Connecting Peoples 2008

written by Antony Sanchez Solano and Adriana Koehn

From March 9 to March 19, the Connecting Peoples program received the Global Perspectives group from Pine Tree public school in British Columbia, Canada. The 25 participants worked on building two rooms for the Art School (AMAR) of the IEMG in Zone 11 in Guatemala City and their visit encouraged other local young people to think of Christian service as an option for a driven life purpose. More than 60 people gathered during these days to build the mentioned rooms. We took time with the group to visit the Cathedral, Palace of Culture, the National Cemetery and other historic places in Guatemala City. In addition, they visited a day care center in Lo de Carranza, Sacatepequez, an area just outside of the City.

The learning topic was focused on the problematic reality that youth are living here, especially related to migration issues, educational systems, recreation and lack of opportunities. The group was able to connect with the youth from Mennonite Churches in Guatemala, talking together about main differences between cultures, how migration is seen in each country, while at the same time expressing their willingness to work together to build a better world for each.

The group worked at school for 6 months before they came, to learn something about Guatemalan culture and to fundraise and network with other students in order to make possible the building of the rooms for the school. They gave $13,000 as a contribution for the building project and to support a fund for instruments at the school. They also brought sport equipment to support recreational activities in Guatemala and El Salvador. At the same time, they were buying books to start a small library for children at the IEMG. With the help of this project, AMAR now has a fund to buy instruments for its students who are able to have their own instruments in their homes. The school also has a better classroom and the possibility to start the library for children and youth at the IEMG building. The group was happy working and learning together in Guatemala and some of them would like to be part of MCC in the future.

In June, MCC Guatemala/El Salvador hosted a regional Connecting Peoples meeting here in Guatemala City. MCC Connecting Peoples program staff from Canada, the U.S., and the Latin American countries that support a Connecting Peoples program, came together to share and learn more about the work in each country. Additionally, we focused on the theme of advocacy and how we can work at intentionally implementing it into the Connecting Peoples program.

July and August were very busy months for the Guatemala/El Salvador CP program. From July 6-17, we hosted a Work and Learn Team from Kidron Mennonite Church in Kidron, Ohio. The group of 28 high school youth and leaders spent most of their time working and interacting with the students at Bezaleel School, the Q'ekchi' Mennonite boarding school in Altaverapaz, Guatemala. Activities included constructing a sidewalk to connect the two classroom buildings, painting classrooms and the school library, and helping with the construction of a picnic table. The group also participated in a variety of ways in the life of the school throughout the week. Participants helped in Spanish, English, Computer, and Music/Art classes, participated in the Saturday morning Vocational Arts program, played soccer with the students, shared in a talent night, and spent time in the homes of local families.

From July 22-August 25 the Enlace group from MCC Ontario Canada spent time learning and working in both El Salvador and Guatemala. Ten high school students and two leaders spent the first week attending a Latin American youth forum in El Salvador wrestling with current day response of youth on themes such as the environment, violence, and the economy. Additionaly they spent time traveling and learning about the history of El Salvador and liberation theology. The group then spent a week studying Spanish with the CASAS program in Guatemala City before heading to the western highlands of Guatemala to live and work with communities in Santiago Atitlan and San Marcos.

The focus of the trip was to learn about the social context of Guatemala and El Salvador and the issues that youth in Latin America are facing, such as environmental concerns revolving around the mining crisis in Guatemala and the impact of migration. The group assisted with the construction of a community trade center in San Marcos, participated in a number of reforestation activities, and constructed a wood burning stove in Santiago Atitlan. In both of these rural communities, the group sent time living and sharing with local families and youth, which was seen as a highlight of their time here. You can find out more about the Enlace program and their experience here by following the link to their blog under "Links".

At the end of November, a group representing the Frank Flaman Foundation came from Canada to visit various programs that the Foundation has been supporting over the past number of years. MCC and the Frank Flaman Foundation have worked together in the past to provide communities in Guatemala with improved living conditions, builiding reliable and sustainable food sources such as builiding greenhouses, digging fish ponds and more. The group spent their time visiting with youth in San Marcos and visiting the community in Santiago Atitlan, learning about the program there and assiting in the construction of two wood burning stoves.