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AMIGOS DE GUATEMALA SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM
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INTRODUCTION Guatemala is a beautiful country but hidden behind this beauty are some difficult problems that need to be addressed. Not the least of these problems is the education of the children of the rural poor. The majority of the poor are Mayan Indian whose ancestors once ruled this beautiful land. Literacy among the rural poor of Guatemala is among the lowest in the Western Hemisphere. It is estimated that less then 25% of the Mayan men and 10% of the Mayan women who live in the highlands of Guatemala around Zacualpa are literate. Although Guatemalan education is “free and compulsory” through the 6th grade, few of the children in this area complete their primary education. For those motivated few who do, even fewer go on to Jr. Hi School (Basico) because they cannot afford it. Rare among these students are the Mayan girls. We believe these children represent the hope and future of the indigenous people of Guatemala. AMIGOS DE GUATEMALA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM Amigos de Guatemala is a partnership of Rotary Clubs to provide quality humanitarian service projects in Guatemala. Included in these projects is a scholarship/sponsorship program for secondary education students. These students must travel by bus (or walk over one hour each way) to school and pay for registration, school uniforms, school supplies, etc. Institution Fe y Alegria (Faith and Happiness) is the Jr. Hi. School (Basico) in Zacualpa in the highlands of Guatemala. This is a good facility with excellent dedicated teachers. The school is not fully used because many qualified students cannot afford to attend. When the students graduate from Institution Fe y Alegria Jr. Hi. School, going on to high school is an even bigger challenge. The closest high school to Zacualpa is a 90 min bus ride away. Many students therefore must spend up to 4 hours a day on transportation to go to high school. This is difficult and VERY expensive. In Guatemala the scholarship program is managed by our new employee in Guatemala - Sister Elena Yojcom. She is assisted by Fernando Paz who teaches at the Jr. Hi. School. Elena is responsible for selection of students, managing the distribution of money, keeping records, etc. She is assisted by the Peace Corp volunteer - Meghann Mulherin. We are very grateful for the work of Sister Elena, Fernando and Meghann. You can help by sponsoring a student to help him/her get a junior/senior high school education. We are searching for compassionate Rotarians and other interested persons willing to help a Guatemalan student continue his/her education. We respectfully request that you seriously consider sponsoring a student. The cost of a
full junior high school sponsorship for one year is $400 ($40 a month for a ten month school
year). Also you may be interested in sponsoring a student in a child’s or grandchild’s name. You can also sponsor a student in the name of a local Jr. or Sr. High School student such as an Interact or Spanish Club member. Teachers and school administrators can have an entire school or school classroom sponsor a Guatemalan student with fund raisers. There are many creative ways to sponsor a student. All sponsored students will communicate with their sponsors (or designates) on a regular basis regarding their education, personal, family, and community life. Sponsors (or their designates) will have their lives enriched by exchanging communication with these students. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor or cosponsor please read the Q & A section and click on the contact link in that section. Thank you for your consideration of this important program. Click here for Common Q & A regarding the scholarship/sponsorship program
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