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.




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