I have now been in Antigua for 3 weeks. It has taken that long to arrange a place for me to volunteer. During my first week here, I was encouraged to wait on volunteering until I was more comfortable with Spanish. That was very sage advice, and I am grateful! Then it took a week to finalize logistics. I got to visit the school, try to make sense of everything the staff member said (was she racing to see how fast she could speak?), ask questions, and decide what I wanted to do. I opted to help with English classes in the afternoons so I can continue taking Spanish classes in the morning. Perhaps eventually I will stop my morning Spanish classes and volunteer in other areas since the practice is what I will need more than anything. We’ll see.
The school is apparently funded by a famous soccer player from England. Very cool. Notebooks and pencils are provided for the students because they can’t afford their own. Most schools in Guatemala require uniforms, but this school doesn’t because the families can’t afford them. Most of the students live in small villages in the mountains, and I was advised that they usually lack affection and attention at home and would welcome it from me.
At times, it seems more like a service project than a school.
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