Stay with Local Families in Guatemala
Below, Wendy Moore recounts their experiences, how they became involved in daily village life and learned about the local residentsu2019 hopes, concerns and determination to change their community for the better.
Three days in the remote village of Santa Cruz la Laguna sounded very attractive after the busy excitement and glamour of the cities and their forts and palaces.
From the moment that we arrived we were made to feel so welcome. We were introduced to the leader, Juan Carlos, and taken to our room, where we were pleasantly surprised. The cottage certainly lived up to the description in our itinerary. The cottage was attractive, built with exposed adobe walls. The bedroom was spacious and well-appointed with two double beds and shared bathroom (private bathroom is also available) Dinner took place with the host family, followed by a taste of Guatemalan food.
The next morning, we hike to one of the villages, accompanied by Local Guide. Our first stop was at the village primary school, which Voltan Adventures Charity are helping.
The teacher sets a great example for the children. She had only completed school to grade five but had subsequently completed teacher training and was now studying for her diploma. She is the first female teacher from the village.
Talking to her, kindly translated through our guide, Juan Carlos, we heard about the outreach work that was being done to persuade families to send their children to school. Thereu2019s a strong emphasis on the benefits of education rather than making children stay at home to clean, cook and look after their younger siblings.
After the school we visited the recently built health centre. There we met a group of village women who work to improve the health of those living in the surrounding countryside.
We spent an hour or so sat on the floor with them talking about their work, particularly with women and young girls. The discussion ranged over a wide variety of womenu2019s health issues and their work out in the community, including checking on pregnant women and ensuring that they attended their vaccinations given by the nurse who visits the health centre once a month.
The discussion turned to the marriage traditions locally and the fact that girls can often be promised in marriage as young as seven years old u2014 though they do not live with their chosen husband until 14 years old u2014 but then children arrive soon after and any thoughts of education are gone. They spoke of the pressures on them to have children and how a woman who failed to have children, particularly a boy, risked being abandoned by her husband and her family may well be shunned by others in the community.
The women expressed their hope that their work would help to change these attitudes and empower their children to take a different course. They also asked us many questions about ourselves.
They were especially interested in the fact that we had been married for over 30 years but did not have children. They were keen to know how we felt about this and if it had affected our relationships with family and friends. They said that they were inspired by our example and the strength of our relationship.
After further conversations, we left feeling that we had met a group of very strong women who were determined to change their community for the better.
Next day we joined the mother of the house to make tortillas, and had a cooking lesson. She Showed us around the kitchen, and then showed us how to make Guatemalan tamale. As it was our last day, all the members of the family and they also helped me to put on the traditional outfit of Santa Cruz. Feeling suitably self-conscious we headed for dinner.
Sadly we had to leave the next morning. It seemed like all the family, had come out to see us off. It was an emotional goodbye; we had such a wonderful, enlightening and uplifting visit.
We left feeling we had gained an insight into the work of Voltan Adventures Charity and into the lives of the local people and their determination to change their lives for the better. Our unforgettable experience at Santa Cruz la Laguna was the highlight of our visit to Guatemala.
