THE
QUICHÉ TIMES
VOL.
1 No. 4
The
women and children from the Guardería of Conavigua, Guatemala the land of
eternal spring send their regards and wish you all every success in your work.
RETURN AFTER THE
CHRISTMAS BREAK.
I
returned to work on the 10th January to find that the children were not going
to return for another week. On the one hand it was great as it gave me a little
time to readjust and to prepare for the beginning of the school year. Of which
there was a lot to do as you can imagine.
Bad News:
On my return one of my friends informed me that there had
been a bad car accident and that one of the children who was about to start
this year had been killed. His name is Pedro Reynaldo Patzan. It turned out that
his grandmother ( Josefa Ixcoy ) , who was a friend of mine was also killed in
the same accident. Reynaldo was born when I
first visited house in 1995 which would have made him four and a half.
The grandmother got to know me a little and asked me to be Godfather which was
a great honour for me.
This accident left the oldest son responsible for the welfare
of his two siblings his wife and the other surviving son. The two siblings are
studying still but to meet the cost of school fees etc. became a huge burden.
The couple came to me seeking help. I was so glad to be in a position to help.
I related the sad story to one of my friends who within a few days came up with
the help needed to see this family through the year. The family really
appreciate the help and want to thank everyone who contributed.
You have made a huge
difference to their lives.
At
the same time I discovered that the person in charge had found other work and
would no longer be with us. This became a major problem as it left me the only
one caring for the children. At that time of the year it is really difficult to
find teachers so we had to wait a few weeks until we found someone. So at the
end of Feb we found someone who was
very qualified in that not only was she indigenous and spoke Ki' Che the
local language but was a qualified teacher and nurse. What more could we ask
for? All was going well until another job came her way that paid more than what
we could offer and with fewer working hours. She has a very young family so it
seemed the right thing for her to do to accept the other job.
So
yet again I was left alone to care for the children. After another few weeks it
was decided to accept the mother of the child who was killed in the accident as
person in charge. She lives with us so is always there. She and I work well
together so I can take time off and know that someone is caring for the kids.
New House
It was decided last year to move house to a premises just a little outside of the city where we were before. This house was built with the children in mind with a donation from a group in Japan. It is really wonderful, lots of space for the children to play etc.
There
are always downfalls and ours are that we do not have drainage, so the
wonderful toilets and showers that were built are unusable. Added to the fact
that there is no water leaves us a little problem. We have to buy water a few
times a week.
With
regards to the toilet we have dug a very deep hole at the back of the house
which is used by all. The worst thing for the children is that they are very
frightened to use it at night. It works for the moment at least we will have to
see what happens when the rains come. Which is not too far away.
With
regards to the showers we have found showers in the same complex that we can
use. It is not perfect but it also works for the moment.
Lights:
We
have also had problems with the lights in that they stopped working in the
dining room and study in January and we have only repaired them just before
Holy Week. God only knows what has happened now but they are causing a few
problems still!
Telephone:
A
telephone line has been applied for sometime last year but so far we have not
received a phone. A bit like Ireland many years ago. I worry about this as
being outside the town and not having any means of transport should anything
happen especially at night. Please say a prayer that they install it soon.
Pick-up:
Each
day we have to hire a pick-up to bring the children to and from school. This is
very costly and I am trying to convince the organisation to invest in a
mini-bus. We really need one as we are too far outside the town to walk. Also
for buying the supplies for the house, the women in the kitchen have to carry
food for the 20 children each day. To buy gas and drinking water is also a
problem. It would give us such a wonderful freedom. I hope they will look at
the possibility.
Inauguration:
At
the end of January we had the house inaugurated with a mass celebrated by the
Bishop. A great day was had by all. We
got a Marimba band to play all afternoon and evening and everybody was dancing.
It was a wonderful sight to behold mothers and their children dancing together
and having an absolutely wonderful time.
The
children did a traditional dance which turned out really well and I was very
proud of them as they had worked very hard to get it just right.
A Little Morbid:
When
we started in the new house we found a number of coffins in the room where we
study. At first for me it was a little off-putting. I was a little concerned of
the children but they were fine about it. It turns out that they were left over
from one of the exhumations and they decided to store them in the house until
the next one. I have since moved them into a part of the building that is not
used. So out of sight out of mind. That is the reality of life here.
We
did have some funny situations. Some visitors came to the house and when they
went into the room with the coffins some of them asked the children what the
coffins were for. The children looked at them in total disbelief and said “
when people die we put them in them and bury them” Not exactly what was meant!
When
at home for the Christmas break a very kind person donated lots of deworming
medicine with which I treated the children and all was well until the end of
March when nearly everyone fell ill with a really bad flu. This same flu has
taken some lives here especially those of children, poor children. The biggest
difference is, that I went and got treatment for the children while the others
did not have access to medicine nor money to buy it to save their children.
That is very much part of life here.
It
seems like at this time of the year the children always fall sick just before
exams, only this year it fell during the exams which will reflect in the
results. I should get results sometime after Holy Week.
Last
year a very kind local chemist donated some medicines, mostly cough bottle
samples, which I was able to use with this flu epidemic I went through all the
samples and had to buy at least another 10 bottles.
A Friend in Need....
One
of my very good friends came to me a while and asked if I could help her as she
needs an operation and has to find some people who will donate blood. I of
course agreed and am still waiting to do so. I have helped her out with
medicine and some doctors fees as she has six children living and as you could
imagine needs help but is too proud to ask. I feel great that I am in a
position to help her.
Weights and Measures:
I
have started a record of the weights and heights of all the children. My idea
is to have a record of their physical development over the years here. I hope
that in the future some Doctors will visit us and to have a record like this
would help.
Accidents:
We
have had a few accidents in the house, as you will always have where there are
children. The first was when the goalpost fell and split open Abraham one of
the boys. Having been a first aider for years I knew it would need a few
stitches. For many reasons that particular day I was the only adult in the
house. By the grace of God a friend dropped in to visit I promptly handed over
Abraham with a handful of money and asked him to take the Abraham to the local
hospital which he did gratefully. Abraham got five stitches and was very proud
of them.
The
other was when one of the very small girls( Juanita ) got pushed as we were
boarding a pick-up and got a very nasty cut on her beautiful little face. This
time there were others to call upon to bring Juanita to the hospital. She also
got five stitches and is left with a little scar just under her eye.
We
started the year with 22 children inscribed in the school. Pedro Reynaldo died
RIP and another is living with his mother next to us. This leaves 20 living in
the Guardería - 11 girls and 9 boys. They range from Juanita 5yoa in Kinder to
Petrona and Oscar in 6th class/grade. All are doing well in school
and I have worked very hard to form good relations with the Sisters who run the
school. So when we have a problem with a child they feel confident enough to
talk to me and that it will be dealt with.
School Supplies:
At
the beginning of the year I bought all the school supplies as we needed them
straight away. The women in charge wanted that we find out prices in different
shops and then compare them to the prices in the Capital. Then to go to the
Capital buy all we need and transport it back to the Guardería. Apart form the
fact that I don’t believe it would have been any cheaper it was a lot of work and
a major hassle.
I
have continued to supply all the school needs. Most day some of the children
come home and say that for the next day they have to bring certain things to
school the next day. These things include jam jars, paint, ice pop sticks, all different
types and colours of paper, disposable cups, plates, cotton wool, panes of
glass, egg shells, stickers, nails, clothes pegs, buttons, glitter. The list
goes on and on and on….
I
have had to think ahead and get things in to have them for when they need them.
Invariably they always ask for things that I haven’t had the chance to buy yet,
but that is life everywhere!
Uniforms:
At
the beginning of the year it was a bit of a struggle to find uniforms for all
the children but somehow we managed to do it. Most of the uniforms were from
last year and some showed it. I decided the best thing to do is to buy new
uniforms for everybody. So far I have bought all the boys new shirts and some a
new cardigan, there were some pants left over from those that I bought last
year which I have given to some boys. The girls also got new blouses and some
cardigans. We had to get the blouses made ( as it was much cheaper ) and the
girls had a say as to how they would like them. They all decided on the same
design!
Shoes and Runners:
Most
of the children started the new year with new footwear. This was a great help
to us but most needed tennis – runners. The women on the committee decided that
they would buy everyone a new pair of runners. So one day after school I took
all of the children to the market and
bought them their tennis. I am sure it must have seemed strange to see this
white man buying tennis for all these local children. Some of the locals asked
me if I would buy some for their children. You can imagine my reply!!
Physical Labour:
A
number of weeks ago some of the children came and said that what they really
wanted was a nice garden with flowers and grass etc. This was something I had
been thinking about. As when the rains come we are going to be covered in muck
and if we had grass it would reduce the amount of muck brought into the house.
So we started digging in front of our dormitories. It was really hard work as
the earth was really hard and for children to dig it was not easy. We could
only dig a small part and then we sowed grass seeds and watered it every day.
After 10 days some grass started to come up and I was thrilled but it was only
a small fraction of what we sowed.
We
had some visitors from a university in the US. As part of their studies they
have to do some physical labour. They were promptly put to work to dig. There
were 16 of them and they had great difficulty digging also. There is still a
lot of work to be done but at least a lot of the backbreaking work is over us.
Vegetable Garden:
In
the next few weeks we need to start work on sowing some crops. We have been
allotted a section of land where we plan to have a little vegetable plot and
sow corn in the rest. The corn will need very little maintenance.
Animals:
We
have just got the go ahead to invest in some animals. We have been thinking all
along about chickens but now we are looking at rabbits. They are easier to take
care of and reproduce a lot faster. We need to investigate a little more but
both I and the children are very excited about this new project. Keep an eye
out in the next edition for our progress.
Swimming:
We
have gone swimming a few times this year but it is working out very expensive.
I wanted to go at least once a month and we have gone three times and have
planned another trip for next weekend, but each time I really have to check if
the money is there.
The
reality is that the children really love to swim. Some were tell me that they
had gone swimming with some family members during the holidays and were so
proud of themselves and their families were very impressed. This works wonders
for their self-esteem, which can only make better people of them.
Fun and Games:
As
I have said the house is quite big but sometimes it can get crowded. I have
accumulated a good collection of games, which I left in a big room which we use
for study. Very few ever wanted to play with them, which to me was very strange
as last year we always played. Most evenings I would retire to the office as
there is always something to be done. It took a few days for me to realise why
the office was always crowded. The children need to feel secure as do all
children but these more so due to their past history. Now each evening we all
retire to the office and everyone plays something or other. I have problems
when I have to leave the room – all the bodies I have to climb over to get to
the door.
The
little ones love to play with flashcard which cover the floor. They certainly
are used well.
Football and Basketball:
In
another part of the house we have a long room in which I have hung small
basketball nets and the children put goals. Many hour of great fun has been had
here. We all play in our bare feet which puts me at a disadvantage.
This
will be really great when the rains come as we will not be able to play outside
due to the muck.
Retreats:
All the children
have to go on retreat. I think this is a really good thing for them. They
certainly do not come back saints but it does challenge them a little. Afterwards they always have lots of
questions. I don’t always have the time to answer them and sometimes I just
don’t have the answers. So I suppose these are good for me also as they get me
thinking!
Bible Videos etc.:
The children are
always looking for bibles so I bought some but there is never enough. Some have
started to read the lives of the Saints and are very impressed by them. There
is a book on the lives of the Saints that I bought last year that is now
getting a lot of reading.
One of the
children brought back with him after the Easter holidays a video about the
Virgin of Guadalupe which they love watching. I have encouraged them a lot by
saying that this Virgin is the only Indigenous Virgin. This really impresses
them.
In the middle of
April a friend from Ireland came to visit. Some very kind friends of hers gave
her money to buy thing for the children. Among many things we were treated to a
day out. We went to Pachitac where we normally go swimming. We brought meat
which the kitchen staff cooked and I have to say it was a really treat not only
for the children but also for the adults who accompanied us. The children swam
for ages and then we took some to the river where they spent ages catching
fish, well tadpoles really but really big ones.
They have never
had such a good a time. They have always wanted to eat and spend the whole day
there. So that dream was fulfilled by the generosity of friends.
The most
expensive part of the day was the hiring of a pick-up to take us there and to
collect us in the evening.
Food:
I have been
trying to improve the diet of the children and have been having some success.
Most Saturday mornings I make pancakes with a fruit cocktail which the children
absolutely love and can never get enough of.
During the week I
have been known to prepare their lunch. Again the children love this as I use a
little spice. I have also found a meat substitute which is excellent. I can not
tell the difference and neither can the children.
We
started as planned a project with eight teenagers ( 3 females and 5 males ).
The agreement we have with each family
is that they have to provide food and shelter for the teenagers and our/your
project will provide the rest of their needs.
Two
brothers have rented a small room very near us.
Two
girls live with their families and go to school locally.
The
other girl stays in a small room with her older brother ( not in the project )
and her cousin.
The
other two boys are living with family members
It
is very difficult for them. As for years they have always had someone who could
help with homework and their meals were always handed up to them. Now they have
to prepare their own meals and eat it! They also have to clean up and study
with no one to help them. I have to say that they are generally very self
motivated which is an essential quality for a successful programme.
Responsibility:
At
the beginning of the year everything had to be bought for this group. So I made
the individual come shopping with me. Then after a month of this I thought it
would be better if they themselves made decisions about the things they need
and go buy them themselves. So I sat them all down and explained to them what I
expected of them. I then handed them each a notebook and money. They have to
justify all they buy and are accountable for each penny.
The
more I think about it, it is a wonderful opportunity for these teenagers to
learn responsibility and so far they are doing really well. It also give me
more time in that I do not need to go
with them when they need to buy something. It costs a little more but I
genuinely feel it is worth it.
Visits:
The
older children – teenagers love to visit us in the Guardería. After all it has
been their home for a number of years and they too are very attached to some of
the other children. It must be hard for them after living with so many to be
living with so few. They love to play with the other children and catch up on
their favourite cartoons on TV.
This
gives me the opportunity to see how things are going with them. I am quite
surprised that they are adjusting very well with very few problems. I think it
will be successful Thank you.
Reading:
Some
of these older ones love to read so when they visit they nearly always borrow a
few books to read at night as they have no TV. I love them to do this and the
books are always returned in the same condition that they borrow them. The only
problem is that they have almost read all the book for their age group. I will
need to find more.
English:
All
in this project are learning English in school. I help them now and then with
their homework and have given a few classes. Two that I worked with got very
good results in their exams recently. One got 100% and the other 95%. I will be
helping some more in the future but am thinking of hiring a local teacher to
give them extra classes. This will depend on how much there is in the kitty.
Computers:
All
are fascinated with computers and some have asked to do a course in it. I
agreed to it but they have to do all the running around finding out prices
course length etc.
Two
came back with the information needed and have since enrolled. The rest will
follow in the next few weeks. The cost is about six Irish Punts a month which
includes 8 classes of one and a half hours duration. There can only be 6
students so there is a good possibility that they will learn a lot.
There
is a computer in the house but it is really old and although I can write a few
documents and store some information it really needs to be put on the scrap
heap. I have asked a few people who
know a little about computers to look at it and they all had difficulty with
it.
I
have started to let the teenagers use it to give them a little experience. The
problem is that the few times they were using it they/ I forgot to save the
information and when the power went they lost a few hours of work. I am sure
that they will remember to save everything in the future!
Typing:
All
in this programme have taken typing classes and have yet to sit their diploma
exam in May. I have started them practising again and I have every confidence
that they will do well.
Uniforms:
All
the teenagers got new shirts, cardigans and blouses. They are very proud of
their appearances and so I am trying to encourage this. Those who live near
come every weekend to iron their uniforms, and I must say they look very smart
on Monday morning. During the week their pants and cardigans look a little
dirty so maybe I should think of getting them a complete second uniform so as
they will always be proud of their appearance.
Shoes and Runners:
Shoes
and runners were bought for all in this programme. As with the smaller children
they are growing fast now that their runners are getting tight and will only
last another while. What I really need to do is to get them another pair before
they burst the ones they have and give them to another smaller child or
teenager.
Hopefully A Dream
Coming True for Next Year:
For
the teenage group I am quite worried about their future. I, only with the
generous help from your good selves, have set up this project and although it
is under the umbrella of the organisation it still comes down to me to find the
money to keep it going and at the same time to help out with the smaller
children. I hope that later in the year I will get the opportunity to go to the
US to do some fundraising.
God’s hand at work:
I went to Texas last February to give a talk in a
parish. The parishioners welcomed what I had to say and were very supportive
not only emotionally and spiritually
but financially. They treated
like a Lord and although it was hard work I had a great time. I made many
friends and have kept contact with them. I got some great tips about how to
improve my pancakes and I even got some spiritual tapes to help me on my
journey. Many different groups in the parish approached me and want to help.
With the help of God they will be able to do so and improve the lives of these
children and in so doing also improve
the lives of their mothers. Thank you for your help. God only knows the difference
you have made.
My Prayer:
What
I pray for constantly is our own transportation, sewage disposal and our own
water supply for the Guardería. To many in the first world these things are
taken for granted but here I feel that I am asking a lot.
What
I would like to see for next year is a house where these teenagers can live
together. I have seen where they live now and all live very basically with two
or three living in a small rented room with a mattress on the ground. I believe
that these poor souls deserve a far better life than this and for my part I
will do all in my power to provide this. I can not do it alone. I need a team
of people behind me. To date we have been very lucky. Your contributions have
gone a long way here in making the lives of these children considerable better
and giving them a future which they didn’t have before. I pray that your generosity will continue
and that you are all blessed in your lives and in your work and that God will provide
for all your needs.
I
as always am sending a list of how I have spent your gifts. If you have any
questions please contact me and I will be only too glad to answer them.
Well
I have to admit that the letters certainly have not been flooding in but there
has been a trickle of Emails which are greatly appreciated. Please don’t be
afraid to write me. I love to hear how thing are with you.
If
you have access to Email my address is:
I
now have my own PO Box and really want to try it out so please send me
something – anything at all even a postcard. My slow mail addresses is:
Apdo # 007
Santa
Cruz del Quichè
El
Quichè
Guatemala
C.A.
Looking
forward to hearing from you soon.
Saint Patrick’s Day:
This
year St. Paddy’s Day was celebrated very quietly here. A few of us got together
in a local restaurant and had a nice meal with a few drinks. I was the only
Irishman there. My missionary friend Gary from Texas, my anthropologist friend
Dan and a couple of other American friends celebrated with me. It was nice but
the next day I had to return to work so I could not have a late night, which
was probably a good thing!!!
208
Larkhill Road
Whitehall
Dublin 9
News Flash:
I
have broken down the expenditures into two groups. 1. The smaller children and
2. the new teenage programme I started this year.
1 The Smaller Children;
SCHOOL
SUPPLIES ...........................................................................Q 3,043
PERSONAL
......................................................................................Q 1,151
FOOD
...............................................................................................Q 2,089
MEDICINE
........................................................................................Q 535
MISCELENIOUS
................................................................................Q 1,932
_________
TOTAL
.............................................................................................Q12,
639.
2 The Teenage Group.
SCHOOL
SUPPLIES ..........................................................................Q 3,183
INSCRIPTIONS
.................................................................................Q 1,770
UNIFORMS
......................................................................................Q 1,129
PERSONAL
......................................................................................Q 172
MISCELENIOUS
...............................................................................Q 201
________
TOTAL
Q 7,920
GRAND
TOTAL FOR BOTH GROUP.........................................Q20,559
Clothes includes shoes, runners/tennis, flip
flops, washing of clothes after purchase etc.
School Supplies includes school books,
photocopies, nails, cloth, compasses, thread, balls, knives, cement, stickers,
rope, needles, glue, embroidery rings, paint etc.
Personal includes hair gel, toothpaste/brush, shoe
polish, cream, haircut, disinfectant, Kotex, shampoo, soap etc.
Play includes videos, trips, footballs,
pick-ups etc.
Food includes pots, spices, fruit, pancake
mix, protemas etc
Medicine includes cough bottles, antibiotics,
pick-up to hospital etc
Miscellanies includes duplicate keys,
torches, batteries, travel fare, mops, brushes, buckets, grass and flower
seeds, typewriter ribbon etc.
TIME IN THE
GUARDERIA
I have been David’s friend for many years in Ireland and have known and
supported his work in Guatemala since he started. I had the great fortune to visit the Guardería in April this year
and no matter how well informed I am, nothing prepared me for the reality I
beheld.
David’s commitment to the children is unfaltering
and whilst the essence of his work is his own courage and generosity of spirit,
the donations he receives from you, his friends and supporters allows him to do
so much for the children and to better their lives in so many ways.
It was wonderful to see first hand how your kind
donations are used everyday to make life a lifted easier for the children. They are happy and healthy and like all kids
of the world are mischievous and full of fun.
They differ however, from first world kids, firstly or course, because
of their circumstances but also by their understanding at an early age that
they have to work very hard in life to get by.
For instance,
the water supply is erratic as David mentions and I saw the older girls help
the women in the house wash the clothes at the river. This is back breaking work as you can imagine which the girls
take on willingly. Also in an effort to
prepare the ground for sowing, we spent a day digging the hard earth trying to
extract lumps of concrete left by the builders and replacing it with topsoil
carted by wheelbarrows. All the
children participated in this without complaint for the whole day and certainly
put me to shame with their efforts.
Our day in Pachitac was a joy! For most of us, picnicking and swimming was
part of life and not the enormous treat that it was to these little
children. It is truly humbling to see
their appreciation of things we take for granted. Thanks to all who made this possible?
On my last night in the Guardería, I was treated to
a farewell party complete with formal prayers and speeches from the
Children. I was presented with letters
and good wishes for my happiness and a beautifully woven pulsera made by one of
the girls. You can imagine how
wonderful this was for me and equally how difficult it was to say goodbye.
David’s work with the children is around the clock
dealing with everything that 20 kids can throw at you, the cuts and bruises,
tears and laughter, study and fun and in each of these areas, the funding David
receives is used. His energy and
enthusiasm is inspiring and although he relates his tales in the Quiche Times
he fails to mention things like his Saturday treat of pancakes and fruit takes
him about 2/3 hours to prepare for all those hungry mouths. It is a privilege for me to have been part
of this for a short time and to play a small part in helping him continue.
My thanks to David, the women and children of the
Guardería “Josefa Ixcoy”.
PS. One further consequence of
David’s work, is that the Children in their study of English may end up
speaking English with a lilting Irish Brogue!
Anne.