalls, vegetation and volcanoes capture one's senses. It is a country where people come and are forever changed.
In 1999, I accepted an invitation with a humanitarian organization to visit families living in the trash dumps of Guatemala City. I didn't really understand what this meant until we got there. Men, women and children were scavaging the trash for food and items to sell and use and thousands of aluminum homes lined the ridge of the vast dump. It was astounding and humbling for me to see people living in such plight. We visited numerous homes, checking the health of many and giving beans, rice and powdered milk as needed.
I left that day knowing that I would help the Guatemalan poor through business and education, two powerful tools to empower the poor out of poverty. Today, I am walking this out.
Will you join Globally Minded Work to help the poor through education?
Why Guatemala
Guatemala is an amazing country, rich in culture and landscape. I fell in love with this beautiful place in 1997, the first time I traveled down there. The country had recently signed a Peace Treaty after a very brutal 36 year Civil War. Thousands of Mayans and advocates of the poor were tragically killed, or simply "disappeared". The more I learned about this country, the more I was intrigued and captivated. I went on holiday for two weeks and returned to the US with a deep sense that this new country would one day be my second home.
I returned to the world of software sales with a burning desire to return to Guatemala. I wanted to make a difference in the lives of those struggling in poverty. Within a year, I returned to Guatemala on my own and volunteered for Common Hope in Antigua. I lived with a local family in the beautiful colonial city of Antigua, studied Spanish in the morning and volunteered every afternoon. Eventually, I returned to the states and then returned again in 2001-2003, to launch the first ever satellite internet cafe in San Pedro La Laguna on the shores of lovely Lake Atitlan. Seven months later, I returned and directed a middle school in San Marcos La Laguna. Returning once again to the US, I obtained my MBA, launched Globally Minded and recently formed Globally Minded Works. I am passionate about helping the poor through business and education.
We are looking for people who are like minded, who desire to make a difference in the Land of Eternal Spring. Interested? Contact us! We'd love to hear from you.
The Gift of Books
I grew up devouring books, thanks to my Mom who encouraged me to read. Through the black and white pages of books, I'd move from my world to anywhere; I'd morph into the main characters through the persuasive words in books. Yes, reading was my escape. Thankfully, this insatiable love for reading and learning has never dissipated.
It is my love for learning that compels me to also help others learn. Indeed, every child should have the opportunity to learn how to read and write. Yet, around the world, especially in the developing world, illiteracy is staggering. There are hundreds of organizations helping children learn through the gift of books. Here are three fabulous organizations making a world of difference, helping schools and communities learn through reading and education:
Room to Read: They build libraries, schools and computer labs in the developing world. John Wood, the founder, wrote an inspiring autobiography called Leaving Microsoft to Change the World - I highly recommend it.
Cooperative for Education: This Ohio nonprofit was formed by two brothers committed to providing books to rural schools in Guatemala.
Child Aid: They partner with PROBIGUA, a Guatemalan nonprofit, to build libraries and computer centers in Guatemala.
Please find ways to get involved. give, go, pray, share, and read more.
How to Change the Educational Crisis
There is an educational crisis everywhere, including the United States. We all know that. However, when you visit schools in developing countries, this takes on a different meaning. Naturally, my favorite country to bring up is Guatemala, though I know other countries share the same educational deficiencies. Guatemalan education is in a crisis in 99% of the country - and this is no joke.
Although villages may have a school building (many do not), they lack school supplies, libraries, running water, bathrooms and other resources. School buildings may be constructed of cement blocks with dirt or cement floors or made of wood, aluminum siding and dirt or cement floors. You get the picture. Very poor.
However, there are several US based organizations working in Guatemala to change the course of this educational crisis; Globally Minded Works hopes to do the same. There is much to do in this small country (the size of Tennessee) and every organization, every volunteer, and every donor is a critical part to alleviate the suffering, empower the poor and build a promising future for the indigenous. One child, one teacher, one school at at time. Join us!
XO - The Most Innovative and Green Computer!
One Laptop per Child has created the most innovative and green educational tool for children in the developing world: the XO computer. This computer is environmentally friendly - it uses the least amount of power, minimizes toxic waste, has a long life, is very durable and completely recyclable! This nifty computer can run on hand-cranked energy or solar - yes, powered by the sun - so any student, anywhere can use this computer and "learn learning" as the innovators envisioned. Imagine, a child in the remotest part of the earth could have access to technology; this will alter the course of education globally. These green-and-white, light weight, laptops are only $200 but the catch is that you must buy two - one for you and one to donate. Cool! If any of you readers buy an XO, consider donating to Globally Minded Works!