It’s unfair to evaluate the contentedness of a Guatemalan citizen based on my own definitions of comfort and happiness. Still, I catch myself doing just that. While here I’ve thought, “Life must be boring without Wi-Fi,” and “These people have to prepare their food every day completely from scratch. What a burden!” From a logical standpoint, I know I am wrong to assume that lacking Wi-Fi is boring and that preparing food is a burden, but it’s hard to separate my standards from local ones.
I have been given the amazing opportunity to talk with school staff to understand their needs, and it has been eye-opening. This morning at Chulumal III, the director explained to us that his number one priority is to expand the collection of books at his school, which would improve an initiative that the school runs called “Leemos Juntos,” since the initiative requires that each student read for a half hour daily during the week, and many of the government-issued book simply are not captivating. If you asked me, however, I would have suggested using the first available funds to buy a freezer to store food. The government is often late in sending
Dialogue is important. I am so glad that, across languages and lifestyles, America’s School the World team and communities in Guatemala talk. Through this international teamwork, needs are being met and contentedness is rising.
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