This month’s scholarship distribution and a special presentation by students from our social work program on Effective Communication With Your Child

A few of the mothers from Llanos Del Pinal - Family Support Center;  Photo Credit: Caroline Yung

Over the last two weeks Pop Wuj visited the communities of Llanos Del Pinal, Chirijkiak, and San Juan Ostuncalco and distributed scholarships (becas in Spanish) directly to the mothers of 51 students.  With a total of 129 students in the scholarship program, the mothers of other recipients either pick up their becas directly at Pop Wuj, or it is paid directly to the student’s school as as part of their tuition. 

Mothers from Chirijkiak receiving their becas

In Guatemala, secondary school enrollment for students of official studying age was 46% in 2010 (World Bank, 2013).  These rates are even lower rates for females, indigenous, and those living in rural areas, a majority of the population served by Pop Wuj.  Becas of 100 Quetzales or roughly $13 US per month can be spent at the parents' discretion, and whether it is used for purchasing additional food for the family, or for school supplies and uniforms - the scholarships provide a financial incentive to keep kids in school.

Above two photos:  A few of our moms from Llanos Del Pinal

In our visits to San Juan Ostuncalco and Llanos del Pinal, we were lucky enough to have students of the Pop Wuj Social Work Program, Dorlisa and Gina lead a presentation on Effective Communication with your Child.  The talk began with what types of characteristics one would look for in a confidant, included a skit with several scenarios of some common interactions between mother and child, and a discussion on possible barriers to communication.  The two take-home points of the talk on methods to improve communication with your child were: 

• Having special time with your child apart from all other activities such as work around the house
• Allowing your child to have a choice in the activity itself

Gina and Dorlisa (left to right) in the midst of their presentation 

The presentation was well received by the mothers and began a stimulating discussion about communication methods and ways the mothers spent time with their children.  

If you would like to make a targeted donation through our partner, the Foundation Todos Juntos (click here) and fund a Pop Wuj scholarship ($160 US per year), you will become a well-needed padrino/madrina (godfather/godmother) to one of our students, and we will send you an annual update on their academic progress.  

Photo credit: Caroline Yung 2013 

Scholarship Distribution in Chirijkiak, San Juan Ostuncalco, and Llanos del Pinal

San Juan Ostuncalco

Last week was a busy week for the Pop Wuj Scholarship Program, as meetings were held and scholarships were distributed in three communities: Chirijkiak on Wednesday, San Juan Ostuncalco on Thursday, and Llanos del Pinal on Friday. 

San Juan Ostuncalco

The idea of the Scholarship Program or the “becas” is to supplement a family’s income to pay for school-related needs such as books, writing utensils, and school uniforms, and/or to make up for the income forgone by having children attend school rather than work.  The total cost of providing a scholarship is 100 Quetzales (about $13) per month, or 1,200 Quetzales (about $160) per year for each child.  This seems like such a small amount of money for what is gained: access to, and motivation for, achieving an education. 

Llanos del Pinal

Each meeting began with a presentation by Teri, a Pop Wuj social work student, who spoke about the importance of healthy relationships, family planning, and birth control methods.  The talk included dispelling common rumors about contraceptio, such as the myth that a contraceptive injection can cause an abortion if received while already pregnant.

Llanos del Pinal

Birth control is a contentious issue in Guatemala, as most of the country is very religious--mostly Catholic or evangelical Christian, but Pop Wuj is committed to making accurate and useful information available to our scholarship recipients and their families as a means of empowering women to make their own decisions regarding their health and their bodies. 

Llanos del Pinal

After the talk, the scholarships were distributed to the families, 100 Quetzales per recipient for this month.  The Scholarship Program funds the education of over 130 students from kindergarten to university level. Fifty percent of the scholarship project budget comes from the profits of the Pop Wuj Spanish Language School.  The remaining 50% is funded by individual donors who sponsor individual students.  Most of these donations come through the Foundation Todos Juntos, a U.S. 501(c)3 nonprofit.  Many former students and their friends and families are currently supporting the education of our scholarship recipients.

Llanos del Pinal

If you are considering a donation to the Pop Wuj Scholarship Program, rest assured that these scholarships are among the most noble causes to which one can give; providing an education for one of our children is not expensive, and the rewards of doing so are priceless. 

Xeabaj II Scholarships 2013

North to Alaska!  Last week Carmen and the project coordinator traveled alongside the medical team, to the highland pueblo of Xeabaj II, quite a distance off the Inter-Americana highway, for the first of three annual scholarship meetings. The residents of this windy, cool, slightly barren village (hence the name Alaska) are refugees of Hurricane Stan in 2005 which made their town uninhabitable. Since their relocation they have resumed their lives in this new home, which is not much like their original location lower in the valley.
     

This pueblo is home to about 40 beca (scholarship) recipients, also known as becados. Unlike many of the Pop Wuj becados which have individual sponsors, the community's 40 becas are funded by the Brown family. Additionally Xeabaj II is unique in that rather than give a $13/month scholarship to a lesser number of recipients, they have opted to spread the money a bit thinner and support more students. Sharing the proceeds of the sponsorship seems to create a sense of community while assuring that more children will continue their education, creating hope for a brighter future.

This morning the medical team used one classroom for health assessments of  community members while Carmen used another to address parents about the importance of school for the youngsters. Carmen's session was followed by the perfunctory paperwork and distribution of the trimester funds.

La Asamblea de Becados, December 12, 2012

Every December Pop Wuj hosts a year-end event for all scholarship recipients and their families.   In December 2012, the Annual Scholarship Assembly (La Asamblea de Becados) started with a health check-up for all scholarship students, followed by several speakers, and acknowledgement of the students who graduated from 6th grade and 9th grade (the end of básico).  The day included a typical Guatemalan meal and a "paca" to generate income to help cover the expenses of the day.  All students left with a bag of new school supplies to be used in the 2013 school year.

Jose

In addition to Carmen and Rony, several students also spoke about their education and future opportunities, thanking those who have supported and encouraged them along the way.  Jose, a former Family Support Center participant and current scholarship program participant, spoke about his plans to continue his studies at Tecnológico Don Bosco in Xela in 2013. 

Gladis, a former scholarship program participant, also spoke to the students and families.  She just graduated from university with a law degree and cited both her family's support and the Pop Wuj project as key factors in achieving her goal.  Gladis emphasized that all of the students in the program are capable of achieving their goals, but they must study and not marry as teenagers.   

Gladis

Pop Wuj provides partial scholarships for over 130 students, from kindergarten to university.  In 2012, Pop Wuj's project supported 66 primary students and 72 secondary students.  Seven students completed 6th grade and nine students completed básico (the equilvalent of 9th grade).  

We're looking forward to another great year of educational support in 2013!

Becados from Chirijkiak

Becados from Tierra Colorada and Xecaracoj

Becados from Llanos del Pinal

Becados from San Juan Ostuncalco

Some of the becados from Xeabaj II

Aníbal's Story

Anibal, ready for school

One of the children who attends the Family Support Center (formerly la Guardería) is Aníbal. Aníbal, 12 years old, was born with microcephaly and is significantly developmentally delayed. 

He first came to the Family Support Center (FSC) in January 2010.  His mother stated that he did not speak and he appeared very shy and sensitive.   Aníbal had never attended school or other project and on his first day at the FSC, he cried and did not want to be around the other children.  Throughout the year, Anibal attended the FSC daily, playing with toys, putting together wooden puzzles and listening to stories.  Aníbal became more accustomed to being with the children and began to verbalize his thoughts. 

After one year at the Family Support Center, Aníbal had made significant strides both socially and verbally.  The project’s social worker and Aníbal’s mother agreed to enroll him in Escuela Xelaju, a school for children with special needs.  With a scholarship from the Pop Wuj Scholarship Program, Aníbal began school in January 2011.  Foundation Todos Juntos also supports the Pop Wuj Scholarship program which funds 135 partial scholarships for students in primary school, secondary school, and university.  Aníbal’s scholarship covers daily transportation expenses and the $1.50 USD per month school tuition.  

Playing at the Family Support Center

Aníbal is now finishing his second year at Escuela Xelaju and he loves going to school in his uniform and being with other children.  He still attends the Family Support Center in the afternoon.  Aníbal is outgoing and talks to his friends, the employees, and the volunteers at the project.  He loves Curious George books and swinging on the swings on the playground.  Thanks to the generous donors and the projects supported by Foundation Todos Juntos, Aníbal is able to continue making progress both at the Family Support Center and at Escuela Xelaju.  

Troublemakers, L-R Julio, Guayo, Arturo, Anibal

Becados with Malnutrition

          In the past several weeks we’ve continued meeting with scholarship recipients from Llanos del Pinal, San Juan, Chirijkiak, and Xeabaj to continue giving presentations on malnutrition.  We discussed the difference between macronutrients and micronutrients and how the typical rural Guatemalan diet is relatively full of macronutrients (maybe too much of some) while lacking in micronutrients.  At each of the communities except Xeabaj we put our words into action by making a salad of fruits, greens, cheese, and nuts.

            This past week we had all the scholarship recipients with malnutrition meet in the clinic at the school to give a health talk.  Carmen, Rony, Anna (the coordinator of health projects), and Luby (the nurse at the clinic) each spoke about a different health topic ranging from health during pregnancy to nutrition.  Though the meeting was long and full of presenting, it was a rare opportunity to provide information to the group all at once. Our next large meeting like this will be in six months, and until then we will continue meeting with communities and give presentations on bullying. 

Pop Wuj Scholarship Meeting

           This past week mothers and family members of scholarship recipients from various communities met at Pop Wuj to receive scholarships as well as have an educational discussion as we usually try to do at these meetings.  This week’s talk was about domestic violence at home and the spillover it has into bullying at school.  Bullying is a new topic for the Guatemalan school system as the problem is becoming increasingly evident.  Some group members added their own stories and opinions about the effect domestic violence has on children’s performance and behavior in school.  We finished with a snack of chicken tamales, coffee, and cake to show appreciation for the group making the trip to Pop Wuj to participate in the discussion and receive the scholarships. 

Our next scholarship meeting will take place this week at the Family Support Center for mothers whose children attend the Center in Llanos de Pinal.  We will be discussing malnutrition, an important issue facing many scholarship recipients, and we will be preparing a balanced meal with the mothers to put the lesson into practice.

Chirijkiak Cantel, 07 March 2012

This week, Carmen visited a group of scholarship recipient mothers in Chirijkiak, Cantel. In addition to distributing scholarship funds, we also plan a lesson or discussion topic related to health, study habits, or the social climate. Because el Día de la Mujer was celebrated this week, we had a long discussion about the role of women in the family and in the work force and the change that women can affect. Additionally we opened up the discussion to the problem of domestic violence- our next discussion that will be led by one of Pop Wuj’s volunteers. 

Meeting with the mothers of Xeabaj

Carmen and the projects coordinator met with the mothers of Xeabaj, a community removed from Xela. Similar to the first meeting with the women of San Juan, Carmen talked about the importance of encouraging students to study and providing breakfast in the morning to aid in concentration in school.
On the subject of nutrition, Carmen also questioned mothers with children of less than 2 years if they would be interested in our Nutributter nutrition program.

After the meeting, we walked to the school built by one of the padrinos to visit with the students before they left for lunch. Additionally, we met with the teacher to discuss the academic progress of several of the students.

Meeting with the mothers of San Juan

Today Carmen and our projects coordinator visited the mothers of the scholarship recipients of San Juan (a community near Xela). While the general goal of the meeting was to ask about the progress of the scholarship recipients and hand out the scholarships, part of our scholarship program meeting with and encouraging the mothers of the scholarship recipients. School is only obligatory for six years in Guatemala- through primary school. However, many children do not even attend school for the minimum of 6 years. Today Carmen talked to the women about the importance of of mothers encouraging their children to go to school.

Lunch for los becados!

On the 14^th of December the scholarship recipients and their families gathered at Pop Wuj to celebrate the close of the school year. Carmen, a partner of the organization and our social worker gave a moving speech to all of the students about the importance of staying in school and how happy it made her to see the students persist and succeed in their education. The other partners of Pop Wuj echoed this sentiment in heartfelt speeches, encouraging and praising the scholarship students.

This year, we had 5 students graduate from secondary school. For what was and is a proud moment for these students, we had a small graduation ceremony. Every graduate was given the opportunity to speak and every graduate spoke of their gratefulness of the scholarship program and proclaimed passionately to the other students the importance of staying in school.

However, the Scholarship lunch was not limited to eating and passing out gifts and school supplies. Pop Wuj also opened its clinic in order to give all of the children a basic physical and to attend to the needs of the scholarship recipients who needed more care.

Aside from basic care, the volunteers of the medical program put together a nutrition lesson for the children to demonstrate the role proper nutrition plays in every day life. This was a very important piece of our scholarship day as nutrition plays an invaluable role in brain development and the ability to focus in class.

At the end of the day, everyone gathered to receive school supplies for the upcoming year at school and to say their goodbyes to the partners of Pop Wuj.