August progress reports
During August we have had the pleasure of receiving updates from the Sisters’ programmes in Guatemala and Brazil – the girls and boys schools in Zona 13 and Zona 6, and the girls’ school in Brasilia.
Zona 13 Insight
Sr Magdalena and Sr Yasmin from Zona 13 updated us on 1st August. In Zona 13 they welcomed 233 girls in January 2024. The girls have taken some time to settle in and many of them were suffering from malnutrition on arrival.
The Sisters took us through a presentation on the state of poverty in the region as they have experienced it on the ground during their community outreach work. They are travelling to new regions to reach the most impoverished girls. The families of these girls are suffering, the country is one of the most unequal in the world and the poorest families have no way to earn a reliable living. They depend on agricultural roles which pay poorly and this means the families are hungry, lack decent housing, education and services.
New arrivals’ health
The girls who arrived with the Sisters in January have been closely monitored for the physical effects of their early deprivations. Just under 20% of them were severely underweight, many were suffering respiratory or parasitic diseases and 40% were suffering with very bad/rotten teeth. With medical and dental treatment funded by our supporters, teaching from the Sisters on how to care for themselves and the provision of a good balanced diet, the girls are now growing strong and healthy.
Equal opportunities for Guatemala girls
At the Sisters’ school, the girls continue to study the nationally accredited curriculum which covers a wide range of subjects including maths, languages and social sciences. They have 40 hours of teaching a week and they also study vocational courses which will prepare the girls for local employment. These currently include Accounting, Cutting and Sewing/Dress-making, Food & Drinks and electronics.
The Sisters have continued to focus their efforts on ensuring that the girls in school have equal access not just to education and skills training but also to employment. They have made lasting relationships with employers including Banco Industrial, LG, Confino Stahl. The employers provide vocational support to the children in school as well as work experience (OJT) and final employment opportunities. They keep the Sisters updated on new vacancies as they become available so the Sisters can continue to connect their graduates with these job opportunities long after the children have left school.
Discovering new talents
Outside of the classroom the girls in Guatemala are extremely active in competitions and extra curricular endeavours.
They have competed in the ecological competition, participated in the National Science Olympiad, the Mesoamerican Physics Olympiad and the National Astronomy Olympiad as well as a variety of sports activities. They have discovered new talents and all these new talents contribute to their ability to secure work.
In addition, all the Sisters and children spent much of this month excited and preparing hard for the birthday and 60th Anniversary celebrations held on 15th August.
Progress for our Guatemala Boys
On 22nd August we were delighted to receive an update from Sr Celia and the Sisters at the boys school in Zona 6.
We were particularly pleased to hear about the progress of the newest boys who were welcomed into the school in January, like Carlos shown here. These were boys from some of the most deprived regions in the country, including the mountainous communities of Alta Verapaz which the Sisters visited in December 2023.
New boys settling in
The Sisters were so happy to report that these boys had settled into school well. Despite the difficulties they face they are really interested in learning giving ‘maximum effort’ and although the visiting day in May caused some homesickness, the boys are really enthusiastic to stay in school and learn as much as they can. To the delight of their families they are also finally growing healthy and strong.
Learning challenges
One of the major challenges the boys face in their learning is that many of them do not speak Spanish. In their early lives they speak only their local dialect and lack access to the basic primary education. At the Sisters’ school the boys are taught in Spanish so the boys need to learn it quickly. When they arrive at school the Sisters identify those who need the greatest help and ensure they receive it.
The boys face other challenges in their early lives. Their families farm rented land and the living is poor so many of these boys labour for long hours to help their families. The families also face enormous struggles with climate change. Their homes are basic and when the rains arrived in May many homes of the boys were destroyed in the landslides.
Despite all these difficulties, the Sisters are ensuring that these youngsters recover from these challenges, have a chance to be happy, learn and enjoy their time at school.
Essential skills for work
As well as providing a full curriculum of academic subjects, a huge focus for the Sisters in Zona 6 is ensuring the children receive vocational training which readies the boys for local employment.
Careers fairs are a regular event at the schools and the Sisters in Zona 6 also maintain good relationships with local organisations including Toyota and Axalta who employ the boys.
These organisations are valued partners for the Sisters and regularly provide on the job training for the boys, careers advice and fairly paid final employment.
Celebrating the birthday with old friends
Like the girls in Guatemala, the boys in Zona 6 have spent much of this month in excited anticipation for the birthday celebrations on 15th August which also this year coincided with the 60th Anniversary of the Sisters of Mary. This year many of the graduates of the school were invited to the celebrations and the boys were excited to meet and hear from many of these graduates.
Welcoming Carlos, 1st batch graduate
One of the very first children to graduate from Zona 6, Carlos Baltazar, is now Presidential Commissioner Against Discrimination and Racism in the Guatemalan Government. Carlos has represented the country at the United Nations and advocates for disadvantaged groups in Guatemala.
The Sisters were delighted to welcome Carlos back to school, to hear the story of his progress since he was in their care. Carlos was able to share his experience and his wisdom with the boys, particularly the youngest arrivals to the school. It was an inspiring opportunity for all.
Update from Brasilia
On 29th August Sr Melinda updated us on the progress of the girls at school in Brasilia.
We were particularly excited to hear from her about the birthday and 60th anniversary celebrations held in Brasilia on 15th August. Sr Melinda explained that the day had been used as an opportunity to give thanks to the supporters for their love and care for the children and to provide an extra special treat for the girls, many of whom don’t know their actual birthday.
Birthday celebrations
For all the children, especially those who arrived in January, the Sisters made this an exciting celebration with lots of fun activities including a football match between the girls and their teachers (the teachers won!).
It was made even more special by inviting graduates of the school. The Sisters in Brasilia have been reaching out to graduates over the previous months and were thrilled that about 50 graduates and their families arrived for the celebrations. It was an emotional reunion, many graduates bringing their tiny babies and husbands and partners to catch up with the Sisters and join the fun. It was an opportunity for the graduates to teach the girls of their experiences and inspire them for their future.
Your support
The girls were overwhelmed when they received their birthday presents. These were modest gifts funded with your generous donations and included supplies for school, items for their hobbies and a small treat, but the presents were thrilling for the youngsters to receive.
Treasuring personal birthday tags
The girls were particularly touched with the birthday tags signed by our donors. These tags, which you send to us with your donations, are forwarded to the schools, fixed to the gifts by the Sisters and cherished by the children. They keep these tags long after the birthday celebrations are over and on throughout their time at school. They squirrel them away into their school folders and give thanks each day for the supporter who signs the individual tags on their gifts.
Learning ready for employment
The girls in Brasilia are studying hard. The new girls have settled in well to the busy curriculum and are slowly learning how to organise themselves. The older students help them to manage their time well and to progress at school. The learning supplies (particularly English textbooks) provided by our supporters during the Big Give appeal in 2023 have helped the Sisters to update their educational resources and really improve the girls’ learning. During the monthly visiting days the girls are able to share their progress with their families.
Vocational training for sustainable employment
Vocational training in Brazil focuses on administrative/secretarial skills, dental hygiene and nursing care. The girls in Brazil do 400 hours of on the job training (OJT) – the nursing students do internships in local government hospitals, the Dental Hygiene trainees practice in the school dental clinic and the secretarial students practice at the school. As a result of this OJT over 70% of the girls from last year’s graduation are already in employment, many of these in nursing. Employment is helped because of the girls’ reputation of reliability and efficiency and many of these graduates settle into senior nursing roles or set up their own micro companies.
Reaching out to girls in need
In November the Sisters will restart their annual community outreach to new locations to meet new girls in need of their help, particularly in the interior of the country. This is a big challenge for the Sisters for the rest of the year. They are not known in many of these areas and gaining the trust of these poorest families is important to ensure they can reach the girls who need their help most.
Education for many of these secondary age girls in the poorest regions is impossible to access. There are few secondary schools and those available have few teaching resources, large classes and poor quality teaching.
Family situations
The girls also come from extremely poor family situations. Many parents don’t have work and rely on government aid. Family situations are often very complex and violent and many of the girls suffer abuse within their families. When they come into the care of the Sisters they have many traumas and they take time to trust. The children receive trained psychological support to recover and begin to thrive at school. Many of these families are unsafe for the girls and often they choose not to return during the holidays.
Thanks to your support, in the care of the Sisters, these girls have the chance to enjoy a proper childhood and to flourish and look forward to a better, independent and poverty free life.