Hope for the Holidays
Whenever this time of year rolls around, newsfeeds and newspapers alike become inundated with end-of-year lists: best books, most listened to songs, favorite recipes…you name it! Even one of the most loved Christmas carols is a list!
As we celebrate with the children and families of El Molino School at the annual Christmas party on Saturday, December 4, we at IEP find ourselves inspired by that old carol, and have come up with a list of our own. In thinking back on the successes of our very unusual yet productive year, we’ve come up with 12 DAYS OF HOPE to remind us of how far we’ve come in 2021.
DAY ONE: BAGS OF HOPE
The Bags of Hope program is still going strong for the second year in a row, with a small tweak. Now, on top of the nutritionist-approved staple foods, seasonal vegetables, and supplies, our monthly packages include activities for children aimed at engaging them in the fun side of learning and group participation. This is part of our larger effort to mitigate the negative effects of being kept at home through this pandemic.
DAY TWO: EL MOLINO BASKETBALL COURT
El Molino School has a brand-new basketball court thanks in large part to a single young donor who raised funds so the kids could have a place to play.
DAY THREE: VACCINATION
After conducting a poll in March to gauge interest in the coronavirus vaccine, we learned that over 70% of adults in our school community have received at least 1 dose. This is far above the national average in Guatemala, and we look forward to even more families getting the shot.
DAY FOUR: COLEGIO DEL FUTURO
IEP and Intecap have teamed up to give high school students at El Molino School a series of courses to boost self-esteem, reduce bullying, and motivate them towards greater things! The first 40-hour Colegio del Futuro course was on leadership, and now we're teaching the kids about team-work. Our hope is to steer them away from gangs, drugs, alcohol, and other harmful behavior, while inspiring them to reach for higher goals. On the invitation of the local municipality, the Colegio del Futuro class recently painted a large-scale mural on one of the walls of the town cemetery. It took four days of hard work, but the results speak for themselves!
DAY FIVE: REFORESTATION
The municipal government of our adopted community in Guatemala organized several activities over the last year specifically for local youth. One such activity was an ambitious reforestation project that saw the high schoolers of El Molino plant more than 1,700 trees in deforested areas over the course of two days. Involving these kids directly in their local environment has already changed lives, and hopefully this initiative will continue to do so.
DAY SIX: A SMOKE-FREE COMMUNITY
We officially managed, after three years of work, to install smoke-free stoves and water filters in the homes of EVERY FAMILY that wanted one in a single community! We celebrated IEP'S first smoke-free community with a small ceremony dedicated to the 44 families–over a third of the inhabitants of the village–that now have access to clean cooking and water, and the many more that will benefit from a reduction in smoke and pollution.
DAY SEVEN: MEDICAL HELP FOR THOSE IN NEED
At the start of the pandemic, one of the major issues in Guatemala was that all public health facilities were dedicated to COVID patients. People who needed treatment or surgery for non-COVID-related conditions and could not afford private care were unable to receive help. Our staff in Guatemala quickly arranged referrals to local private physicians willing to donate their services for free. Over the next year, these private doctors were able to treat prostate cancer, hernias, and pediatric breathing ailments–to name just a few!
DAY EIGHT: THE ESPERANZA TRADE TRAINING CENTER
The Esperanza Trade Training Center's sewing course, now in its third iteration, has been so successful that we're now partnering with the local government. Five forty-hour courses can teach a woman to be proficient in a skill that can help her make money for her family, and now we'll be making these classes available to more women.
DAY NINE: NATIONAL KITE COMPETITION
The Colegio del Futuro class recently applied what they've learned towards working together to design and build a kite for a national kite-building competition. After their design won in Tecpán, they traveled to Guatemala City to accept one of three trophies inscribed with the Mayan representation for knowledge and wisdom.
DAY TEN: SPEECH THERAPY PROGRAM
Thanks to local speech therapist, Sara, and remote AMN Healthcare speech pathologist, Jennifer, several children in our community with speech and/or hearing difficulties are making incredible progress with their communication skills. These speech therapy classes are done both in person and via Zoom.
DAY ELEVEN: GRATITUDE GALA
In November, we welcomed over 400 people to join us in person at the Four Seasons in Dallas, and countless more over live-stream. There were speeches, musical performances, auctions, drinks, and much more, and we couldn't be more grateful for the love and support of so many good friends!
DAY TWELVE: THE IEP BOOKTUK
IEP’s very first BookTuk™ was made a reality this year. Driven by a qualified instructor, it travels between towns delivering books and learning materials to students. The El Molino School children have been remote learning for almost two years now, and a development like this is just what they need to keep them excited about learning!