Teaching Hope in Chimaltenango, Guatemala

Guatemala is a country with a limited public education system. Too many children drop out by middle school due to geographically distant schools and difficulty paying for the basic necessities of attending. Knowing this context, three of us went to Guatemala on a Pangea Giving site visit in November 2015. We went to a poor urban area in Chimaltenango, where we were privileged to meet Hilda Vasquez.

Hilda had been an adult literacy instructor in the community. Many of her adult students begged Hilda to teach their children who were no longer in school. At the same time, Hilda recognized diverse challenges that young people in her hometown faced – violence, bullying, drugs, gangs, and loss of culture. No other schools were addressing these problems, and the options for middle school in her community were next to none. One thought led to another, and in 2011, Hilda started AC Esperanza, which teaches the state approved curriculum and provides an alternative where most children don’t have access to middle school. Since 2015, Pangea has funded a full-time teacher salary.

It is amazing what Hilda and her team have accomplished in 3 years since funding began. When we visited, they were teaching in a converted garage with three walls and a tin roof – though this space was beautifully decorated with student art, local herbs, and photographs. Since then, AC Esperanza has flourished: growing from one class of 18 seventh graders to 62 students in seventh, eighth, and ninth grades in 2018. Priority is given to the kids who have the fewest resources. She also expanded the school building by adding a new story onto her existing classroom, working a creative deal with her landlord and getting families to help with construction. The school is truly a learning sanctuary!

Hilda has a natural aptitude and understanding of how to work with adolescents. She is tireless, yet exudes a steady calm. She has great connections with these kids. She endows faith in their ability and never confronts them, but works with them where they are. The students, in turn, appear to blossom in this environment.

In addition to teaching the public school curriculum, Hilda’s school integrates leadership development, arts, music, theater, sports, and programs that focus on alternatives to violence and bullying. This year, they started a new program: “Jueves de Emprendimiento” (Entrepreneurship Thursday). Every Thursday, students learn about specific vocations that might interest them in the future. Students may participate in up to three vocational classes taught by local specialists including pastry making, textiles, carpentry, and craft making. Hilda says the kids lookforward to these classes where they produce wooden stools, tablecloths, pastries, and more while learning skills that will allow them to support their families. Monthly family workshops are also offered to students’ parents. Hilda uses volunteers to help teach and promote these skills as well as enlisting as much support from the families and community members as possible.

Hilda is a terrific ambassador for her school and she manages on a shoestring budget. Take a look at her AC Esperanza’s Facebook page. The school’s activities are well documented in photos and commentary. AC Esperanza is one of those unique programs that make me proud to be an active Pangea donor.

This post was contributed by Pangea Giving member Audrey Shiffman.