10 March 2024

Education – Investing in the future

Two weeks ago our group focused on education in Guatemala. We listened to a presentation and got a tour at Casa Horeb about the school program they run called EduVida. They offer free classes for people of all ages who are looking to further their education as they see their studies as something to help them become someone. Part of EduVida’s work is to empower their students by acknowledging all that they already have to offer the world while also teaching them technological skills through computers and online platforms that will equip them to work and contribute in a way that modern society demands. Some of the struggles EduVida faces is maintaining a sustainable team of volunteer

teachers and supporting dropout students who can’t afford to make ends meet while working a job, supporting a family & investing in their future through school. While holding all of these obstacles, there are many signs of hope amidst the work that EduVida is doing. One that has stuck with me is a volunteer teacher in his 70s who teaches online classes while also battling cancer. His persistence and investment in his community is something that will have lasting effects for the next generations. 

We also visited Escuela Oficial Urbana Mixta where 300 children attend school every day. They offer morning classes held by 12 teachers and afternoon classes held by 10 teachers. In Guatemala, the government spends $809 per student yearly as opposed to $16,000 per student in the US. This leaves teachers with a limited budget to supply the classroom and also leaves classes with an average size of 40-60 kids. For many students, school is the last time to be a kid and most don’t even move past 6th grade, as it is not required. This specific school is making an effort to support their families. They offer night, weekend, and even radio classes to students who cannot come to school during the day. They are also intentional about reaching out to families who have kids at risk of joining gangs. Doing intentional work like this is really hard to do with minimal support and aid from the government. But this school is one of the many signs of resilience throughout Guatemala where people choose to lean on one another and support their communities in the ways they can. 

Visiting these places of learning motivated me to think of the way education is viewed here in Guatemala. Something EduVida emphasized was the way students view education as a luxury. Things must fall into place for their families to be able to experience this luxury. If their parent needs help working the family business during the day, then that comes first. If one parent has left for the US and there are kids that need to be looked after, then that means holding off on basic education to support the family. This reality comes in many forms for families in Guatemala.

I can’t help but think of the ways generational trauma is impacting the opportunities kids and even adults have to invest in their education. I dream of the ways that this reality is shifting little by little because of organizations like these. I acknowledge the contrast in experiences between people in the US, recognizing all the corruptness of our US influence that has led Guatemalans to this point. And I question the ways we can aspire to be change agents to provide the education that everybody deserves. As university students, we continue to ask these questions and to learn about the journeys that are much different from our own.

–Hollyn Miller