To Guatemala, with love.

Statistics

paraguateenglish — Mon, 21 May 2007 03:22:13 +0000

Guatemala is a country filled with beautiful scenery and culture. Among all of this beauty lies a social problem that Guatemala is working to correct. Civil war, natural disaster, and disease have left many children homeless. High levels of poverty are also contributing to a growing population of street children. Guatemala faces many battles concerning “Street Children”

Child labor is extremely widespread throughout Guatemala. In a country where most people are very poor, children end up having to work to sustain themselves and their families. On average, Guatemalan children contribute 30% of their family’s annual income. Parents, who are often desperate for money, force children to get out in the streets and work. Many children work up to 17-hour days. Street vending, shoe shining, washing & watching cars, begging, and performing talents on the streets (torch blowing, juggling, singing) are the most common forms of work. Prostitution and theft are also extremely widespread throughout the street child population.

In Guatemala, poverty seems to have robbed many children of their natural, healthy roles in family and society. Parents often put a lot of pressure on their children to bring back money. In extreme cases, parents threaten and motivate their children with physical abuse.

Here we show you some statistics:

Population: 14,280,596

Age Structure:

0 a 14 years 42.6%

15 a 64 years 54%

65 years and older 3.3%

Birth Rate 34.58 birth/1000 people

Death Rate 6.79 deaths/1000 people

Infant Mortality Rate: 36.91 death/1000 live birth

According to survey results, in the year 2000 reveals harsher living conditions for children in rural areas with respect to those in urban environments. For instance, whereas 89.7% of urban residents aged 5-17 years live in dwellings with access to piped water (in their dwelling or property), only 58.5% of rural residents in that age bracket enjoy the same service. In the case of electricity, whereas 94.6% of urban residents aged 5-17 years make use of it, only 55.7% of the rural children do.

Oouuch!!

paraguateenglish — Mon, 14 May 2007 03:27:39 +0000

Today I woke up really sore. My back hurts, my hands, my legs ache in pain. It seems that even smiling makes me ache. During the last few days, we’ve been working in the backyard. Spring has sprung and it’s time to plant the seeds and get rid of the weeds.I had a small place for my plants, but my flowers needed more room. So I got to the task to make a bigger and better place for them. I shoveled away until I reached the desired size. Placed some decorative rocks around, and planted the flowers just right.At the end I was satisfied, it really looked pretty.While I was working on it, there was this moment that I felt tired (I have to confess I’m not so used to heavy work). I stop for a moment and glanced at my husband who was working hard on the other side of the backyard, moving away some bricks to clear the deck. I noticed he was making an effort doing himself some heavy work too.While I was looking at him working, and holding a shovel in my hand, it came to my mind a picture of a little girl posted on a blog (Solo en Guatemala) of children working hard.As a matter of fact there was this picture of a little girl shoveling gravel, and another from two little boys carrying some heavy bricks. One of them must’ve been only about 2 years old. We were working hard, just for the pleasure of having a nice backyard for us, for our children. However, the children in those pictures where working to survive, When we finished the task, we made ourselves some dinner, and watched some TV with the kids. After a hot shower, clean pj’s we got into bed to watch some more TV ‘till we fall asleep.

Nevertheless, even though I was comfortable and just relaxing, something wasn’t quite right.The thought of these children were in the back of my head. How do these little children end up their workday? Do they have any food after? A place to clean themselves and a bed to fall asleep after a long hard working day?. I really doubt it.Now, myself, I was in bed, very comfortable, relaxing… it’s just doesn’t seem fair.Life is just not fair. The world is just not fair. Would you help me to change this world for these little children?

Lorenzo’s Story

paraguateenglish — Mon, 14 May 2007 02:04:12 +0000

It’s been a very long time since I went to Guatemala. Randomly, in different occasions I’ve heard from either friends or relatives going to Guatemala, about the changes in the city:big buildings, new commercial plazas and malls, not to mention some new tourist attractions, beautiful sight seen scenarios etc. etc. New things to see, new places to visit, exquisite food, everything just to enjoy. In Guatemala, our relatives are very proud of our country, and in fact, it’s always good to be optimistic and see things on the positive side, looking always the bright side of life. However, there’s another Guatemala, which not too many people mention. It’s the Guatemala with children living in the streets, without a home, without food, without even the opportunity to go to school and learn to succeed in life.

In a blog called Solo en Guatemala, I read a comment on a post about Labor Day. It red like this: ” Few days ago, close to where the place I work, I met Lorenzo, a little tireless worker away from Quiche, his hometown; away from his mother, being only 7 years old, working to help his mother to raise his younger siblings. He had to live in the zona 4 fruit market called “La terminal” probably sleeping on a cold sidewalk”.It is infuriating to see this type of things happening to children. Where are we going in this crazy world?

Just by reading that comment I ended up crying. I was crying with sadness. I have a son, just few years younger that Lorenzo. However, my son has a warm comfortable bed, food in his little tummy. Moreover, a safe home where he is deeply loved, and cared for. I tried to imagine my son, alone in the street, tired, and maybe afraid, to end up laying on the street after a hard working day. Without anyone to give him a goodnight kiss, without anyone to tell him how important and precious he is… and my heart just broke.

I cried also, infuriated, because is just deplorable, that little children have to go through this misery.

In Guatemala, government leaders come and go and it seems that no one has done anything for our children. There’s been fraud, corruption and millions and millions of dollars not accounted for, while over 57% of the Guatemalan population lives in extreme poverty. Shame on them!

Many people say: Guatemala is changing rapidly; there are sings of progress.

If you stroll by the city, look around you, pay attention: You will look at poverty itself. You can look at needy faces: scarcity. Where do they take shelter during cold nights? Where do they quench their thirst during the hot summer days? Where do they lay if they are feeling sick? Look around and tell me if this is progress.

Sorry if I seem too harsh. Personally it breaks my heart to see this tragedy, and I belive that just complaining doesn’t take us anywhere. Then again, since words should be followed by actions, I have decided to really do something about it, to help as many unprivileged children I can.

Sometimes at night, I feel a restless and I pray for these children, I ask God for direction, and to show me the path to be taken to start this task we have ahead of us.

For now, we are we going to gather a group of people, here in Canada, so they can get to know the project and to share ideas. There’s saying in Guatemala: A log alone will not make a fire, so, I could say I will start by starting the fire. I will try to raise awareness within friends and acquaintances so people can see the needs of these children.

Only if we all take this as a duty, we will see results in benefit our precious children in Guatemala.

For the children of Guatemala

paraguateenglish — Mon, 14 May 2007 01:00:15 +0000

It brakes my heart to see the way the unprivileged children in Guatemala live.However, feeling sorry is not enough; for that reason, I’m taking as an example the previous steps of many beautiful people who have taken the burden of cherish them, teach them, and even feed them. I have decided to include my token to this cause.The work laying ahead is incredible great, and I feel is necessary to join forces to undertake such a great mission.

While I develop this blog and find a way to gather some people willing to work on this project, I leave you with this video clip. I hope gets into your heart, just like it did in mine.