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!