Chicos Desks

Chicos Desks #Guatemala 

My name is Manuel Orellana and I am a 33 year old St. Catharines resident.

I was born in Canada and have lived here my entire life but have been travelling to Central America as a tourist for many years, specifically Guatemala.

On one particular visit I was welcome by a family friend to stay at his home in a small “City" named “Escuintla” in the southwestern region of Guatemala. 

I remember this day specifically because we drove to the village at night and the Volcano was showing signs of life as it erupted in the distance.

As we pulled up to his home the lack of street lights and dirt roads made for an interesting arrival but before I had time to feel nervous his truck horn interrupted my train of thought and the gate came swinging open. 

Until now most of my visits have been mainly to the capital or more touristy areas in Guatemala and although I had been amazed by the generosity of locals before I was particularly humbled by the way I was received that night. 

It was as if I had always been a part of his family, I was welcomed with warm hearts and a warm meal by his wife and  kids.

After dinner I was shown to where I would be sleeping and as expected it wasn’t much more than a blanket and pillow on the ground and I was grateful to rest. 


As I woke up the next morning the sound of children bustling around for nap sacks and a rooster in the near distance filled the room.
I immediately noticed the overwhelming heat and humidity and I quickly realized that I wasn’t getting anymore sleep that day.


Within ten minutes of being awake I was surrounded but giggling children begging me to walk them to school. I nervously agreed because I wasn’t familiar with the surrounding area and had been told stories of the crime and violence in this particular colonia (division) and being covered in tattoos in a village where people are a custom to noticing suspicious characters made for a bit of interesting walk.


The first thing that caught my eyes was how busy the streets were with traffic and how the children were simply walking the dirt  path alongside busses and other motorists. It all seemed so dangerous but  nobody but me had any concerns. Before we could make it to the School my family friend “Chico” suggested that I meet the neighbourhood carpenter and pick up a desk for a student he knew.


I agreed and we walked to a small shop on the top of hill where Chico exchanged the little bit of money he had for a small desk. He then explained to me that he had seen the condition of the school and struggled to find a way to make a difference with the little bit of income he had. 


He explained that one day while he was dropping off his children at school he noticed how broken down the desks and chairs were and decided that he was going to have one fixed.  From that day on every time one desk was fixed he would carry it from the carpenters to the school and take another desk with him. 


I remember being overwhelmingly inspired by his actions and as I carried the desk back to the school I made a decision to do everything in my power to help Chico.
I think that being raised in Canada made me a bit naive to the conditions that other people had to face everyday and I wasn’t prepared for what I was about to see.


I as walked into the school my heart started sinking to my feet and I remember thinking  “No one I know would ever leave their children here".

The first thing I noticed was the playground, It was made up of old car tires and a metal slide that looked as if it had been glued together.

 

I found it peculiar that no one was playing in the one area but I quickly realized that the heat would make it impossible to play on the slide without the risk being burned.  Escuintla has a reputation of unbearable heat and over the course of the year, temperatures typically varies from 25°C  to 35°C rarely below 15°C or above 40°C

Torrential rain and floods also threaten this area throughout the year and it has made it increasingly harder to maintain a safe place for these children to grow.


As I continued walking around my concerns for the school kept growing. I spotted mold infested ceilings, dust covered documents due to lack of proper windows, no water fountains, minimal supplies , broken desks and chairs, missing parts of the roof where rain water would enter and damage entire class rooms and simple things like fans were nowhere to be seen.



I was deeply saddened by everything I had witnessed but I the same time I was inspired by the people surrounding because despite the hardships and condition these people face on a daily basis not one of them had a look sorrow on them, in fact it was quite the opposite, the children were laughing and playing and some followed me around like I was famous. The teachers were so polite and happy to show me around and seemed to be driven and determined to care for each and everyone of the children.

I knew there and then what my mission was going to be.

 Our Goal is to raise $10,000 for the following


1. Replace all broken roof panels to avoid future damage to the school and ensure the safety of the children.











2. Fix and or replace every desk and chair to allow the children to focus on their daily task without risk of injury.













3. Install proper windows for better ventilation and also to avoid excessive dust in class rooms.













4.Remove all possible health hazards  i.e mold, damaged materials, etc..














5.Provide fans and water fountain for proper hydration and heat relief.