First Day of School of 2009!

Returning to Guatemala for another year was a difficult decision, only because we just finished spending Christmas holidays with our families and friends. Although we will miss them dearly, it was a blessing to come back to our second "home" and our new extended family in Guatemala! The school year in Guatemala starts in January and January 11 was the first day of school at AOJ - we were anxious to see the kids again! The kids streemed in with beautiful smiles and excited spirits. We were overwhelmed with all the kids running to give us huge hugs and explaining how they missed us during their time off. We found out that one child kept asking her mom almost everyday if "Seno Sandra" was coming back to Guatemala! It was nice to even be remembered by the kids let alone being told numerous times how much we were missed.

The day started off well as the kids filed in through the front door pretty smoothly. Most kids were jumping for joy to be at school (something we're not used to in Canada!) while some, especially the pre-kindergarten children, walked in very shly with their parents in tow.

Before the children were grouped into their grades, we had a welcome ceremony in the outdoor basketball court. We had a large, colourful sign that read BIENVENIDOS (Welcome) and every teacher introduce themselves to the students.

It was really amazing to see more than 200 of our students back and eager to learn. You can see in the photo the large crowd of both parents and students eagerly waiting for school to start - and this was just our morning class! Seeing such a large turnout was really special for us because often in Guatemala it is a challenge to convince families and their children of the value of an education. Sometimes the families do not support their children attending our school because they would prefer that their children work to get money for the family. Sometimes the children start working as young as 5 as there is no law in Guatemala to prevent children from working. To get such a positive response from the families on the first day means that we must be doing something right in helping the families see the long-term benefits of an education.

2009 also marks the first year we will start with pre-kindergarten, which means we just added yet another level of cuteness to our school! These kids are only 3-4 years old and they are so tiny that we have to watch where we step! It is a rare opportunity in Guatemala for kids this young and of a low socio-economic background to get such an opportunity for an education. This has been planned for some time as our philosophy is to try to start educating children at a very young age so that they can easily develop a life-long thirst for learning. To see these little ones walk through our doors was really precious.

The parents seemed as nervous as their little ones as this was the first time in their lives that they will be away from their children. Familial relationships in Guatemala are very important and the bond between mother and child is particularly strong. The parents spent some time with the children in the classrooms so they can get used to the environment. But when it came time for the parents to leave, it was really difficult at first because some children were crying uncontrollably for some time because they didn't want to let go of their parents. However, after some time, we slowly ushered the parents out as the children got more comfortable. It will still get some time for the parents to get used to being away from their children as many still hung around at the front gate wondering if their children were going to be all right.

But it didn't take too long for all the kids to be comfortable being back at school. The kids played games, sang songs, and laughed a lot. After a week of emptiness and silence while we were preparing the school, it was like beautiful music listening to the laughter of children ring through the property again.

The children who come to our school do not get much opportunity to laugh or play outside of our doors. Back in the harsh reality of their community, they face challenges such as miserable living conditions, the need to work to support the family income, and sometimes living in homes with no love or affection. In addition, if these children were to get any education, the families will need to pay for uniforms, administration fees and supplies so that they can attend the local public shool. The families we service cannot afford those things that we often take for granted in Canada. The fact that these children have the opportunity to attend our school and have access to a safe and loving environment, free of charge, is a dream come true for a lot of these families.

The first day was a hectic day in getting everything organized but it was well worth the work. Knowing that we are giving another generation of children the chance to break the cycle of poverty is very rewarding. Once we get through the cultural and economic challenges by getting them through the door is the first step. Now it is up to our excellent staff to do the rest.

Our Teaching Staff

The Directors