Books for the Kids of Santa Cruz, Guatemala

Hello friends and family,

My brother, Alex, and I have decided to team up to raise money for books for the children who live in the village near his home in Guatemala. Please give what you can and share! If we surpass our fundraising goal, we can also gift the school with other supplies, learning materials, or perhaps even computers. The purchases of books will also benefit the local family-owned bookstores in the nearby town of Panajachel. 

A message from Alex:

I live beside the village Santa Cruz on Lake Átitlan. The local Mayans here live an unique and beautiful existence half way between their traditional roots and the modern Western world.

Common sites here include folks in traditional Mayan dress deftly carrying loads of firewood on their backs on mountain trails, and men and women commuting to work by boat in slacks and polo shirts.

Some consider the Mayans to be poor. They may live in very modest dwellings and earn little in cash in a given month. But they have a rich culture, and their home is one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Our side of the lake is home of the Kaqchikel, a Mayan Tribe whose ancestors were the priest class in Ancient Mayan times. Based on my observation, they are very grounded, kind, calm, and often very happy people. When they smile and laugh together, the world smiles with them.

Of course, there are certain things that are not easy to get ahold of here that could help give the youth a leg up in navigating their interesting future "between worlds." One of those is good books, particularly Spanish books for kids age 4-12.

Kat had this great idea to raise some money!

We are looking to raise at least $1,000 to buy a great set of books for the schools in Santa Cruz.