Scholarship/Sponsorship Questions and Answers

Q.     What is Amigos de Guatemala?  I write my check to Groveland Rotary, is this a Groveland Rotary project? 

A.       Amigos de Guatemala is a partnership of many Rotary Clubs who combine their resources to provide quality humanitarian service for the people of Guatemala.  At the present time there are 19 partner clubs.  The primary focus is on the rural poor of the Guatemalan highlands in and around Zacualpa.  Groveland Rotary is one of the Amigos de Guatemala partnership clubs.  The treasurer of Groveland Rotary generously manages the money in the United States for Amigos de Guatemala.

Amigos de Guatemala has direct funding projects, matching grant funded projects, and the Scholarship Program in the Zacualpa area.  Each January a group of Rotary volunteers travels to Guatemala to work with local volunteers on the direct funded projects.

 Q.       Is my contribution tax deductible?

 A.      Your contribution/sponsorship is like all other contributions to Rotary and should be tax deductible.  As  always we recommend you discuss your specific situation with your tax accountant.

 Q.       How often are my sponsorship contributions made?

 A.      You may choose to make your contributions monthly, semi-annually, or annually. You can make your contribution by check or money order written to Groveland Rotary Club.  If your sponsorship begins in the middle of the school year (January thru October in Guatemala) there are two options for dealing with this situation. 
1. You can make your contributions monthly or,
2. You can make a lump sum payment for the remainder of the year.

Also, if you start in the middle of the school year, you can contribute for the full year and some of the extra money will reimburse the family for uniforms and school supplies from earlier in the year if needed.  Many families borrow the money for these expenses and have a very difficult time repaying the loan.

 Q.       How long will my sponsorship last?

 A.      The length of your sponsorship is entirely up to you. Your initial agreement is for one year or a partial school year.  Continuing is up to you.  Sponsorship is a voluntary, ongoing contribution that helps entire communities become self-sufficient in providing adequate health care, education and economic opportunities for children and their families

 Q.       What happens when my student graduates from Basico (Jr. High School)?

 A.      Basico (Jr.Hi.) is in Zacualpa and High School is two hours away by bus in Quiche.  Of course we are VERY interested in helping students continue their studies as we are doing with Basico.  Our goal for each student is the completion of high school.  In Guatemala a high school education is equal in many ways to a college education in the US as it qualifies a student for many professions such as primary school teacher and medical tech professions.  We are working on the most economical and educationally sound aspects to this part of the sponsorship program.  Obviously, with higher tuition and travel expenses it will cost more to send a student to high school.  We are investigating various methods of keeping these expenses as low as possible such as discount bus tokens, our own bus, two sponsors per high school student, and possibly a weekly boarding situation in Quiche. 

 Q.       What will I receive with my sponsorship?

 A.     You will receive a letter containing a photo of your sponsored child and biographical information. You will also receive updates on your child each year, so you can watch him or her grow and change over time and learn more about how the sponsorship program is impacting his or her life.  You will receive letters from your student to help you learn about your student’s life through his or her own words and experiences.  We are searching for funding for a computer and internet access at the school to facilitate communication and improve the student’s computer skills.  Until this is accomplished we will rely on snail mail.

 Q.       Will all my contribution go to my sponsored student?

 A.      Not necessarily.  Of course the majority, if not all, of the contribution will go to your sponsored student.  The financial needs of the students vary depending on the distance they live from school.  Some students live near the school and can walk to school.  Some students live as much as 10 miles via VERY rough roads from the school and must take a bus when the busses are running.  Therefore, monthly school expenses can vary from one student to another by as much as $20 per month.  We have tried to estimate the average cost per student without risking any shortage with unfulfilled promises for any.  After all the school related expenses of the sponsored students are paid we may have some money left over for operational expenses.  These operational expenses include, but are not limited to, mailing costs, internet connect fees, and banking fees.   

Our dream is to someday have enough money for a weekday boarding arrangement for students that live a long distance from school.  Many of the roads resemble our 4 wheel drive roads and they sometimes become impassable for the busses during the rainy season.  Students then have to find other modes of transportation or walk great distances to school.  Obviously, if they only have to do this twice a week there is a better chance they will not drop out of school.

 Q.       Who can I contact if I have any questions or problems?

 A.      Contact information

 Q.        May I write to my sponsored student?

 A.      Getting to know your child through correspondence can be one of the greatest joys of Student Sponsorship. The love and encouragement in a letter can have a lasting impact on the life of your sponsored student. Many sponsored students have never written a letter before, so we ask that sponsors be patient as the students may be fearful, embarrassed or unsure of what to write.  This may happen even though writing to their sponsors is a “condition of receiving the scholarship”.  If you don’t hear from your student within a month or 6 weeks, we encourage you to get the process going by writing to him/her.  Students will probably write in Spanish.  If you can’t get the letters translated, please let us know and we will try to get someone to volunteer to do the translation.  You can write in English and Maria Reyes (the scholarship program director) will read the letters in Spanish to the students.  Corresponding with your sponsored child is certainly not required and some sponsors choose not to write. However, corresponding can be one of the most rewarding parts of sponsorship — for both you and your sponsored child.

One exciting possibility is to sponsor a student in the name of a child, grandchild, or other youth.  The correspondence would then be exchanged between the student in Guatemala and the youth in America.  We would ask that you supervise any correspondence between young people.

The only limit on correspondence is the students cannot ask for any money or gifts directly from the sponsor.  Also we ask sponsors not to discuss any plans for travel to the United States by the student.  If you have any questions or concerns about the correspondence content or process, please don’t hesitate to contact Rotarian Robert Hatmaker of Groveland Rotary.