Dear family and friends,
I am thrilled to share the news that I will be traveling to Guatemala City and Momostenango, Guatemala with Ingage Unlimited this summer! I will be a part of a passionate team of educators who will provide training to educators and other community leaders who rarely, if ever, receive professional development opportunities.
Guatemala’s population of 15 million is one of the poorest in Latin America. Nearly 25% of the country’s population is illiterate, ranking Guatemala 174 out of 194 countries in terms of literacy rate. The average schooling in Guatemala is four years, and only three in ten children graduate from sixth grade. It also has the highest rate of chronic malnutrition in children under five in all of Latin America.
We will be working with The Potter’s House organization while there. The Potter’s House has been providing support for over 11,000 children and their families that live on a garbage dump in Guatemala City for over 30 years and has expanded to Momostenango in the last couple of years. Because of their strong ties within the community, we will be visiting homes and learning about the challenges faced on a daily basis.
Would you consider making a donation to support this work? Each team member is responsible for raising funds to cover the expenses that this service trip entails. Because this is a volunteer service trip facilitated by the non-profit organization INGAGE Unlimited, all contributions are 501(c)3 tax deductible donations, and they can be made online at http://ingageunlimited.org/donate. Just select my name in the Guatemala Education Team.
I am beyond excited to be a part of this opportunity to share my passion and experiences in education. I look forward to sharing our experiences with you. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions, comments, stories to share about an experience you’ve had, or words of encouragement.
With gratitude,
Rachel