Editor’s note: Portions of this story were previously published in the March 23, 2017, issue of the Telegraph-Times-Monitor.
BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
“Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change — across the globe, in our communities and in ourselves.”
So reads Rotary International’s vision statement, which is perfectly exemplified by an effort to improve the futures of children in Guatemala.
The Rotary Club of Starke has joined 130 other clubs to sponsor a Rotary International grant of $568,321 to support of the nonprofit Cooperative for Education and its Guatemala Literacy Project. This marks the 10th year the Starke club has participated in this effort through a $1,000 donation.
Each donation made by a Rotary club is matched by the Rotary International Foundation.
What does the money do? It supports students in Guatemala through four sustainable programs: the Rise Youth Development Program, which consists of providing students with scholarships as well as such things as peer mentoring, social work and academic support; the Spark Reading Program, which trains teachers to effectively teach reading; the Computer Program, which establishes computer centers in schools; and the Textbook Program, which provides books to schools and trains teachers to effectively use them as teaching tools.
Starke Rotarian John Smith had the chance to see the impact of the Guatemalan Literacy Program in person. As part of a group of approximately 30 Rotarians, he visited approximately 10 schools as part of a 10-day trip to Guatemala in February 2017.
“It encouraged me,” Smith said. “I saw what the results are. I don’t know any other project we could do that would be more rewarding.”
Smith was able to witness the presentation of textbooks to schools, which was cause for a great deal of excitement in the community the school was located in, bringing in local dignitaries to give speeches, while the schools created a festive atmosphere. Smith said some of the schools displayed U.S. flags, while children sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” One school didn’t have the funds to purchase U.S. flags, but its students remedied the situation.
“The kids made one,” Smith said. “They got a piece of paper, and they put the stripes on it and had the stars drawn on it. They marched in carrying the flag while they played the national anthem.”
Cooperative for Education’s website states that Guatemalan’s Western Highlands exhibit one of the most extreme combinations of systemic poverty, illiteracy and inequality in the western hemisphere. Some statistics demonstrate why Guatemala was chosen as a focus for Cooperative for Education’s efforts: 79 percent of indigenous Guatemalans live in poverty, 90 percent of poor children never graduate from high school and 33 percent of indigenous adults can’t read or write.
The website also states that the majority of the Maya people don’t have access to affordable, quality education. Plus, teachers in rural schools often lack the formal training and resources — like books and computers — to facilitate learning.
Books weren’t a common sight for Smith when he visited Guatemalan schools. He said he saw a library — a room consisting of four or five shelves of books — at only one school.
“Now, I’m not sure I just didn’t see any (others),” Smith said, “but I’m pretty certain there wasn’t a library in any of the other schools.”
The goal of the Textbook Program is to not only put books in the hands of students and teachers and train the teachers how to use them effectively, but to also start a cycle in which communities provide the means for schools to buy more books. Smith said children’s parents sign an agreement to pay the use of the books initially provided by the Guatemala Literacy Project (approximately $1.50 per month). That money goes toward buying more books.
“They’ve given parents ownership of the thing,” Smith said. “The ownership is what makes this work. Everybody’s involved.”
The Textbook Program proved to be invaluable during 2020 when Guatemalan schools closed at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Online learning wasn’t an option for many students, yet 26,800 students in 207 schools still had access to Guatemalan Literacy Project textbooks so they could continue their studies.
Also, approximately 500 Guatemalan teachers received online training via Zoom in May 2020 through the Guatemala Literacy Program.
During his 2017 trip, Smith visited homes of some of the children who were receiving scholarships through the Guatemala Literacy Project. One home belonged to a family that consisted of eight children, though four had already moved out. The father was a farmer, who grew broccoli, corn and English peas on approximately 3 acres, Smith said.
If the man couldn’t fetch a good price for his crops, he couldn’t afford to plant more, Smith said, adding that if the man found himself unable to plant, then he was also unable to provide food for his family. During those times, he’d hire himself out as a laborer, making approximately $4 per day.
Smith said the man’s oldest daughter had the chance to go to college, thanks to a Guatemala Literacy Project scholarship.
“He was so thankful his child was going to be able to go to school,” Smith said. “What (the Guatemala Literacy Project) is doing is going to make a big difference in their lives.”
A child who can receive a good education can get a good job. He or she can then help support their family and perhaps help their siblings become educated as well.
“It improves the life of the whole family,” Smith said.
The cost of a yearly scholarship through the Guatemala Literacy Project is $960. Individual members of Starke Rotary have provided two yearly scholarships, while an additional scholarship was sponsored by the Downtown Grill “Liars Club” in honor of Lee Sparks.
Harvey Baxter, who worked for many years as an attorney in Bradford, Baker and Union counties, has served as an inspiration for Starke Rotary to become involved, Smith said. Baxter (a member of the Rotary Club of Baker County) and his wife, Terry, have sponsored several scholarships over the years and attend their sponsored students’ graduations when possible. Baxter is a member of Guatemala Literacy Project’s advisory board and has made several trips to Guatemala to oversee the distribution of funds.
If you’d like to learn more about the Guatemala Literacy Project, you may visit coeduc.org or guatemalaliteracy.org.
