Pueblo a Pueblo first began working with La Cumbre School in 2011, and despite the community’s challenges, the school has worked hard to take charge of the projects and create real change.
In the words of our Director of Programs, Montse Deu, “The school has done an admirable job at taking ownership of the projects that were started in collaboration with us.”
Now, with a teacher leading the school’s WASH programming and a community support group in place, La Cumbre’s WASH facilities are working well, and students are practicing good hygiene and sanitation habits every day!
Our first steps for this project at La Cumbre were to help the school build a larger library space and purchase more books and educational materials. Since finishing construction, our Pathways to Literacy Coordinator, Lidia, has worked with the school to use the new library to its full potential. A school librarian, Deysi, was hired directly from the community, and Lidia has been working to train her in school library management and cataloging systems. Lidia has also worked to provide teacher trainings and class modeling so that La Cumbre teachers can lead age-appropriate literacy activities with their students.
Montse says that she has seen a lot of progress at La Cumbre over our 6 year partnership with the school.
“La Cumbre School has changed from being a rural school with just classrooms to being a school with a kitchen to provide school snacks, a productive organic school garden, and a well stocked school library, with teachers who put value on the type of educational opportunities that all these new school spaces bring to the students.”
She added, “Two days ago I went to visit La Cumbre School, and it felt like the dream I have for all schools in Guatemala.”