Family Support Center (formerly La Guarderia/daycare)

The Family Support Center was created to serve single working mothers in Llanos del Pinal, a rural K'iche Maya community situated 20 minutes south of Quetzaltenango in the Guatemalan highlands. Meals, educational support, and extra-curricular activities are provided for the 36 children aged 2-18 who attend the Center at any given time. This institution allows for parents to continue working after school lets out. These extra hours of work enable families to earn enough money to continue sending their children to school.

The Center is staffed by seven full- and time-part employees, including one teacher. The staff cleans, cooks, and maintains the Center. The staff is thought of as family by the children because many children have difficult family lives.

The Family Support Center is supported by volunteers from the Pop Wuj Spanish School, and is regarded by the Foundation Todos Juntos as a priority because it is the only place where children can receive help on their homework, as their parents (or parent) tend to be illiterate and unable to academically assist the education of their children.

The epidemic of malnutrition which plagues Guatemalan children is combated here as well. The Center provides children with healthy meals and vitamins to aid in their natural development along with medicinal lotions to fight off skin diseases. All of the children receive regular check-ups from the staff and volunteers of the Pop Wuj Medical Clinic.

Along with services to the children, the Center provides counseling and social work services to the families who participate in the program. Familial disintegration, alcoholism, and depression are common problems in Llanos del Pinal and the Center offers hope to individuals suffering from such problems by offering them a broader community.

At the Family Support Center a Greenhouse Project was also started as part of our Environmental Program in 2007. Its goal is to provide safe food for the children at the Center and create a source of income for the Center by growing food products that can be sold in the market. The Greenhouse Project also allows the children to learn healthy agricultural and environmental skills and practices. We are planning to plant spinach, radishes, and cilantro in 2012.

The Family Support Center costs approximately $2,000 a month to run. The budget consists of salaries for the seven full- and part-time employees, food, dry goods, cooking fuel, cleaning supplies, utilities, and rent.




Saturday, August 10, 2013

Adam's Last Day, Winners of the Recycling Project and Honour Roll Students!


Hello from the Family Support Centre!



Last Friday marked Adam’s last day at the Family Support Centre.  All of the kids were sad to see him go, and though we look forward to hearing about his upcoming travel adventures, he will missed at the Family Support Centre and at Pop Wuj.  
Also on Friday, Carmen, Amy, the coordinators and students from the social work program held a meeting with the mothers to hand out the monthly scholarships for August.  At the meeting we  distributed several awards:


  • Recycling - awards were presented to the students that brought in the largest amount of plastic.  

  • Honor Roll - awards were given for students that made honor roll.  In July, there were nine students who received an average of over eighty percent in their marks this month.  


Congratulations to all of our top students this month!  

Photo credit: Caroline Yung 2013


Friday, August 2, 2013

The circus comes to town....and the coordinator departs

Last Friday the circus came to town!! The Llanos del Pinal primary school finished early on Friday morning so the kids could head to the circus. All the kids piled into the back of my van and we trundled, bumped and laughed our way along the bumpy roads of Llanos del Pinal to the circus. It wasn't what many may class as a circus, per say. But a few clowns, a couple unicycles and a lot of laughs made it close enough. Our Guayito got selected to participate in the 'try to say on your feet and not vomit contest', also known as spinning around in circles for a long time. But after a lot of spinning and only 3 tumbles he came away victor, a can of drink his spoils of war. Afterwards we bumped and laughed our way back to the centre via a couple paseos around Llanos.





The Thursday prior to the circus we had our own little warm up performance. Thanks to a couple of talented and energetic students from the Pop Wuj Spanish school, we sang and danced our way through our Thursday activity.










Also on another lovely note the monthly staff meeting turned into a mini surprise party for our wonderful boss, the all encompassing social projects coordinator, Carmencita, with paches de papa (typical potato tamales), presents and pasteles. Happy Birthday Carmencita!!

On a little bit a self indulgent note, this is my last week as the coordinator of the Family Support Centre. I would just like to thank everyone involved in this amazing project, Pop Wuj for this opportunity and continued tireless work in the communities around Xela, the staff at the centre for your friendship, help and support, the mothers for your trust and support, everyone that supports the centre through Foundation Todos Juntos (your donations make a world of difference), and most of all the kids for the love and enjoyment I felt everyday. I will be back very soon!!

Adam

Friday, July 19, 2013

Vacations

The last week of June was vacation week, thanks to el Día del Maestro. That meant 39 free and unoccupied niños. But thankfully we managed to fill (in fact overfill) the week and the bored minds of the kids.

Monday: We spend the day making pulceras (bracelets) out of wool. The tricky designs and craft-work were quickly conquered by the kids and by the end of the day all had arms full with bracelets. The activity was so popular it continued into most of Tuesday and some even spent the next week turning up with new ones they had made at home.

Tuesday: We had our periodic medical control out at the family support centre. With a brigade of doctors and med students here at the school we headed out to do our health check ups. Height, weights and general checkups were all taken. And apart from the odd cold all came through with flying colors.

Wednesday: After a couple of weeks of detailed planing and writing and with the great help of a couple social work students, we presented workshops (talleres) on healthy relationship and sexuality, drugs and alcohol, and education. We broke the kids into 3 groups, the young kids together (minus the pulgitas) and separated the older boys and girls. The sexuality taller focused, firstly on respect for yourselves and the importance of respect, friendship, and support for your partner. We also touched on the delicate subject of sex and contraception with the older ones. Drugs and alcohol spoke of the reality of why people drink and even like to drink, but that it also has grave consequences. It finished up with alternative solutions to dealing with problem drinking. Finally we wrapped up the morning with the importance of education in all forms, not just in school. They all went down much better than expected, although it just about exhausted the concentration of the smaller conejos (8-10 years).

Thursday: Reforestation, with the help of the last group of families that had received stoves and 15 Pop Wuj students. We all ventured up into the surrounding hills of Llanos del Pinal and some even half way up Volcan Santa Maria. We successfully planted over 400 arbolitos. A great time was had by all, especially by the families that generously donated their precious land for the project.





Friday: After a very busy week it was time to recover, so making dream-catchers was just the perfect way to recuperate, and recover all that spent energy of the week past.

Monday, June 3, 2013

Family Support Center Updates!

It has been a very busy few weeks out at the family support centre. Firstly we had Lauren an ex Pop Wuj student come out and give a couple yoga classes with the kids. Some took to it like ducks to water and others more like cats, but none the less we all had a great time trying.

Then last week we celebrated Día del Árbol or Arbor Day. We took our usual Thursday activity, with the students from Pop Wuj, on the road to the house of Doña Sylvia, our hard working cook at the centre. Juan, the environmental projects coordinator and Adam the centre coordinator conducted a very informative lesson on the importance of trees in our lives, before everyone making a symbolic planting of 6 trees. Of which we have assigned some of the children the responsibility to look after.
Also this Monday marked the start of the rejuvenated recycling program out at the centre. To prevent the burning of plastic in the homes, we are encouraging the kids to bring their plastic bottles from their homes, schools and the streets. The first few days have been a great success, with hundreds of bottles being brought in. We have started a little competition to see which kids can bring the most bottles, so we will update you with this month’s winners in a couple weeks time.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Mission, Vision, and Development

With the support of Julie and Anssel, our former General Projects and Environmental Projects Interns, the Family Support Center (formerly La Guardería) has been working hard this year to improve the services and atmosphere that we provide.

Family Support Center staff, Carmencita, Amy, and Julie

During our monthly staff meetings and mothers' meetings, we have been focusing on defining and improving the project.  We have worked with the staff, the mothers, and the older children/youth to identify values and create both a mission and a vision statement. Since creating the mission and vision, we have provided professional development and mothers' activity on self-esteem, conflict resolution, and how to live the values that we have identified.  Professional development continues each month during the staff meetings and mothers meetings.

Small group work during the mothers meeting

Mission
Ser un proyecto que gana la confianza de las familias para todos juntos (familia, escuela, y proyecto) dignificar a sus integrantes con valores y amor para su calidad de vida practicando la solidaridad.

Be a project that earns the trust of the families for everyone together (family, school, and project) to dignify its members with values ​​and love for their quality of life by practicing solidarity.

Vision
Forjar para el futuro, jóvenes y adultos capaces de realizar con felicidad su labor para el desarrollo de las comunidades y Guatemala con respeto, solidaridad, honestidad, comunicación, y amor.  

Build for the future, youth and adults able to happily perform their work for the development of communities and Guatemala with respect, solidarity, honesty, communication, and love.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Feliz Cumple!


On April 25, 2013 we celebrated the birthdays of the 13 children and youth who turned a year older during the months of January, February, March, April, and May. 

Check out our video and celebrate with us!

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Mothers Day Celebrations


Last Thursday the Centro de Apoyo Familiar, the Family Support Centre, had their annual mother’s day celebration. Which I had the wonderful pleasure of being my first day at the centre, as the new project coordinator. And what a way to begin! The children had toiled hard to organize and choreograph dances, songs and drama performances. All the mothers and children got involved in hilarious activities including plantain eating and balloon popping contests (without hands of course). Everyone had a great laugh especially the mothers. Some of whom were quite reluctant at first but ended up having a ball. We wrapped up the day with the kids presenting their mothers with some personalized gifts. They all said a few words of heartfelt love, of how much their mothers meant to them. It was an extremely touching and emotional time; there wasn’t a dry eye in the centre, from the kids, the mothers and to the dozen students from Pop Wuj that came along to share in the celebrations.


Thursday, May 9, 2013

Jornadas Dentales/Dental Brigades!

By Anssel López

In Guatemala all high schools offer different career tracks for the young adults that are getting ready to enter the workforce. When I was in high school in Guatemala, I chose to study to be a dental hygienist. If you are thinking of the people at the dentist office that clean your teeth, then you’re on the right track. However, my time in high school was just part of my preparation for university.

Now that I am back in Guatemala, this time as foreigner in my own land, I have had the opportunity to collaborate in all of Pop Wuj’s social projects. One of the most heartwarming projects is La Guardería, as everyone still calls it. I can picture our staff and student coordinator telling us that the project is actually a before and after school program and a family support center, not a daycare. We do not have babies at the project and nearly all of our participants are old enough to attend school. But calling it ‘La Guardería’ instead of the ‘Family Support Center’ is easier and nicer.

During my time at Pop Wuj, I became very attached to the project. I loved to visit those kids every Thursday. It melted my heart every time they greeted me with huge smiles and asked for my name again because they could not remember it. Because of this and the need for good oral health, I decided that it was a great idea to contact my old school, El Colegio San Jose, where I studied and also taught for a short while. Among other career tracks, the Colegio San Jose teaches and trains students to be dental hygienists in Xela.


After a few meetings school administrators and I put together a “Jornada Odontologica.” What a wonderful experience it was! The school provided us with dental records, materials, and allowed us to take 7 second-year students to La Guardería to work on our kids’ teeth. The excitement on the kids’ faces depicted something unexpected and indescribable. They could not wait to have their teeth cleaned!

The students of Colegio San Jose brought cleaning supplies, equipment, and a great attitude to our kids who have very little. I could not believe how little Guayito and Oscar were so excited to have someone look in their mouth, or how Amy cried out her eyes because she was afraid. All of them were very interested and paid close attention to the lecture about oral health as well as common diseases.

Each cleaning session took at least 30 to 45 minutes, and every time one of the kids went out, all of the others ran towards us asking if they could be the next one. I had never seen so much desire to have their mouth poked around and to have other people’s hands in their mouths, but the excitement was greater than the fear.

Sadly we could not clean of the children’s teeth the first day, but the ones that did had the cleanest teeth that you can imagine. The students from San Jose took their time to ensure that there was not a single millimeter missed in their work. Fortunately, a second group of San Jose students were able to continue the jornada dental a few weeks later. By the end of April all of the children and youth had their teeth cleaned. Well, all of the children except little Amy. She was still too scared. We are planning future jornadas odontologicas to help our kids maintain clean and healthy teeth!


¡Gracias al Colegio San Jose y a sus estudiantes!

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Love and Appreciation

   As in years past “Día del Cariño” was celebrated  at the Family Support Center with a handful of PopWuj language school students and a bit of chocolate.What did change is that this year they  used this occasion to create a video to send warm  
 wishes to all the volunteers that have passed through the doors of the Family Support Center over the years.


The song performed by the children was originally sung by a children’s chorale to commemorate the 1979 visit of Pope Juan Paul II. After that performance the Brazilian singer/songwriter Roberto Carlos began singing it, making it famous throughout Latin America. Many Guatemalans can easily recite this famous song


Amigo
By Roberto Carlos
You are my soul brother in reality, a friend.  In every step and journey you're always with me.  Even though you're a man, you have a soul of a child; the one who gives his friendship, respect and affection.  I remember that together we went through hard times.
And you never changed despite how strong the wind was.  Your heart is a house with opened doors.  You are most true in untrue situations.  In certain hard times that there is in life, we find someone who can help find an exit. 
And that word with power and faith which you gave me, it gives me certainty that you always stood beside me.  You are my soul friend in this journey.  Smiles and hugs I gave you every time we would meet.  You tell me truths with opened phrases.  You are most true in untrue situations.  I don't even have to say, all the things that I'm saying but it's good like this to feel, that you're my great friend……….  Dedicated to those true friends, much love and joy to all.

 

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Catching Up with the Family Support Center

It's been a while since our last post about the Family Support Center (formerly La Guardería). November and December are vacation months for students in Guatemala, and, despite a budget crunch, we offered some special activities for the children and youth at the end of last year.  In additional to the Olympics and a fun art activity, we also organized a few special days with the children and youth.

Art Activity:  Special Christmas Party Invitations for the Families

Self-Care Activity
The children and youth participated in a self-care activity in November.  All of the participants were instructed to arrive at the Center, on time, ready to greet the day.  We encouraged them to bath in the morning and wear clean clothes.  We divided into four groups and prepared a delicious breakfast, including cereal, fruit, scrambled eggs, and smoothies.  Each group was responsible for part of the breakfast activity, including decorating and setting the tables.  The idea behind this activity was to show the children and youth that they have enough time in the morning to get ready for school and prepare and eat a healthy breakfast.
Washing the Oranges
Soaking the Strawberries


Scrambling the Eggs






























Enjoying Cake and Secrets
Birthday Party
Also in November we celebrated the birthdays of all of the children and youth who have birthdays August-December.  We enjoyed two piñatas, several cakes, gifts for the birthday boys and girls, and goodie bags for all children.  Pop Wuj students made delicious homemade cakes, decorated with Hershey's Kisses and giantblack berries.  Que rico!
Fancy Cakes!


















Gifts for 35 kiddos and teenagers
Scholarship Assembly and Christmas Party

The second week of December was a busy week at Pop Wuj.  We had the annual scholarship assembly and the Family Support Center Christmas Party.  Most of the children who attend the Family Support Center also receive scholarships.  All of the scholarship recipients and their families are invited to Pop Wuj for a day-long event including health checkups, special guest speakers, and a hot lunch.  All scholarship program participants leave with a bag of school supplies for the next school year, beginning in January.

The very next day, we held the Christmas Party for the children and youth of the Family Support Center.  We invited their families, Pop Wuj Students, and the famous Yajahira, the project's former teacher. Everyone had a blast playing 'Pin the Nose on Frosty,' singing Christmas carols in Spanish and English, and receiving gifts.  Each child received a new pair of school shoes and a new sweatshirt.

Thanks to a last-minute donation we were also able to purchase small toys/gifts for each child.

A New Car! (shouted like on The Price is Right)

Friday, November 23, 2012

Las Olimpiadas!

Yesterday was the Family Support Center Olympics aka Field Day. There was lots of sun, lots of dust and lots of happy energetic kids! Everyone was split into four groups of nine and wore their team color on a sash tied around their heads. Let the competitions begin!

We started off the day with an old classic: Tug of War. Unfortunately, after a couple of rounds our rope had had enough and snapped in the middle! No serious injuries, but we had to end the Tug of War competition before we could declare a winner.

Next we set up a relay using jump ropes. The competing team ran through an obstacle of ropes, having to duck or jump over them depending on their height. The team with the shortest time won. Verdict: Red team!

Each kid brought their own "costal" or big plastic sack to participate in another classic relay: the potato sack hop. Man those kids can hop!

Following the sack race the teams competed in a running relay, balancing a raw egg on a spoon, and last but not least: Water balloon toss! This was definitely the biggest hit. Each team chose two representatives to hold a costal and the rest of the team tossed water balloons into the bags. Whichever team had the most water balloons (fully intact!) at the end, won. They were surprisingly good at this! Water balloons aren't fun unless they break so we had another competition between pairs to see how far they could get while throwing one back and forth--this did the trick: lots of "splats" and wet children!





Everyone received a medal for participating in the 2012 Olympics, and the winning Green team got small plastic trophies. Until next year!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Halloween

October 31st is one of the best times to be a kid in the United States. Although Halloween is not traditionally a Guatemalan holiday, it does fall before Dia de los Muertos, or "Day of the Dead." Day of the Dead is a time when families and friends come together to remember loved ones that have passed. It is a celebration, and that is exactly what we had at the Family Support Center! We had a sort of hybrid Halloween-Dia de los Muertos party.

Before the festivities, 8 of the older kids came into the city for a field trip. Together, we baked three pumpkin pies and one large pumpkin bread. It really smelled like autumn in the kitchen! All four cakes turned out perfectly.

We decorated the walls and ceilings of the Family Support Center with paper jack-o-lanterns, bats and spiders. Many of the boys dressed up as Draculas, complete with teeth and dark eyebrows. Evelyn transformed into a pumpkin, Norma and Ilcy into princesses and there was even a headless horseman!



Four pumpkins were carved into jack-o-lanterns and were a big hit with everyone. The bright orange pumpkins that are so common in the states, were a spectacle! At one point we all gathered in the decorated Halloween room, turned off the lights and told spooky ghost stories. After passing around the cake and pie, it was safe to call the party a success!



Wednesday, October 10, 2012

El Dia del Niño

Monday, October 1st was Guatemala's celebration of "El dia del Niño," or "Children's Day." It is a day where we celebrate all of the kids and they get to eat lots of sweets, play games and maybe get a present or two. We celebrated the holiday at the Family Support Center on Thursday, so that any of the Pop Wuj students could join if they wanted.




It was a fun filled afternoon! We set up an impromptu movie theater for everyone and had a viewing of one of the greatest kids movies of all time: Toy Story. Everyone was given their own personal bag of freshly made popcorn, or "poporopos." The movie was a complete success, and is just as funny and inspiring in Spanish as it is in English. Chocolate covered frozen bananas were passed around after the movie, and each kid received a beanie baby as a small gift.


It was another cheerful and celebratory atmosphere at the Family Support Center. In the middle of a very rainy week here in Xela, the celebration of El Dia del Niño proved to be the perfect mood lifter.