To our lovely followers,
We. Are. Tired. But happy. Our plane landed at 2:30am Guatemala time Tuesday morning and by the time we deplaned, went through customs, got our ten checked bags from baggage claim, found our ride and got to Village of Hope it was 4:30am. They kindly pushed back breakfast to 9am, so most of us woke at 8:55am. We had an orientation and tour this morning learning about the organization and the kids they serve. The organization is doing some amazing things with the young ladies living here including education, job training, budgeting, and business classes. Some of the adolescents work for credits that can then be turned in at their tienda (store) filled with donations of clothes and shoes for themselves and their children. Job training includes sewing, jewelry making, barista, cooking, teaching apprentice, and cosmetology. The crafts the girls make are for sale for visiting volunteers!
Our lunch was a special one today, also supported by Village of Hope. We went to a local Guatemalan house and at in a family’s backyard. This family is paid to cook for teams, they were trained on how to cook food that is safe for visiting teams, and they in turn support their local community by buying ingredients from neighbors (like avocados).
Upon returning to Village of Hope, the BRIGHT team met with the four Psychologists employed here to find out how we can best support them this week. Needs were identified, children were discussed, and a plan was made for the next two days. Then came the fun… Suzi and Noelia ran a yoga class for some of the young mothers while Marianne and Andrea set up some crafts and fine motor stations for the toddlers and young children. The rest of the team observed and played with the children during their afternoon outdoor time. Dinner was served at 5pm.
The team is pretty beat so we will hit the hay a little earlier than usual and get ready for a 7:30am breakfast tomorrow!
Signing off for the night,
BRIGHT Children International