Students Learning Through Community Engagement

March 2024

It is always an uplifting experience to visit our scholarship students and their families in Chocolá.  Not only are they full of life and happy to be a part of our “Amigos Family”, but they are determined to make their own way in life where no opportunity previously existed.  Mothers and fathers of our students are so grateful for our support of their children’s education that often their words turn to tears when they express their gratitude. 

This year marks the second year that students have been allowed to return to the classroom.  Teachers are more motivated than ever to provide a comprehensive and meaningful learning experience.  But for a few more resources (i.e. student desks, whiteboards, books, computers, art supplies, etc.) our students are receiving a well-rounded education in Chocolá schools.  All of this feels to us like good progress in the educational pursuits we are supporting.

Some student surveys conducted last year by our local staff revealed that many of our students have seen a great change in the trajectory of their lives as well as that of their families.  For a few students, employment has offered them the opportunity to support their families’ needs as well as to enhance their own future.  One of our goals is to provide “career counselling” so that our students can find productive employment opportunities. 

This year, we are supporting 64 students who attend middle school or high school.  Although that currently is close to the limit of our funding resources, we continue to seek ways to support more students.  Our Lee Chambers Memorial College Scholarship Fund now supports 5 University students.  That fund shows some growth each year, but more is needed to accommodate all of our applicants who want to earn post-secondary degrees.

Paola and Lidia are finishing up their studies in Nursing at University.  Both are volunteering in Chocolá to bring their new-found knowledge to the community in safe and organized ways.  Keny is in the midst of her Agronomy studies.  She has some experience with community gardening projects and with food security that have helped her in her college classes.  She is determined to start her own business that will bring food production and security to her community.  Carolina is studying for a teaching degree and will finish her basic degree in another year.  She is inspired by our educational support and wants to “give back” to the young students of Chocolá.  Carolina will seek a teaching position upon graduation.   Francisco has begun his work for a degree in Auditing/Accounting.  This is an arduous course of study that will benefit him in the future.  Francisco is also working his way to cover expenses that often arise but are not included in his scholarship funding.  All of these students are working hard, determined to improve their knowledge and life skills.

Unfortunately, we have many more ideas for providing educational experiences for the many students of Chocolá than we can currently afford.  However, the progress we have made to realize our mission of “Overcoming Poverty Through Education” is increasingly coming into a clearer focus for Amigos.  We hope you will join in this vision and help provide the necessary resources to create a better educated Chocolá, Guatemala.

Secondary Students are back in the classroom.

February 2023

My wife, Brenda and I recently returned from a visit to Chocolá.  In many ways it was the “usual” meeting of our students, school directors, teachers, community leaders and other friends.  It is always uplifting to meet with most of our scholarship students and many of their parents.  They all tell us how grateful they are for the scholarship support.  More importantly, they all now recognize the importance of pursuing an education and earning a graduation certificate.  In years past, many of these parents would have insisted that their sons work in the fields and their daughters stay at home to learn how to take care of the family.  Such limiting vision for their children fostered more of the same poverty and social darkness that they faced as kids.  The change has been remarkable, and we are proud to proclaim that accomplishment.

We now support 68 students with scholarships to attend middle school or high school.  An additional 4 students are earning college degrees thanks to our Leland Chambers Memorial Scholarship Fund support.  The number of students who have already requested assistance to attend college after graduating high school is growing.  Unfortunately, we can’t commit to each request for funds, but it is heartening to see the keen interest in higher education among our students.  They fully understand the difference an education can make for themselves and their families. 

We discovered that several students we supported over the past few years are now working in jobs that were previously unavailable to them without at least a high school degree.  Three of our 2022 high school graduates are now eagerly asking to provide mentoring and tutoring for our current students as a form of community service.    We are glad to have them continue as part of our community service program and stay involved with our students in this way.  One of those former students works part time as a hair stylist (with equipment provided by an Amigos donor), while the other two are still searching for their first job.  It won’t be long until they are employed with the determination and spirit they display!

Students in high school and middle school returned to the classroom for the first time since the spread of COVID in 2020.  We were greeted at both schools in Chocolá by smiling students, faculty and administrators, all excited to be back together in a learning environment.  The energy was palpable and gave us a greater motivation to continue our work to “Overcome Poverty Through Education”.

We are fortunate to have three of our Amigos board members residing in Guatemala.  They are Anne Kraemer, Victor Diaz Can and Oscar Pablo Segundo.  They along with our Administrator Lety Yaxon met with us in Chocolá to exchange ideas about Amigos’ vision going forward.  We are enriched by the familiarity with local cultural norms and wisdom in charitable organizations these folks provide.  I am confident that our vision for educational opportunities  in Chocolá is not only in good hands in Guatemala, but is moving forward at a pace that will make a difference for that community.

Thanks for your support of our mission!

John Hill, CEO

Record Number of Students Complete the School Year

October 2022

Here we are at the end of another school year in Chocolá, Guatemala.  Our scholarship students have successfully navigated their school demands and completed another grade level despite the many challenges they face.  Amigos de Chocolá donors have stepped up to finance 68 scholarships this year, a record number for our continuing educational programs. 

In addition to our secondary school students, Amigos funded four students with scholarships to university campuses in Guatemala.  One of those students, Jimena Carillo, completed her coursework to earn a teaching credential.  While she will eventually seek work as a classroom teacher Jimena will continue her studies in some specialized areas to further her education.  Amigos is so proud of our first college graduate and will follow her career in the workplace over the coming years.  Our other three college students are performing at an outstanding level in their classroom studies.  We look forward to their continuing educational pursuits in the coming years.

The past year has brought two challenges for our Amigos board.  The first is a request by the high school in Chocolá to build two new classrooms onto their building that would provide more space for a growing student population.  The high school shares space with an elementary school and both need new space.  An equitable agreement has yet to be reached on the allocation of new classrooms and how they will benefit each school.  In the coming months, we expect to find common ground that will allow the building project to go forward, enhancing the opportunities for more students to study in Chocolá.

The Amigos’ Computer Learning Center had to close early in the year due to an eviction from the space we had been renting.  Thanks to the hard work and negotiation skills of Lety Hernandez, our staff manager in Chocolá, a new facility has recently been leased to house our lab.  This facility is closer to the center of the village, making access easier and more desirable to students.   The lab is furnished with workstations, 13 laptops or desktop computers, study materials (books), and is connected to the internet.  Students are taking full advantage of this learning opportunity once again.  We thank Lety for her perseverance and the Reiken Foundation of Phoenix, AZ for their donation of 13 laptop computers.

While the students look forward to their year-end break from school, Amigos de Chocolá looks forward to once again appealing to our many faithful and generous donors who each year help us fund scholarships that provide the educational opportunities for our many deserving students in Chocolá.  Thanks in advance to all who support Amigos!

New Challenges in Chocolá Education

For six months, Amigos has been negotiating with the two school Directors and others in Chocolá to build new classrooms that will house a computer learning center and other workspaces.  We have found the process is not always as direct and straightforward as in the U.S.  Unfortunately, we are unable to satisfy one person that this is a win-win situation for all involved.  Therefore, the project has been on hold for a few months.  We are not giving up on the project or the students in Chocolá and we hope to reach a solution in the coming weeks.

The other dilemma is that the property that housed our computer learning center is being renovated and is no longer available to us.  Thus, the center is temporarily closed.  We are searching for an alternative site in the village to accommodate our students.  They are eager to get back to computer learning.

Despite these challenges in our educational assistance plans, our students have continued to persevere and keep up with their schoolwork in the best way possible.  Teachers are doing their best to accommodate students’ needs and keep the lessons flowing.  We are encouraged that many of our students continue to seek out community projects that will enhance their neighborhoods.  Each student is expected to participate in a community service but it is not always easy to focus on that and their school work.

Lety, our staff director in Chocolá keeps very close track of all our students’ work and their school performance.  She has provided both demands and encouragement to all our scholarship students and has found that nearly all of them are hard at work in school.  Their success is due in large part to Lety’s kind yet firm direction.  With a cadre of 68 students, our most ever supported in one year, Amigos is providing a way to help families overcome the ravages of poverty and poor literacy in rural Guatemala. 

Amigos Establishes College Scholarship Program

Leland H. (Lee) Chambers, a founding board member of Amigos de Chocolá, had a strong passion for education, helping the under-served and teaching the Spanish language. Lee passed away in early 2017 while still serving as a board member emeritus for Amigos. It was only fitting that the Board of Directors initiated the Leland Chambers Memorial College Scholarship Fund to help deserving students from Chocolá attend university in Guatemala.

In October 2018 the Amigos Board selected our first scholarship student, Maria Jimena Carrillo Hernandez. Jimena enrolled at a university near Chocolá to begin the 2019 school year. We wish Jimena success in realizing her goal of earning a college degree.

Amigos recognizes students for community service

End-of-the-year academic award ceremonies recognized several of our scholarship students. While the schools recognized our students for their achievements in the classroom, Amigos recognized these same students for their community service work in the village. All our scholarship students participated in the renewal of the central “triangle” park in Chocolá that included a full cleanup, construction of flood walls and park benches and reshaping of the trees and shrubs that adorn the area.

In 2018 our students took on the major task of cleaning “mound one,” a significant Mayan archaeological site in the center of Chocolá dating back some 2,500 years. A pedestrian crossroads for local residents, this area is often littered with trash and other debris. Amigos students have spent many hours cleaning and maintaining this important historical site. Residents can now be proud of a public space free of litter and other debris, thanks to the hard work of their students.

Volunteers return from 2018 trip to Chocolá

Upon returning from their trip to Chocolá from October 12-20, 2018, our volunteers felt a sense of satisfaction that our scholarship students and other students we visited are eagerly learning and doing their best to improve their lives and the lives of neighbors in their community. Teachers and administrators commended our students for taking great pride in their schools and in the community at large. For more information about future volunteer trips to Chocolá, please contact John Hill at jb17dc@gmail.com.

Previous improvements to IMEBCE

In 2015, partnering with the organization Miracles in Action, Amigos was able to help improve conditions at the middle school (basico) in Chocolá. Funds were raised to purchase materials for the building of two new classrooms. Your generous donations also allowed Amigos to completely furnish the new classrooms with student and teacher desks, white boards and new cabinets that will house a library for the school. The new addition, completed in early March 2015, was built by volunteers from the village in only six weeks. The people of Chocolá join us in thanking you for your contributions to this important project.

Amigos scholarship students with volunteers

Volunteers are greeted warmly with ceremony and native dance