A dedicated group of individuals from Best Buy are traveling to offer a helping hand and hope to Guatemalans at the end of October (Oct. 23-30). Ten employees from around the country are setting out to Antigua, Guatemala on an eight-day volunteer trip with Common Hope, a nonprofit that works to educate children and empower families in Guatemala. Dana Sitzman, Nicole Knach, Sonja Pedersen, Robyn Maley, Sean Ludwig, Patrick Mulroy, Mike Goering, Terry Sayre, Tori Merrell, and Kipp Burnette are looking forward to this life-changing experience.
These employees are part of a Vision Team, which offers people of varying backgrounds the opportunity to come face-to-face with poverty in Guatemala. The volunteers are shining up their hammers as they prepare to build a family a simple home, as well as work with the family and children in the area on various community projects. They will get to work side-by-side with the families whose lives will be changed thanks to thousands who support Common Hope's work. They will also assist the Common Hope staff in Guatemala with support to further their professional development, such as leadership skills, management abilities, presentation training, and technology support.
This is the third Best Buy team in two years to embark upon this task. Common Hope's mission is to promote hope and opportunity in Guatemala, partnering with children, families and communities in a process of development to improve their lives through education, health care and housing. The group's goals are to:
- Connect needs and resources;
- Foster encounters that educate, provoke compassion, and challenge complacency;
- Build relationships that compel visitors to multiply our work.
Sheila Mitchell, Product Process Managers from Store #896 participated in a Vision Trip in 2008. She shared what an impact it made on her life. "I think a sabbatical allows a person to go out and realize a dream, but it also allows you to come back to work to be more energized, more focused, more appreciative of your job, and appreciative of the benefits you receive at work."
Bernard Vieira, Store Services Manager from Cutler Bay, Florida, also participated in a past Vision Team trip to Guatemala. He shared the following thoughts after this experience: "I resolve to be a better human being, as I know all my team members do. The next time I sit frustrated in traffic in my air conditioned car, complaining that there is nothing good to listen to on the radio, I will take pause and remember the family [in Guatemala] on their morning commute up the mountain. I will think of Common Hope staff as they battle insurmountable odds to make a better world for one child at a time."
This opportunity was brought about largely by Best Buy's Women's Leadership Forum (WOLF). This group works to develop partnerships with organizations that impact the lives of women and girls at the local, national and international levels. Through these partnerships, WOLF contributes to the cultural transformation of the company by enhancing the leadership experiences of Best Buy employees while impacting the lives of people around the world. The partnership between WOLF and Common Hope was a natural fit since the two organizations met in 2005. Through the Vision Trip givebacks Best Buy employees learn globally through a lens that provides a specific focus on women and children, which ties into WOLF's three core pillars: Network, Commitment and Give back. Together, WOLF and Common Hope strive to make the world a better place.
The team agreed to blog about the experience while they're in Guatemala with Common Hope. Follow their story here:
Day 1
The Vision Team started out at 3 a.m., coming together from Minneapolis, Indianapolis and Rhode Island to arrive in Guatemala City Saturday afternoon. Prior to leaving Minnesota we had a “packing party” at the Common Hope warehouse to bring school supplies and donations for the kids and families. We flipped a coin about who had to go through customs with the bag full of scissors. We also made blankets to give to the family of 10 who we are building the house for. Luckily the 19 fully-stuffed duffle bags made it through without any problems.
An interesting one-hour van ride took us through Guatemala City to Antigua to the Common Hope Project, which is where we will be staying and working. The drive up the mountain was a struggle for many of the cars, buses, and trucks, but the scenery was beautiful. Driving through downtown Antigua was like taking a step back in time, with the cobblestone roads and Spanish-influenced architecture.
The project is beyond what any of us anticipated – what an amazing site for families to come to for medical care, tutoring, social work services, family programs, daycare, and psychological services! Our hospitality coordinator Brianna is from Minnesota and is here as a long-term volunteer. She conducted our orientation and showed us around the project. Kipp then prepared our dinner, which was a delicious lasagna dish with peas.
Everyone is crashing out early, tired from the long day of traveling. Especially Patrick who has been up since 11 p.m. yesterday and indulged in a major Perkins breakfast before our early morning flight! We are looking forward to an amazing week and feel blessed to be here.
Day 2
Today we had our first glimpse of how people in Guatemala live, love and laugh. After a great night’s sleep, we got up and rolling – starting with several pots of coffee, bananas grown on site and random cereal. Ninety minutes later we arrived at Iximché Mayan Ruins. The beautiful structures date back to the 16th century, with stark contrast between the lush green foliage and ancient stone. We saw many areas that were used for human sacrifice, including the football (soccer) arena, where the losing team was sacrificed.
As we wandered through the ruins, we arrived upon a traditional Mayan ceremony. The Mayans were dressed in brightly colored traditional clothing and performed dances around the roaring fire, while chanting incantations to the Mayan gods. The ceremony was commemorating the end of the rainy season and praying for dry weather for harvesting crops. It was fascinating to begin with, but once we noticed a chicken…we were all anticipating what would come next. With a swift stroke, we all witnessed our first ceremonial animal sacrifice . . . and now know what “running like a chicken with its head cut off” really means.
Serendipitously, lunch was next. We had an amazing meal of various slow-roasted meats and fresh squeezed citrus juice. An hour later, we were back to downtown Antigua where we spent the day shopping and bargaining in the Artisan Market. Kipp proved to be the best negotiator, which was entertaining to our team as well as to the retail sellers. Quick stops were made at the grocery store, La Merced church and an ice cream shop as we wound down our “free” day. We rounded out the night by attending Catholic mass. While nobody understood a word, it was an interesting service in an elaborate Cathedral with contemporary live music.
Dinner was Dominos pizza – surprise, it tastes the same – while watching the Pack beat our beloved Vikings via streaming TiVo/Slingbox from home. Tomorrow we begin our real work – we have a full day planned of working in the daycare, starting construction on the house, and doing some painting projects.
Buenos Noches from Guatemala!
Day 3
Today was an amazing combination of making connections with children and families, learning about the way of life for struggling people, manual labor, and the beauty and hardships of life in Guatemala. Following is a rundown of some of the key events.
Daycare activities: Nicole, Sonja, Terry, and Dana spent the morning with 29 children in the daycare. They read books in Spanish, taught words in English, played games, indulged in ice cream treats, and celebrated with a piñata for their last day of class. They also took pictures of the kids to give to them later as a reward. The children were so well behaved and were extremely affectionate and caring with each other, similar to what you would find with siblings. For example, some of the children didn’t get ice cream right away but they didn’t cry or throw a fit. Plus the other kids were worried about them and wanted them to get their share. During activities the teacher told them to put on their monkey ears to listen really well. The kids all did so and began making monkey noises as they listened attentively. During the piñata, they were very patient, taking turns, and sharing. Only one child got hit during the process, but she laughed it off. It was interesting to think about how these children were so different from those in America, but also had so many commonalities. They all sought attention, liked to play actively with others, play hop scotch and peek-a-boo. Even though we did not have many words to communicate, it did not matter. There were still many ways to connect across cultures.
Construction: Sean, Kipp, Patrick, Tori, Mike, and Robyn did construction in the morning. They helped create the molds for the cement flooring and assembled the panels for the home. It was a very streamlined process, even if you didn’t know anything about construction. Felix and Pablo were the Common Hope employees who worked in construction. Maura, a long-term volunteer from Plymouth, led the group of volunteers. Even though she had only been here for two months, she totally fit in with the crew’s playful and friendly style. The Best Buy team worked hard to be the fastest, most efficient team ever to come to Common Hope, which Maura claimed they were. They then had a nail driving contest – Robyn got it in 6 hits, Kipp in 4, and then Patrick blew it away with 2 hits. Maura also taught the girls some salsa dancing during break.
School painting: In the afternoon, one group painted a school that won a contest to receive this honor. Several of the children from the school were allowed to paint with the crew as a reward for successful school completion. Paint was dripping and splattering everywhere as the kids worked so hard to contribute. You could see the pride in the children’s faces as they completed the work. They were preparing for their 6th grade graduation tomorrow, and all of the class achieved their graduation requirements which is a huge milestone.
Home building: The family was so excited for the crew to arrive at their home today for their home building. The family consists of the mother, father, eight children, and grandmother. As the equipment was unloaded, the children peered out the windows in excitement and delight. The six-year-old girl, Brenda, kept creeping around the corner to join us on the job site, giving us hugs and high fives. Their dogs, cats, geese and chickens ran around the yard, as did other children from the area. The family has been involved with Common Hope for about 10 years. They had a one-room house built before, and they are now receiving another one-room house to add to their homestead. This will accommodate more sleeping room for the large family. They also have an additional shelter built of wood scraps and a tin roof where they do their cooking, laundry, and bathing. The yard was covered with remnants, scraps of metal, and other items that may have looked like “junk” to us; they instead saved all of it to use for bartering or for making necessities in the future. The finishing touches of the home will be completed tomorrow.
Home visits: Dana is sponsoring a child through the Common Hope program, seven-year-old Luis. She had the fortunate opportunity to meet the child and family today. Mike went on the first home visit with a Common Hope social worker, which he described as a life-changing experience. Entries about their experiences will be added to our blog over the coming week.
P.S. Tory, Kipp, and Robyn participated in “Boot Camp” exercise this morning…Guatemala style. They realized everything is harder in Guatemala as they ran sprints in the courtyard, used logs as weights for lifting, and then did 8+ hours of manual labor. Wow, whose idea was that anyway?
Day 4
Our morning started out with some fresh brewed coffee from the construction worker Felix. He not only works full-time at Common Hope building homes, but also has his own coffee farm that he works before and after his day job. He brought samples of his different beans and ground them for the team to enjoy. (Check out his “As Green as it Gets” coffee at www.asgreenasitgets.org, which is distributed by a third-party in Wisconsin.)
The rest of our day was filled with many different activities, such as home construction, painting, social work home visits, training with the psychology team, and presentation training with the Common Hope staff. Our construction crew finished the home we were building for our family today, putting the final touches on the tin roof, and installing the door and windows. On Friday we will do a home blessing with the family, which will be a memorable experience. We had our first night out on the town when we went out for dinner at Las Palmas in Antigua. Don’t worry…we were home before our 10 p.m. curfew.
Now that we have been here for four days, we took the opportunity to discuss how this experience in a third-world country is impacting us. The Guatemalan people are so friendly, loving, and willing to help. No matter how much pain or sorrow they may feel at the moment, they greet us with open arms and are willing to teach us. They have an incredible attention to detail, work ethic, and appreciation for their history.
On the outside, they appear happy no matter how bad their conditions are. But how much of that positive expression is genuine? Many families are struggling with getting their basic needs met, such as food, shelter, and safety. They face domestic violence, alcoholism, unsanitary living conditions, depression, and loss. To top that, there are not many options to get out of these tough situations.
As people in the United States hear about our Vision Trip, they may question why we aren’t doing a program like this in our own country. What are we doing in Guatemala? As we reflected on the differences between Guatemala and the US, we discussed how many resources are available for struggling families in America. There are government and private-funded programs to help families in poverty in the U.S., whereas that is not in place in Guatemala. There is not government assistance for citizens. There isn’t a sense of entitlement here – people don’t feel that they deserve to be helped, which has made us feel good about doing so. Here it is about survival and basic needs, not affluence and wants.
This has led us to see the United States in a different way. Whereas we may have had negative thoughts about illegal immigrants in our country, now we better understand why they so desperately want to be a part of what we all take for granted every day. For them it is about survival.
However, we were assured that not every smile we see on the face of a Guatemalan is to cover their sorrow – there is true joy in their expression. When they see us they obviously know we are not Guatemalan (especially 6’3” bald, white Kipp), but they know we traveled far to help them and dedicate our time. Being affiliated with Common Hope is an honor for the families in the program. This experience has far exceeded our expectations and we still have four days to go. Thanks for listening to our stories.
Day 5
We have been doing so it’s beginning to feel like we’ve been here more than five days. Last evening we talked with the staff to reflect on our experience thus far. When the staff asked us if we are having any frustrations, we couldn’t recall any. An idea was proposed that our collective work experience may play ...a part. We work in a dynamic company in a dynamic industry providing the opportunity learn how to change and adapt on a daily basis. We are challenged and encouraged to build the capability to embrace ambiguity, and not only survive but thrive. Without this ability, we might already be at each other’s throats. Every day the plan changes – everyone is okay with it. Sometimes we are asked to be leaders, sometimes we are asked to be followers – and each of us has demonstrated the capacity for both.
We have been working, playing, and learning shoulder to shoulder with the men, women and children of Guatemala. Our appreciation is growing for their willingness to work and their resourcefulness.
A few observations:
• Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning, Mike, Robyn, and Tori listened to many operating plan reports the Common Hope staff are preparing for a meeting with their U.S. board of directors. The time and effort put into refining their presentations following the Presentations Skills Workshop on Tuesday morning was self evident.
• Guatemalans demonstrate great patience in helping with our Spanish. They want to teach us how to say thing and appear to get delight when we properly say the words in Espanol. Three examples from today are Javier and Kaila, 8 and 12 years respectively, and the busy mother at the second house we are beginning.
• Sweat equity is testament of a family’s desire for a Common Hope house. To clear the plot for the second house we are building, an old structure was razed, five huge trees (and the stumps) removed, and a one ton concrete pillar extracted using hand tools and manpower (probably some woman power, too). All by the family who resides on the land. While the abject poverty is evident, the lot is tidy and organized.
• Much of what we regard as rubbish is reused – explaining the scarcity of garbage cans around Guatemala. Small confection containers from our ice cream event were scurried away by a staff member when the children all asked to keep them. They will be able to be used later as a reward to entice a child to return another day.
• High-school aged interns from Common Hope were later spotted walking home, miles away from the project. It validated what we had heard about their commitment and willingness to walk for miles, morning and evening, to have this opportunity.
A couple of closing fun facts...
• Every day we hear fireworks going off. Today we learned it is to celebrate a birthday. A loud firework (probably illegal in most of the U.S.) is ignited at the front door of the person with the birthday. Its startling and surprising even miles away.
• The second house started today is outside a small town at the edge of the “jungle.” It was fun to drive down the small lane as the canopy of trees closed in overhead – although we were disappointed that monkeys, constrictors and jaguars have not been spotted. Oh, well, there’s always manaña!
Oh yeah, we had our first rain today and were pleased to know we were out of Minnesota for the first snow fall.
Day 6
Today it seems that the team hit their second wind. On the agenda was construction at house #2, leadership training with several of the Common Hope team, and T-shirt designing for 25-30 teens, just for starters. The morning started off with a beautiful view of the nearby volcano, Alotenango, puffing large clouds of smoke into the bright blue morning sky.
• Dana, Tori, Sonja, Patrick and Terry spent the morning putting the finishing touches on the school at Santa Catarina. The transformation from beginning to end is absolutely remarkable. With the side by side assistance of the local children and staff the school now stands out as a stunning example of hard work, long hours, and a shared vision of so many. As we completed our hugs and handshakes, we headed for the exit of the school. It was extremely hard to walk through the door for the last time and say Adios to our new friends who have shared so many great moments over this past week. Shortly after boarding the van for the return trip, the driver eased his head out the window and motioned that the van had a flat tire. The team jumped off the van and some headed for the comfort of the shade while others used this time to interact with local children and explore. During this down time the team received an incredible treat as they poked their heads into a local workshop. A young man in his early 20’s was very carefully applying gold leaf to a very intricately hand carved, wood and plaster casting for a local cathedral. What a great peek into the hard work and craftsmanship that makes this city so beautiful.
• Team 2, consisting of Mike, Kipp, Nicole, Robyn, and Sean spent the morning at the second home site finishing up the concrete foundation on which the walls will soon stand. The process was guided by our Common Hope friends Pablo, Felix and Maura. The work consisted primarily of laying concrete slab squares for the floor and pouring a concrete border for the walls. With many of us not experts on the work, the guidance from our Common Hope partners and our determination made for a quick completion. Of course in true Best Buy fashion of going above and beyond, we had extra concrete so with some quick thinking and teamwork, we added an entrance porch on which we scribed “bienvenido” or “welcome” in Spanish, much to the soon to be new homeowner’s delight. To wrap up this team’s work, we mustn’t forget Nicole’s preparation for the first dance at her wedding, which will now be the Electric Slide. Thank you Maura for the dance lessons!
• Terry, Robyn, and Sonja spent the entire afternoon with Karen and Brianna from Common Hope and 25-30 local teenagers designing T-shirts. The teens had their choice of a variety of paints and iron on decals and were asked to design a shirt that expressed a little bit about who they were, their interests, aspirations, etc. The shirts were a HUGE hit! The kids were extremely patient while waiting for their decals to be applied. (FYI-When it says 35 seconds to apply, it really means 5-6 minutes to apply-per letter!). Robyn, who later, admitted to disliking ironing more than anything she could think of, spent three solid hours ironing on each child’s name (some were first, middle, and last) as well as their decals. Each child made at least one but most made two shirts and then wanted a picture taken of their work. The artistic and creative flair shown by each of the kids was so fun to watch. And, we learned that Bieber Fever has invaded Antigua . . . two girls wanted Justin Bieber on their shirts. Afterwards, during our recap of the activity with Brianna, we mentioned how impressed the team was with the behavior of the children, the respect displayed, patience, and teamwork were absolutely unbelievable. Some had to wait over 30 minutes to get their decals applied and they simply smiled and chatted with one another. Brianna explained that these teenagers were “at risk” youth that had experienced some of the roughest of childhoods and were struggling with their school work, home life, and development. She went on to say that this group gathered each Thursday as a commitment to self and team development and education. Once again, the emphasis on education, and the promise of a brighter tomorrow filled a room with local youth and the hearts of 3 Best Buy friends.
• Kipp, Sean, and Patrick finished off the day with leadership development classes with Pablo (Director of IT) and 6 other staff members. They had been tasked with providing both Leadership and Team building training to some of the team that Pablo had identified as future leaders in the organization. The Best Buy Vision Team members that conducted this training definitely learned as much as we taught with the group. While they were going through one of the exercises, some of the participants were reluctant to participate. As they dug deeper, they learned that the hierarchical leadership structure strongly discourages any sort open dialog between employer and employee. Pablo has been working to change this, which is why he felt this training was so important for his team.
• Just down the gravel path from Leadership training, the woodshop workers (Nicole, Tori, Dana and Mike) were building panels at warp speed. They made 10 panels for new homes in just three hours. In case you’ve been following the blog, this is an amazing feat and deserving of much recognition, awe and applause.
• Today was also a very important day for three of the team. The decision was made by Sonja, Tori and Terry to sponsor a child through Common Hope. After spending the time with the children, seeing the possibilities, love, as well as the determination in their eyes, it goes without saying that the team knew that lives were going to be changed; it was just a matter of when and by how much. The three are very anxious because they get to visit their sponsor families and child tomorrow and then the true “Challenge and Change” begins.
• Thursday is also a special day as the Common Hope staff stays late to play a friendly game of soccer to end the day. Accepting the challenge were Terry, Sean, Kipp and Patrick. The game was of epic proportions, steeped heavily in determination and pure will to win. Of course there was nothing at stake other than bragging rights and most of us barely knew which team we were on. The outcome of the game was sealed when Patrick, playing goalie, launched the ball into the heavens, only to come down directly in front of Kipp, who with a fierce strike, returned the ball through team members from both sides, and between Patrick’s legs for a goal.
Tomorrow is our last day and the week seems both long and short. We’re headed to bed, exhausted, but excited for our last day of our adventure.
Day 7
Our final day in Guatemala was a mixture of smiles, tears, and reflections on the incredible impact this experience has had on all of us. There was construction work to complete – Dana, Sean, Mike, and Terry hauled loads and loads of concrete, rock and dirt to mix the cement for the floor blocks. They left some major sweat drops behind to keep the memory of the Best Buy Vision Team contributions to the Guatemalan handicraft. Patrick, Kipp, Robyn and Nicole went on social work visits, which they described as amazing. Some of the families that were visited were doing quite well, reporting great report cards for their children at the close of this school year, some graduations of seniors (which is very atypical), and passing of grades for most of the students. Other families were struggling more with problems related to lack of family support, domestic violence, and absent fathers or mothers. During our short time on these visits, it is incredible to think about the social workers who perform this role day in and day out, which is a testament to the dedication of the workers of Common Hope.
One of the most significant occurrences of this week happened today – three more team mates became sponsors of Common Hope affiliated children (along with Dana who sponsored Luis earlier this week). Terry met Katherine Dejaneira Samora Diaz, who has six beautiful sisters including Berbelin (a.k.a. Beatrice, a.k.a. Beverly) whom he met earlier in the week at the Common Hope center. Sonja and Tori will be co-sponsoring Marvin, whom they also met today. They were able to spend time with him and his family at their home. Marvin, his siblings, and cousins were overjoyed to play with the bubbles and give hugs to his new sponsors. These teammates will be changing the lives of these families forever.
In the afternoon we met with As Green As It Gets, an organization helping the people of Guatemala start their own small businesses. One of our favorite construction workers Felix has a coffee bean business that was started through this organization. Several of the small business families came to the center to share their goods with us through an artisan market. Our team went on a shopping frenzy for handmade items, such as lip balm, jade jewelry, woven fabric, pot holders, children’s clothing, and so much more. We all felt so positive to support these rising entrepreneurs.
We then headed to the blessing of the home we built for the Garcia-Velasco family. Mike presented an emotional and personal blessing where he wished the family well in their new home and presented gifts of handmade fleece blankets and food. The team was then bid farewell from the Common Hope staff and participated in our final reflection. For our closing event, we headed out to an amazing dinner for our last night in Guatemala. The team reluctantly packed their bags for the trip home in the morning. We are all forever changed by our experience with the amazing people of Guatemala and Common Hope.
Personal Reflections:Dana Sitzman Meets the Guatemalan Child She Sponsors I am sponsoring a child through the Common Hope program – seven-year-old Luis. I had the fortunate opportunity to meet him and his family while on my Vision Trip in Guatemala. Accompanied by a social worker, I went to the family’s home, which was in an extremely impoverished area of San Miguel Escobar.
The entire property was about the size of a modest living room in the United States. Their home was made of cornstalks, with a tin door that was tied shut with a shoe string. The home was one room with a dirt/mud floor, a table, a couple of chairs, and two beds pushed together. There was neither electricity nor running water. There were sheets covering where rain comes through the cornstalks, and there was a path through the middle of the room where the rain water ran through. The whole house was coated in dirt, including the walls, bedding, and the minimal belongings. They could not keep anything on the floor because it was all mud. The family qualified for a three bedroom home, which will actually have a shower and toilet area, which is very uncommon. Once they can get into a home with cement, it will make such a difference. It will be a different world for them.
Luis appeared so excited to meet me, as this sponsorship will be providing a new life for him and his family. They clearly had prepared for this visit, as he was bathed, his hair was slicked down and combed, and he was wearing the first pair of shoes he had ever owned (from Common Hope). Luis’ mother was so grateful. I could not understand what she was saying as she hugged me tightly and whispered in my ear, but I knew this meant a lot to her and her family. There were other children everywhere, peaking through the cornstalks at the visitors.
I talked to Luis about school. The primary mission of Common Hope is education for children, and a sponsor’s role is to support the child and family is reaching their goal of graduating high school, which is highly uncommon in this country. I talked to them about how important school is and encouraged him to stay in school. I brought a puzzle that we completed together. Luis stared at me the whole time in amazement. He was very quiet and polite. The other siblings, who are ages 3 and 9, were not home because they had hiked up the hills to get fruit. I didn’t see any food around the home, so I was glad I brought them a food basket, which they said would feed them for a month. It contained non-perishable items like corn, beans, soy milk, rice, and flour, as well as soap and other supplies. In Guatemala nutrition is a major issue because the primary food source is beans and rice. Many of the children, as well as adults, do not have teeth because they were pulled due to decay. Unfortunately coca-cola is cheaper than water. In fact, while at the family’s home I saw a toddler walking by drinking cola out of a straw.
The school is on break during November and December of each year, as this is the harvest season. Luis will now start working in the family’s field during his school break. It is a one-hour walk to their corn field in the mountain where they will harvest their small corn plot by hand. His father walks to work at 4 a.m. each day. He then walks home to have lunch with his family, and walks back to resume his workday. (That means a total of about 4 hours of walking per day!) Luis’ mother said she does not see her husband much because of the tremendous time he works. You need a 6th grade education to get a job, which many adults don’t have, so do not have any choice but working in the fields.
I asked Luis’ mother about her family, and I showed them pictures of my family and pet in Minnesota. he mother spoke a lot and asked questions. We talked about the commonalities of our families, as we each have three children. Luis said he also had a dog like my family does, but his is a wild dog that wanders to seek food and occasionally comes to his home.
I brought Luis several simple gifts, including a hand-made fleece blanket and a book. He loved the blanket, which was made of vivid colors and cartoon faces of monkeys; he kept running his hand over it and looking at it. The blanket that they did have was muddy and rolled up, so this was the brightest thing in the house. I did not see anything in their home that I would see in most American houses. They don’t have toys, bikes, or other activities to entertain them at home. It made sense that many of the children and families were seen hanging around on the streets and elsewhere. If not, you would instead be in a dark, tin house.
They said if I returned to visit Luis will know how to read the monkey book I brought for him. It was important to his mother, which made it really important to me. He is going to do this due to Common Hope’s focus on education, and if he wasn’t he would instead be working in the fields like many other children. Many parents have not received education, which makes it hard. I could tell she was embarrassed of where they lived, so I tried to compliment them about the upkeep of their home, as I thought about all I had at home.
I felt so thankful for this opportunity. There was so much to take in. I know the money donated to Common Hope goes to a good cause, as I got to see first-hand the difference it will make for a family. Since I met them in person, it made me and they feel accountable and dedicated to Luis’ education. It makes you think of all we take for granted and the things we give to our kids every day. Giving a child an education and helping them have new opportunities is irreplaceable. We are really lucky to be where we are. We have good jobs and provide for our family, so we are able to make such a difference in so many ways through a program like this.
Mike Goerings’s Family Home Visit with a Social Worker
I went on the first home visit with a Common Hope social worker, which was a life-changing experience. We were dropped off by the Common Hope van in an area where it was too narrow for a car to fit through, and we started our trudge up the hill. The cobble stone road ended and it was a dirt path with a walking path into the woods. As we made our way down the path, the houses got smaller, more run down and dirty. We were able to visit several homes during this social work visit. People in the town were very friendly and knew the social worker by name. They were willing to greet you on the street, whether you were driving or walking by. I did not see many old people, and I would guess that the age expectancy is much younger than in the United States.
At the first home, we walked through a metal gate up to their Common Hope home, which has a new concrete floor, one main room and two bedrooms. They also have a small garden and a roof of corrugated tin. This family has been doing well through the program, as one of their children just graduated 6th grade, which is a significant accomplishment in Guatemala. When we walked up the home, the kids were playing together with their improvised toys – a plastic cup and a flattened ball. The father used to be a Spanish teacher, but lost an eye and was disabled. His wife is a chef at a hospital, so she is gone during the day and he is home with the children. He started an egg business to help support the family. You could tell by the body language of the father that he was a little uncomfortable with my presence, but after a while he opened up more and was very cordial and accommodating. The social worker was very encouraging and talked about how important it was for their children to continue their education.
Further up the hill we went to the next house. This family has five children, in which two are affiliated with Common Hope. It is common to just have two children affiliated, as that is enough to provide services to the entire family. (There are hundreds of children waiting for sponsors, so Common Hope instead focuses on finding sponsors for additional families instead of sponsors for all the children in the family.) There were a couple of difficult conversations the social worker had with this one. One of the children did not pass his grade, so because of this his status with Common Hope changed. He gets one more shot to pass his grade, so there is more responsibility on the child and parents. The 16-year old daughter’s grades were excellent; however she is facing other problems. Last summer the father gave her permission to have a boyfriend, and unfortunately she is now three months pregnant. Her mother was in tears as she spoke about this because she was unsure about what would happen to her daughter. Luckily, she can still be affiliated with Common Hope and receive medical care for herself and her child if she stays in school and keeps her grades up. The father of the child has asked for her hand in marriage, but he is Catholic and they are Evangelical. She is not certain if she wants to marry him, and now worries that her path may continue further up the hill to nowhere.
The final visit was the most dire situation. When the social worker knocked on the door, we were not allowed in. She talked to the male head of the household at the door, and he was reluctant to visit. In July he worked as a security guard for a wealthy family, and his foot was injured on the job. He was able to go back to work, but they were not pleased with his work ability and he was fired. They have four kids – two are out of the home and two are in the home. They are also raising two grandchildren, so he is in need to support this large family.
As we walked down the hill, we passed through the streets to the bus stop. A lot of the stores had iron bars, and there were lots of wild dogs, dirt, and blowing dust in the road. We rode home on the “chicken bus,” which is a typical American school bus that is painted decoratively and used for public transportation. The bus workers were repairing a seat, sweeping, and wiping the seats, taking great care and pride in their vehicle. Considering what they had to work with, they are doing the best they can. As we rode there were interesting smells that would occasionally waft through the open windows. The smells were not offensive – just earthy, curious and different.
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