This week at ResKids, we have a special guest! Jackie from Edupavi will be visiting ResKids to share about her missions trip to Guatemala. Jackie works for Edupavi, which is a non-profit organization that supports the education needs of vulnerable children and families in Zaragoza, Guatamala.
Below is an excerpt from Edupavi's latest newsletter to give you another picture of the work being done in Guatamala.
We are continuously thankful for the support of our monthly/annual donors, who make our program possible. Our 100 students are in the middle of their school year and are going through a rotation of classes that include language, math, English, P.E., computer and art. We are also able to provide a freshly prepared hot meal for every child at lunch time. Currently (due to COVID distancing capacity) we welcome one grade per day to our in-person classrooms, which means each child comes once a week and continues with printed curriculum and virtual resources during the remaining days at home.
Some of our Canadian team members got the opportunity to visit Guatemala in May, and we were so encouraged by the determination of both our students and teachers to fight for their education despite the various and layered challenges they face. While eating lunch with the children one day, we noticed an 8 year old girl who was eating very slowly. When asked why she wasn't finishing her food, she told us that she wanted to save it to bring home to her little sister for their dinner. She said her mother worked jobs in the day and nighttime, and wouldn't be able to be home to make food for them. When we asked if their dad could help, she responded with "We don't have one. He abandoned us".
Although this is a common scenario for many of our students it was heart-wrenching to hear and it reminded us how tangible our work is, and how far we have yet to go.
During ResKids, we will be writing pen pal letters to some of the students in Guatemala. If you can't make it, don't worry because we have a pen pal template you can download and use. Just print, write and return back to ResKids so we can forward to our friends in Guatemala!
You can also support Edupavi's efforts in a few ways:
1. Subscribe to their newsletter
2. Participate in Edupavi's fundraising events, such as the EDUFONDO bike-a-thon in September or craft fair in November (details to come)
3. Spread the word and support them.
ResKids Lesson:
Since we're taking a break from the Gospel Project this week, we will review two lessons next week (August 21): Solomon Built the Temple and Solomon's Sin Divided the Kingdom.