New School for Guatemalan children

My name is Dennis Kirkland. Several years ago, while on a mission trip to Patzicía, Guatemala I saw firsthand the many needs of these wonderful people. After retiring last year, I left my hometown in Atlanta, Georgia and returned to Guatemala to try to make a difference wherever I could in the place I now call home. Located in the highlands of this hardworking, agricultural, but very poor community, is a small private Christian school named Visión y Fe (Vision and Faith). One of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had thus far is getting involved teaching English to the school’s 33 students.

Formal government sponsored education in Guatemala only goes to the sixth grade and is not considered mandatory. As a result, most children can barely read and write. School Founder and Headmaster, Walter Xicay, and Chief Administrator, Juan Raunac, of the Vision and Faith school, are not only dedicated to providing higher education in preparation for a better life, but have also involved the students in community projects to help those of even greater need. Offering a full curriculum of academic courses, the school’s primary goals are to concentrate on teaching the students to become proficient in the English language as well as computer literate, with the belief that these skills will provide the best opportunities for jobs and economic growth in the community.

Vision and Faith school currently holds classes in a small converted house without proper facilities, running water, lighting, or ventilation. With the growing demand to bring in more students and the lack of resources for these dedicated children, Walter, Juan, and myself have prayed, searched, and hoped for other opportunities to expand the school and its necessary resources. We were recently blessed with an opportunity to purchase land to build a brand-new school that can accommodate over 200 students with classrooms, restrooms, and other facilities including a cafeteria and kitchen. The kitchen will not only provide lunches for the students, but will allow us to prepare food for many others throughout the community.

Our goal is to have the land paid off by the end of the year so that we can break ground on the new school by December 2018/January 2019.

But we can’t do any of this alone. The three of us are working diligently to raise as much money as possible, and in a rather short amount of time. We ask you to consider supporting this very important effort with a donation of any amount possible. Every little bit counts and we cannot thank each and every one of you for your support. It is all very much appreciated. Even just sharing this page and spreading the word will take us one step closer to reaching our goal. This is an incredible opportunity for the entire community, and we are almost as excited as our students are to move into our new school!