The hills around the city of La Antigua, Guatemala are dotted with small villages, or pueblos, populated by indigenous people who, despite living in extreme poverty, are rich in spirit. Most families work in nearby fields tending crops grown by others––earning a few dollars per day––while other families eke out a living by growing their own fruits and vegetables, selling them in local markets, or working in town for one of the few manufacturers in the area. In addition to working long hours, they must wash their clothing by hand and tend to their makeshift homes made of corrugated metal, bamboo, plastic tarps, and concrete block. Surprisingly, while their incomes categorize them in what the United Nations would define as either poverty or extreme poverty, and while their lives seem difficult, these people are always happy, gracious, and giving of what limited things they have to give, even to perfect strangers.
It was the quintessential eye-opening experience to see this firsthand during my trip to Guatemala last week, where I had the extraordinary opportunity to visit the small pueblo of Santa Maria de Jesus, perched on a hilltop about 10 kilometers outside of Antigua. The village is much like its neighbors, but with one compelling drawback: It has only one school which, despite being hugely successful, is bursting at the seams.
Jardin de Amor in Santa Maria de Jesus welcomes passersby with artwork done by its children.
Jardin de Amor (Garden of Love) is an education project that enrolls more than 100 children ranging in age from six to sixteen. Two classes are held each day, taught by local mothers or by other volunteers, some from as far away as England and Norway. In addition to being taught math, writing, and science, the children are fed and given the chance to engage in the kind of play that is virtually impossible given the work they must do when not in school (such as working around the house, working in the fields, or watching younger siblings while their parents work).
A parent teacher and a volunteer from England give a math lesson to a younger class.
The project was started only four years ago by a young Guatemalan man, Julio Cesar Garcia Reyes, who saw the need for a free school for the children of Santa Maria de Jesus. While their education is free, parents must provide basic school supplies and commit to volunteering at the school. While Julio has done an extraordinary job of educating these precious children and managing the project, his Garden of Love can’t accommodate any other students. “I have to turn away families because I have no more room here,” he said through our translator during our visit. “My ultimate goal is to raise enough money to buy some new land and to build a bigger school,” he said.
Julio, the young founder of the school, explains how the project operates to our group.
I can’t tell you how impressed I was with what Julio has managed to accomplish in only four years with very limited space and equally limited resources, with the dedication of the volunteers, and with the facilities themselves. That’s why I’m thrilled to report that Big Bunny Workshop will now donate 100 percent of its profits to help Julio operate Jardin de Amor, to help him fund a new school, and to help him improve the lives of the children of Santa Maria de Jesus.
Another younger class enjoys a play period.
