Day 6: Breaking the Cycle

Doña Elena

Written by: Diana Loera

I knew coming to Sibinal would prove to be challenging both physically and emotionally. Today both my body and my soul got quite a work out. The team and I visited Doña Elena and assisted her family with the mixing of concrete to put into her new house. The sun was intense but despite the heat I pitched in and helped as much as I could. I have to say, I have mad respect for all who work in construction. Mixing cement is quite the task!

After we were done helping and before heading out to the next location my teammate Franco asked if we could take a moment to talk to Doña Elena about her two older daughters’ education. She led us into her kitchen where she invited us to have a seat on small chairs and stools. To her right was her youngest daughter, behind her was her second oldest daughter Dalila. The oldest daughter Nelly was working and her youngest, a boy, was outside helping the laborers.

Franco learned when he visited the family this past summer, that none of the children were in school because of a lack in financial resources. Franco offered to pay for the oldest daughter Nelly to go to school; however, Nelly requested her younger sister Dalila go to school in her place. Franco offered to pay for Dalila’s education only if Nelly also accepted to go to school. Nelly accepted and the deal was sealed. 

As Franco was retelling what was shared this past summer and that he was willing to sponsor their education for this coming year I noticed Dalila’s eyes glisten. I caught her eye and motioned her to come close to me. I felt in my heart that she was very touched so I asked her why her eyes were filling up with tears. She couldn’t speak because the tears began to flow so I asked her if she’d been wanting to go to school for a while and she nodded her head yes. I asked her if she was happy that she will be able to now and she said yes. I encouraged her to study hard and to dream big. We all chimed in with words of encouragement.

We reminded Doña Elena how important an education is in order to break that cycle of poverty. I could tell that she understood but also demonstrated a bit of worry and as a mom, I could understand that. I’m sure she was thinking, “How will I be able to provide food for my children if my oldest daughter is working less hours in order to go to school?"

So, we called Doña Elena’s older brother Don Fausto into the room. He is like the head of the family since Doña Elena’s husband died three years ago. We shared with him the importance of being a close family and helping each other out so that the girls can go to school and reach their goals. He was supportive and the family seemed less worried and happier.

The oldest girls will be able to go to school!!! They will have a chance of breaking this cycle of poverty and that makes me so happy for them! Had we not chosen them as one of the families to receive benefits this year, we would have never known that there are two bright girls that want to go to school living there! I can’t wait to see pictures of them in their school uniforms and making good grades.

Thanks to your donations, Doña Elena a her family will soon not only have a new home to live in, also two young girls will have the opportunity to get an education. If you would like to learn how you can help visit https://www.projecthello.club/

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Abejas no Ovejas (Bees not Sheep)

Written by: Olivia Deeken

In my limited Spanish, I kept referring to the bees we would be seeing as sheep. To my novice ears, the Spanish words for bees and sheep sound virtually the same. I was excited to see our teammate's family apiary, or bee farm.

When we find free time in our busy schedule, our team tries to find opportunities in which we can learn something new about the community and or the lives of our Guatemalan teammates. Visiting the apiary served both purposes. Diana and I were both slightly nervous about being amidst thousands of honey bees, despite the fact we were equipped with full-body apiary suits!

Our GM teammate and his father guided us along a small path through the woods until we entered into a clearing filled with rows of hives surrounded by the natural flora. The beekeepers perfumed the air with their smoking equipment to keep the bees "tranquilas" or calm. Then, they lifted off the tin covering the hives to reveal thousands of bees making honey, building their combs, feeding their youngsters, and protecting their queen.

Our resident beekeeper pulled out one of the hive's sheets to show us the perfect symmetry and structure of the honey combs. Bees are natural architects! Diana and I both had similar questions and curiosities about the queen bees. How does a queen bee come to be? Every hive needs a queen, for without a queen there is no honey production or new larva. We learned that the hive creates its own queen! When in need of a queen, the worker bees will find the largest larva and pollinate her, or feed her, until she grows, and grows until she becomes the queen. That's incredible! I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to learn about this beautiful work of nature from a local family of entrepreneurs.

Later that day, both the U.S. and Guatemala teams met to reflect and debrief as a large group. Our beekeeper teammate used his experiences with the bees as a metaphor for our teams and the work that we do. For example, during this time of year, the bees have plenty of resources that they need to survive and, as a result, are more tranquil when the beekeepers come to check on them. However, during the seasons where the bees' food is scarcer, the bees act more agitated, aggressive, or stressed.

Our teammate reflected that our team is like the bees. In the past, when we had fewer resources and support from neighbors, family, and other community members, the team was stretched to its limits. However, now our "hive" and its resources have grown! The community has rallied behind the selected families to help complete the construction and labor that was once done solely by our team and the benefiting family. It was an incredibly accurate and articulate metaphor to describe the evolution of our team, our work, and the sustainable, community-based direction in which we are moving.

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