THE QUICHÉ
TIMES
VOL. 1 No. 7
The women and children of the Guardería of Conavigua, Guatemala, the land of eternal spring send their regards and wish you all every success in your daily lives.
What
a start to the year:
The situation at the end of last year was one where if I did not come up with the recourses the house would be closed.
As I mentioned in the last edition the people of Grapevine, Texas, were so generous that not only has it allowed us to continue but also to develop. I will be explaining a little more about this as you read on.
Transportation:
At the end of last year I was talked into buying a car. I really did not need much persuasion as a car was really needed. I looked all over but could not find anything in my price bracket. What I really wanted/needed was something that can hold a number of children, four-wheel-drive and can cope with very bad terrain. This type of vehicle costs a great deal and I did not have the personal resources to invest in one these. Although the more I though about it the more it seemed like a good idea. So I decided to invest in a smaller vehicle which in reality would serve in an emergency and to save the women from carrying heavy loads from the city on their heads. So by the grace of God I came across a small car in Texas which I bought. Not that I know much about cars but this one seemed in really good nick, one owner who took good care of it. So to cut a long story short I bought it and planned to drive it down to Guatemala.
Costly
Things Cars!
Having a car started me off on a shopping spree. I went around most, if not all of the Thrift shops in San Antonio and bought up all the cheap toys I could get my hands on. I got some great bargains – my mother would be so proud of me, God rest her sole, she loved to get a bargain. So I could not stop until the car was totally full – I just had enough space to drive.
Long
Journey:
I set off early one morning feeling very anxious to get to my final destination and very worried about the authorities both in Mexico and indeed in Guatemala. I made the journey in three days, which was a little slow.
The only problem I encountered was when I arrived at the Mexican Guatemalan boarder. I had been stopped a number of times by the army while passing through Chiapas but a bit of good humour and the right answers they let me pass without searching the car – a little intimidating but all was well that ended well. So I reached the Mexican customs and explain to them all and handed them the papers for the car but they insist that I have to go back about 10 miles and hand in the papers there. I am exasperated as I can see Guatemala but have to turn around and head back. So I am heading back and low and behold the army appear out of nowhere, stop me and ask me what I am bringing into Mexico. Ahhhh, I explain to them but the poor soles do not have the ability to understand and proceed to take everything out of the car and go through it. I got away from them and I still don’t know how I got everything back into the car.
Lots
of Prayers:
Before I started my journey many friends voiced their concerns about me driving alone and so far. I myself was not worried apart from what I stated earlier. I thought maybe I would not take things for granted so I asked a number of groups in San Antonio and Grapevine to keep me in their prayers especially for the duration of my journey and in the future. Some lit candles at my request – a very Irish thing. All of which ment a great deal to me. As I drove I felt secure that I was being taken care of. It is really wonderful to think that people are thinking of you in a special way.
Well it all paid off. I arrived safe and sound. I really enjoyed the drive; I listened to many tapes and a couple of books – wonderful for a long journey.
My
First Visitor of the Year:
I only got back and organised the papers for the car (another long and frustrating story of which I will spare you), when it was time to go to the airport and pick up Jonty my gardener friend. His arrival is another long story which consists of him arriving a day late and of course with no luggage. It still has not arrived six months later!!! He of course was not too rattled by it all and why should he be, as most of what he was carrying were presents for the children and me!!!!
He spent a very short four weeks and was a great help to me. Yes he did a lot of work around the place but the most important thing for me was his wonderful company which kept me sane (that is if you call what I am about – sanity). I know he enjoyed himself and even learnt a little Spanish. The kids though he was great and still talk about him. I myself think he is great and think about him often. He left his mark here.
Yet
Another Vehicle:
I know so much has happened at the beginning of the year and I haven’t said anything about the children yet, bare with me.
Another long story! I met a friend in the market one day who worked for Minugua ( U.N.)
She was about to leave the country and needed to sell her vehicle. It was exactly the vehicle I needed.
Later the same day I received a message from a friend in Grapevine saying that the decision on the van they were going to donate to me had been delayed.
I knew I had to work fast but wasn’t fully sure if it was the right thing to buy another vehicle. I started the ball rolling which gave me time to think about it and when everything fell into place, it was right. It is a Nissan patrol, 4WD. I can fit 17 children and three adults. Mind you it is a bit crowded but for short journeys it is great.
I am in the process of selling the first car to try to recuperate some of the expense. The cars I bought out of my own money (the little I have or had!) as my contribution to the cause.
Now, we can and do, go on regular trips to the swimming pool and on other activities. It has given us great freedom and has made the lives of the women a lot easier to say nothing about in case of emergencies. Thank you God.
The
Difference a Car Makes:
I know that most of you will understand the difference a car can make to you life, well we are no different. Now if we need anything we just jump into the car and go. It turns out that most afternoons we have to go to town to buy something so we try to make the best use of each trip. The children love to accompany me so it is for them an activity. We have also decided at the last minute to go swimming or go somewhere i.e. funerals, football games, school activities, swimming, visit families etc. This would be almost impossible without a vehicle or needs a lot of organisation. To hire a pick-up takes for someone to go into town look for one, negotiate the price and return to the house. By this time everyone is tried of waiting and we have lost an hour or two.
I have also started to give driving lessons to the older ones. This is a skill that will be very valuable to them in years to come. Most drivers here have learnt to drive by following what everyone else does on the road which is basically to get from one point to another as fast as possible. Because of this attitude there are many road deaths. The bus drivers are some of the worst; they take so many chances. So by teaching the teens to drive slower and with more care and to teach them that the most important thing is to arrive at your destination in one piece. The pace of life here is very slow until you sit behind the wheel then you have to get to your destination ASAP. Please God what I am teaching will save their lives.
Some
Disappointing News:
When I returned in Jan. I met with the national committee who informed me that there would be a few children they were not permitting to return mostly because their mothers had left the organisation. The decision itself was sound, if you are not working in the organisation why should you receive it’s benefits. But to me it was very disappointing, as I had worked with these children for years, invested time, sweat, tears, effort to say nothing about the financial resources invested over the years. Their lives were now to return to whatever families they have and would probably end up spending the rest of their lives working in the fields.
I could not let this happen. All my work gone down the drain. There were three in all a brother and sister (she received 100% in her exams last year) and Rigo. The brother I put into the house with the older boys. The sister was put into the house of a friend of the family and they both are able to continue their studies. The third, Rigo, is another story.
Rigo’s
Story:
Rigo joined us in ’97 at the age of 5 or so I thought because of his size and lack of development (but really he was nearly eight). At that stage he could not speak one word of Spanish, only Mam – a local indigenous language. I took special interest in him and we would sit in the evenings helping him with some words. We grew to be great friends and whenever I was sick or feeling a bit low he would come to take care of me. He was never going to be a brain surgeon but with the help we gave him he passed each grade with an average of 85%. He had no problem in putting in extra hours of study.
His personal background is one of abandonment by his mother who was left to look after himself when his father did a runner. His aunt is his guardian but she has five children of her own and is herself quite poor. So she sees him as a problem and he has been reared with this being either said or shown to him. Many times he would share with me some of the things that had been said to him and thought it was normal that a few times a week there would not be food in the house –not even beans! What a wonderful place for him to be in the project –where there is always food and people who care about him. Back home he would be sent to do a full days work in the field of which he was able to do. We also get the children to work in the corn field but it is nothing like what he has had to do in the past that is why he never had a problem with it – in fact he loved to work hard, it made him feel good.
My
First Visit to Him:
I went to see him early in Jan with Jonty. He was not at home but working in the fields some distance from his house. I spoke to his aunt who told me that her children were registered in the local catholic school but Rigo would have to go to the public school. The public schools here are a waste of time. When the teachers go to school sober they do not teach nor care whether the children do homework or not. They themselves are dealing with major malnurishment so I suppose I am saying it is not all their fault.
Again I saw that nobody was really cared about him. I demanded that he goes to the same school as his cousins and I would pay the bill. She started saying that there will not be places left and making excuses for why they couldn’t enrol him. Eventually she decided to enrol him and do all that is necessary.
My
Second and Third Visit:
When I visited him again I met and spoke with him. He mentioned on both visits that there is not always food in the house and he goes hungry. Both times I spoke with the aunt and uncle about Rigo returning to us. They were not really in favour of this and kept blaming the grandmother with whom Rigo lives – at least most of the time. She is often gone from the house for days and he has to either take care of himself or live with his aunt and uncle who don’t really want him.
So to cut an even longer story a bit shorter. I made a deal with the aunt and uncle in that I would help them with their children’s education if they allow Rigo to return to us.
To
Recap:
Rigo had a bad start to life. Mammy did not want to have anything to do with him. He lives with granny who is not in a position to help him either with his schoolwork or with his nutrition. His aunt and uncle are landed with him but do not have the resources nor the desire to anything to benefit him. Nobody to help him with homework. Basically not wanted by family and they making it known to him.
With us he receives three square meals each day – of which he will have to help prepare. He will be in an environment where everyone care about him and befriends him. He will also receive good help with his homework and pass his grade (he failed his first term exams this year).
The down side of this is that he will not be with his family for most of the year but he has not been for three years and during this time not one of his family ever made contact with him in any form. Maybe they tried, who knows?
I think the most frightening thing in all this for me is that Rigo is not an exception here. We have had great success with him and I am no fool to think that we can help every one in the same boat but we have helped one and can do so for more in the future.
The
House:
Well we started the year in the same boat as last year in many respects. No drainage – sewage and no water. This year the powers that be decided that they would cut down on expenses and so they got rid of the woman who washed the clothes. So we only have two women preparing meals and washing clothes. They do not have time to help with some of the other tasks at hand i.e. helping with homework, playing with the children, helping with activities, etc.
Some improvements were made with regards to the drainage. The thing is that it is still not clear if we can use the toilet and showers. Time will tell. Watch here in the next edition!
The
Garden:
Well, Jonty, the gardening whiz could not do anything with the garden. It was the wrong season. Everything was very dry and got dryer still. Now it is July and a few months ago I sowed some flowers and the children, mostly the girls took the initiative of watering them etc. they have bloomed and give the garden a bit of colour. All the grass I sowed last year was dry and very brown but the rains they have come back to life.
I have just invested in some hanging plants, which make a huge difference. The children just love them and keep asking me to buy more!
Diet:
I know I mentioned before that we try to improve the diet of the children. Since the beginning of this year I have sat down with the women and together we have planned the menu. Always making sure of a well-balanced intake. The proof that we are doing well is the fact that all the children are growing fast!
One of the women in the kitchen asked me to collect two hundred pounds of maize from her family. She told me that this was their contribution to the house. The very idea that the workers themselves are trying to help us was a major shot in the arm to me. These people are very poor and really don’t have a great deal.
Another
Life Changing Experience:
A few weeks ago I was approached by one of the members. Her brother had just been exhumed and she asked me if I could take it to the house for burial. I do not have all the details but what I found out was that her brother, Diego, was murdered by the army in 1982. He was fourteen years old, the baby of the family. Some say he fought against being kidnapped by the army and so they killed him. I heard someone say that they would not even waste a bullet on him. The family had to keep all their grief and sorrow bottled up inside for all these years. I could feel the pain of the mother and other family members as we drove in piercing silence, the short distance to the house. The car could not reach all the way to the door so we had to carry it across rough terrain for about fifteen minutes. The house was beautifully adorned with an array of flowers and holy pictures. A service was held there and afterwards a supper. I felt very honoured to be able to help them put to rest their loved one. The next day I brought all the children to the graveside where again a beautiful mass was held and then the ceremony of the burial itself. A number of people gave short speeches, all very touching. Then as they put the coffin into the ground, the words of a song they sang haunted me “ now we say goodbye to you we will never forget your face, it will be with us forever. Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye my dear....”
The whole burial took hours and I have been to many in my day including my parents and friends but none can compare to this. Someone I never met.
Football:
A number of weeks ago the boys said that they had arranged a football match with some local teams. I was not able to go to watch them play. They were very excited to tell me later that they had not only won but trashed both other teams. They played again the following week with the same result but again I could not attend. I could see that this was going to be a regular activity, as we had spoken many time in the past about doing just this, so I decided to invest in some uniforms – part of our developing programme, but they would not be ready for about ten days. The following week I went to see them play, without football gear. Well, low and behold they could do nothing right. They lost miserably. I obviously brought them good luck!!!
The next week they went to play again, this time complete with uniforms - what a change. They looked professional, felt professional and played like professionals, everything I told them to do, they did! The pride they felt lasted so long and I know this because I had to listen to it for days after. Now, they are a force to be reckoned with. Watch out world here we come!
Working with this group still warms the cockles of me heart. In the house we rent there are now seven boys ranging from 11 years of age (the one that could not return into the other project) to 17 years of age. There is another house with three, a brother and sister and cousin. My Goddaughter who is married and has just given birth is still studying! Another teenage girl living with her family and the two children of one of the founders whose mother was killed two years ago. So that makes fourteen in all.
Our
Own House:
I have mentioned before, that one thing I really want for the stability and longevity of this project is to have our own place. I have someone investigating some places. I think the best way forward is to buy a piece of land and build. It would probably work out cheaper.
Where we currently rent is fine but there are some problems. When a group of white people visit the house the landlady gets very worried and keeps asking if they are going to stay there as well, as she wants to increase the rent. I want to do a major job on the wiring as it is really bad and I know nothing about electricity! But if we are not going to live there ... I would like to buy the house but the owner is very reluctant to tell us the price. We have lost months waiting on her.
She has now just informed us that because she found out that I am helping that she is going to put up the rent.
Health:
Generally they all are in very good health but we do have one, Raymundo who suffers a great deal from migraine. I have taken him to the doctor and he has given him medication but nothing is really working. I even sent Raymundo for a brain scan but nothing unusual showed up. My heart goes out to him. When it hits him, he is good for nothing. He just sits there with the tears in his eyes not able to do anything. I normally send him to lie down and this helps. We have investigated his diet and cannot find anything there. I know the sun bothers him and I have bought him sunglasses but they don’t seem to do much for him. I suppose we will just have to experiment with different medications.
Independence:
For the longest time the boys have been asking me for bicycles. The arguments they put forward were very convincing, so I decided to investigate the possibility. Well to cut a long story short after a lot of investigation I decided to buy new bikes for each of the seven in the house together. Second-hand bikes were not sufficiently cheaper and do not have a guarantee.
You should have seen the excitement the day we bought them – it was wonderful. So now they go to school each morning by bike and when they need to return in the afternoon they can do so without bothering me. It is also wonderful exercise for them and helps them when they play football. They were a great buy.
Exams:
Well, generally they all did well. Some, of course better than others. One of the girls, Lucia did badly with good reason.
She sent me a letter explaining everything. About two weeks before the exams, her 18-year-old sister, who had been sick for a long time, died. It turns out that she had a heart condition that needed an operation that would have cost between £/$8,000 and £/$10,000. The family did not have that kind of money. It would take the mother over 27 years to earn £/$ 8,000 so it was out of the question. They just had to watch her get weaker and weaker for a couple of years before she past away. I knew nothing of this until the mother came to break the news to her other children. Had I known I would have asked your help in finding the means for her to have the operation? I said nothing like that to the mother just told her that her decision was a right one and that her daughter would probably have died anyway. What else could I say? I gave her some money to help alleviate the pressure of the funeral costs.
Carpentry:
I have arranged with a friend of mine, Bob, to give some carpentry workshops to the older group. We invested a lot in the purchase of tools (part of the development I mentioned earlier). The problem Bob ran into was that the lads were so busy with other activities that they did not have a lot of time to give to this but there was a lot of work needed on the house and he was able to get started on that. The lads when they had time helped him. He came three times and spent nearly a week each time. It was great have him around – a sane adult to talk to in English! The lads too enjoyed his company. Bob currently does not have time to give more classes but I am hoping that in a while he can resume again.
Extra
Classes:
Since the beginning of the year they have asked me if they can take extra classes. I am of course in favour of this. I want them to take classes in computers but when they went there was not enough places for all of them. So only two are studying. They also asked if the could go to Karate. I after a lot of though I agreed on the grounds that it is a very good form of exercise and a great discipline. They were thrilled to be going but after a month or so they called me to a meeting.
I did not know what to expect. They said that they still enjoy the classes but the instructor had told them that if they want to continue they will have to buy uniforms. They investigated the prices and decided that they were very expensive. They told me all this and asked if it would be ok if they stopped going. The reasoning was that the money that would be spent on uniforms would be better served spent on the house where they live. Although there is probably enough money in the kitty for both things, I was so impressed with their reasoning and their sense of responsibility that I agreed and they stopped going. I did promise them that if in the future they wanted to take up another activity it would be seriously considered.
My
Second Visit of the Year:
In March I had my second visitor, Dee from St. Francis Parish in Texas. She spent a week with us and again it was an absolute joy having her.
She is a teacher and could understand all
that we are trying to do here. I believe she was very impressed more with the
teenagers than with the smaller children – she works with teens.
When she came she brought a number of gift of which we all appreciated very
much. One thing she brought was a pile of letters for some school children in
Texas. It was great for them to receive these letters and wanted to respond to
each one of them. Each had between six and eight letters to answer, which they
did gladly.
Dee felt that she wanted to do something more for this group as she connected with them, even though language was a bit of a barrier. She decided to give each of them money. So we sat down one night and spoke to them. Explaining why she wanted to give them this huge amount of money etc. What followed touched the very core of my being. They were all in shock, not knowing what to do with this windfall. After a few minutes they were all in agreement that what they should do is put it towards the house expenses – each family has to pay about £$ 13 each month for each child. The teenagers know how much of a struggle it is for their families and wanted to help them out by putting their money into the house so as their families did not have to pay for that month. I felt and still feel so proud of them. It makes all I am doing worthwhile.
Some
New Members:
At the beginning of May I got my act together and bought seven rabbits. These will be used to help the children learn more about animal care. They are also furry and cuddly which the children like and they are great in stews.
It is not easy to find literature about rabbits but the project where we bought the rabbits are very helpful and I can phone them with any questions I have.
Yet
Another Visitor:
Well my brother John came to visit in June and brought lots of goodies for the children, which they were thrilled with. His baby brother was not left out and received lots of tea bags Irish chocolate and some spices for when we are preparing the rabbits to eat.
John does not speak Spanish but found other ways of communicating with the children. I think he found the teenagers easier as they have some English even if it is very limited!
He like Dee was impressed with the teenagers and is very encouraging and supportive of them.
One day while in the market he gave each Q10 – about £/$ 1.25 to spend. There was major discussion as to how they should spend it. Some needed socks etc and so they bought them. One lad called Pedro had the same problem but waited to see what all the options were. He told me a few days later that he while visiting his family had bought a baby turkey which he hopes will grow nice and fat and then sell it so as to help his family. This group always seems to do things like this, which leaves me in awe of them. I for one was never like this as a teenager.
John has been very supportive of them and hopes to return soon.
Even
More Visitors:
Elizabeth, a volunteer from Scotland who spent some months with us a few years ago, came back to visit us and overlapped with my brothers visit. She too brought goodies from home including Bisto and herbs for us to use when cooking the rabbits!
It was great to see her again not only for me but also for the children. When people return it offers a certain stability to the lives of the children. It was great to reminisce with her and in doing so realise just how far the children had come. Thanks Elizabeth, there is always a welcome on the mat for you.
My name is Elizabeth Scroggie and three years ago I had the
privilege of working with the women and children of Conavigua and, of course,
David.
The experience of working in the Guardería has never
left me and was the main reason for my return to Guatemala three years later.
While the project has changed premises, I was really
pleased to see many smiling and familiar faces on my arrivial.
Apart from the obvious changes three years allows for,
I witnessed much development in their education, maturity and socialisation.
One of the boys in particular, Abraham, has come on
leaps and bounds since changing schools and with David’s encouragement his
homework is no longer the chore it used to be.
There is a relaxed and friendly atmosphere here, which is
the result of David’s hard work and is evident in each one of the children who
work as an extended family.
The most fundamental and inspiring change I have seen
is in the older boys. Maybe I should rephrase this as they are no longer boys
but are in fact young men. The respect and maturity which David refers to is no
exaggeration. For a group of boys to live in their own house, with all that
entails, and to achive success at school, is most impressive. This group of
young men are a credit to everyone who has invested time in them, but more
importantly to themselves, their parents and David.
I am saddened to leave the Guardería but I am
confident that with David’s support each child in the project will follow the
example of the “young men” in the other house.
I have just returned from a visit to Guatemala last
March where I visited the missionary we support as a parish, David Deegan. My
goal was to assess how we might be better able to assist him as he works with
the children there.
If you recall, he is the administrator of a children’s
shelter that was founded by the Widow’s Organisation to hide children from the
military. Durning the war these children were targeted and many of their
families had to go into hiding.
The shelter is still in operation, but since the peace
accord, it is more focused on education and nutrition of the children. But the
fear of future difficulty with the military is always just below the surface.
Even I felt the people panic when the army patrol walked, combat ready, through
the market, arms at the ready.
The Widow’s Organisation made a rule that kids have to
leave the shelter after they turn 14. After working with some of these children
for so long, David couldn’t see that happen. With our help, he has rented a
place, where 6 older boys stay and finish their education, instead of going
back to the farm. Actually some of them have no where to go anyway. They are
great boys and studying very hard under harsh circumstances. Our parish has
made a real difference in their lives, through David.
They each have a story. I would like to share only a
couple with you.
One of these Cesar, was fortunately placed in the
shelter durning the war. When the military went after his parents, they ran
into the hills and were seperated from each other. Each of them thought the
other dead. They both remarried, only to find out years later that their first
spouse had survived. Cesar who was left in the shelter was safe during those
years as they had changed his name to keep him from being identified. But now
with new families, neither are able to take him into their homes.
He has been with David all this time. The father pays
100 Quetzales each month so he can remain in the programme. But without David
he would be on the streets.
Another boy, Rigo, I met the hard way. He was not
living at either shelter. His guardien had left the organisation and had taken
him into the mountains. There he lived with his grandmother and an uncle but he
isn’t treated well. Most times there is little food but then there are times
when there is none at all.
David has tried to talk them into letting Rigo come to
his other shelter but because his guardien does not work in the organisation
the women said he could not return to the house. He has proceeded to step in
and pay for the boy to go to a good school where he lives, and has brought him
food.
I went with David on one of these trips to visit Rigo.
We drove through the mountains for several hours to get almost to the Mexican
border. Rigo and his cousins were waiting for us after school. When I opened
the car door Rigo crawled over me to get to David, they were so glad to see
each other.
We took them somewhere to eat and then began the drive
into the mountains to his home. The “road” was barely passable and dangerous.
We got to a point where we had to start walking. David had brought food for
Rigo and his grandmother, so he had to carry it the rest of the way. I helped
him lift this 50 pound duffle bag of corn, beans and rice and get it on his
shoulders. David carried that pack straight up the mountain and down and up
again. The sun was hot and the altitude high. David was really puffing.
When we got to the two room dirt floor hut, I was
aghast to see that Rigo had only been given a board to sleep on with no
blanket. He was definitely not well thought of.
We went to talk to the uncle and negotiate the
possibility that Rigo could come to David’s shelter. Next month when David
returns, he will see if his arguments were effective.
Without our support, David wouldn’t be able to do this
very easily. This family would never be able to pay the 100 Quetzales a month
necessary to feed and school Rigo. You will be doing that through the
generosity you showed when David was here last year.
The night before I left, I told David that I wanted to
give the older boys some money so that they could get something for themselves.
So we told them that because they they were older and more responsible, I had
chosen to give them each 100 Quetzales.
To you and I, that was about $14. To them it was like
$100. Their families have to struggle each month to send that amount to the
shelter to keep them in the program.
The boys were in awe. They thanked me profusely. They
asked David what they should do with the money. He told them that he trusted
them to spend it wisely. They all decided that this could be their tuition for
the next month, thereby taking the pressure off their parents.
Although that hadn’t been what I had expected of teenagers,
who would love to have new jeans and sneakers, it made me wish I had given them
more. Before I left, I gave David some money to help them. It was better then
having souvenirs.
I can’t tell you how proud I am to be part of this
church. Thank you from all of the people in Guatemala whose lives you have
touched.
Dee McNosky
St. Francis Parish
Grapevine
Texas
(What follows is a brief description of the
project written a few years ago)
PROJECT.
Conavigua - the national widows
association of Guatemala, was formed twelve years ago in response to the
massacres of their loved ones by the army during the 36-year war (which
resulted from the US backed overthrow of the democratic government). It is an
indigenous group with about 15,000 members with a literacy rate of 1% at best.
The army/authorities do not take kindly on anyone looking for their human
rights least of all women and indigenous women at that. The lives of these
women were filled with terror and the more active they became in the organisation
the worse the abuse became. They were constantly threatened and told to stop
their activities. So often they were beaten and raped. My understanding of the
situation is that for most it was the beatings that were feared more than the
rapes as they would survive the rapes but a lot of times they did not survive
the beatings. Of course nobody really cared least of all the international
community, as we all know the standing of women in the world least of all
indigenous women.
The army discovered that these women
were not giving up the struggle - the cause was more important than the
violations of their human rights. So they threatened the lives of their
children. Everyone knew that they would carry out their threats as nobody was
policing them. The CIA was there at the time and even trained the army in these
tactics.
The women decided to form a safe-house
f or the children of the women at higher risk, they call it a Guardería. It is
in this Guardería where my mission is. The women asked for international help
in the form of companiers/ observers. As the army are reluctant to do anything
when a foreigner is present.
Although a peace accord was signed in
1996, we Irish know more than anyone that a piece of paper signed by both sides
does not mean that there is now peace. In 1998 Monsignor Gerardi was murdered
by the army because he brought out a detailed report with hundreds of
testimonies of massacres and violations of human rights etc. The international
community was rightly so, outraged and is still calling for justice. If this
can happen to a prominent figure like Gerardi what chance do these poor
indigenous women have. The violence goes on.
During my time in the Guardería I
discovered that the women do not have sufficient resources to cater for all the
needs of the children. This is where the “Friends of Conavigua” fund comes in.
With the help of a few friends I
opened an account with the Irish Permanent Building Society where my family and
friends donate by standing order each month. Some even participate in the
mini-marathon to raise money for the fund. The Quiche Times explains my work
and also how I am using the fund. There are NO overheads, salaries etc. to be paid. Every penny of the
fund goes toward improving their education, having a recreational programme
(which did not exist before) and medication, the children had to grin and bare
it before.
If
you are interested in contributing to the fund you can contact any of the
following:
Berni
Garruccio Annie
Corcoran
208
Larkhill Road 18 Acorn Road
Whitehall Wyckham
Park
Dublin
9 Dundrum
Ireland Dublin
16
Or
If
you just want to lodge to the fund the details are as follows; -
Irish
Permanent Building Society
“Friends of
Conavigua”
Account No.
239 786 9511
Sorting Code
90 89 32
What a number of friends in the US do
is send a check to my family who in turn lodge it to the account. Please send
your name and address with all checks as we can send an acknowledgement and The
Quiche Times.
DON’T FORGET MY E-MAIL ADDRESS IS
david_deegan@hotmail.com
MY SLOW MAIL ADDRESS IS
DAVID DEEGAN
APDO #007
SANTA CRUZ DEL QUICHE
EL QUICHE
GUATEMALA
CENTRO AMERICA
I now have telephones the house is
(502) 755-4267
my cellular is
305-9584
FOOD SCHOOL RECRE. PERSON/MED. MISC. CASH TOTAL
SUPPLIES
JAN. 6809 7094 324 4378 4978 5525 29108
FEB. 9033 2713 332 3250 11120 600 27048
MARCH 9771 4481 9017 2628 8862 450 35209
APRIL 6654 4368 285 1463 6849 1975 21594
MAY 11251 2225 187 4841 3626 300 22430
JUNE 8626 3836 144 2179 3670 1100 19555
TOTALS
32,267 18,656 9,958 11,719
31,809 8,550 154,944
The above figures
are in Guatemala Quetzales. The exchange rate is 7.5 Quetzales to $1US.
Food: - all food drinking water, gas, etc.
School Supplies: - Uniforms, school fees, all school materials, etc.
Recreation: - all trips, swimming, footballs, bicycles, toys, etc.
Personal/Medical: - hair care, deodorant, all medical expenses, clothes, underwear, some footwear, haircuts, face and hand cream, combs and brushes, tapes, belts, etc
Miscellaneous: - kitchenware, rabbit cages, rabbits, candles, glue, presents, rent, telephone card, wire, bags, gasoline, timber, spending money, tools, car maintenance, frames, thread, newspapers, bulbs, passage, electricity, garden supplies, walky-talkies, photos, electrical work, wood, T.V. kitchen appliances, bed clothes, first aid kit, cable, paint, thinners, batteries, etc.
Cash: - money given to teenagers for personal and school supplies etc.