Blog Posts

A Milestone for Sponsored Students

11/4/2019

Sponsored student Magdalena receives her diploma

Diego poses with his diploma

On October 30, Sandy Mendoza went to Chukmuk Primary School to attend a very special ceremony. It was an exciting day for the sixth graders of Santiago Atitlán. They were there to celebrate an important milestone: their primary school graduation.

Sandy was there to support the graduating students who have received scholarships from Pueblo a Pueblo. As part of the Primary Education Scholarships team, Sandy has been with these students every step of the way. She has visited their homes to check in on them when they’ve had a tough time in school. She has spoken with their teachers for updates on their academic progress. She has given them encouragement and tough love in equal measure.

One sponsored student named Diego had a special role in the day’s festivities. As recognition for earning the highest grades in his year, he carried the school’s flag when he and his classmates filed onto the stage.

Diego and the other sponsored sixth graders have overcome a lot to finish primary school. They all come from families that believe in the importance of education but struggle to make ends meet. For many sponsored students, a scholarship from Pueblo a Pueblo is the only way they can attend school at all. Many of them are the first in their families to graduate from sixth grade.

During the ceremony, each student received a diploma, shook hands with the principal, and smiled for a picture in front of the Guatemalan flag. The room was filled with powerful emotions. One student’s mother approached Sandy for a tearful hug, thanking her again and again for “all you’ve done for my son.”

In January, Diego and the other sponsored graduates will begin seventh grade with the support of donors like you.

Your donations make it possible for students like Diego to attend and excel in school. Thank you for believing that economic need should not be a barrier to education. Your support fuels sponsored students' success!

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Promoting Our Partners: Ixaq Ch'ajch'oj

10/15/2019

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Vilma teaches about menstruation and demonstrates the use of the pads

Our team is hard at work spreading the word about menstrual health—and promoting our partners’ earth-friendly reusable menstrual pads among the young people of Santiago Atitlán.

In September, Vilma and Rebeca were invited to participate in a local health fair designed to introduce teens to a variety of topics related to sexual health. They were asked to present on reproductive anatomy and menstrual health.

Middle- and high-school students passed through the Pueblo a Pueblo tent all day. Rebeca gave each incoming group a brief introduction to the male and female reproductive systems, and Vilma spoke to them about the menstrual cycle.

Rebeca and intern Denise present on the topic of reproductive anatomy

At the end of Vilma’s presentation, she passed out cloth menstrual pads made by Ixaq Ch’ajch’oj, a local woman-led microbusiness and partner of Pueblo a Pueblo’s Woman’s Right to Health program. The teens looked closely at the pads, unsnapping each menstrual “pod” to inspect the detachable cloth tucked inside its impermeable protector.

Vilma and Rebeca are dedicated to equipping young people with the knowledge and tools they need to keep themselves healthy—and Ixaq Ch’ajch’oj is one of their key partners in this endeavor. By providing a low-waste, affordable alternative to disposable menstrual products—and challenging taboos around menstruation at the same time--Ixaq Ch’ajch’oj is making the world a better place for women of all ages.

Can you help us launch this new microbusiness into self-sufficiency? Your gift to Women’s Health Champions will help bring sustainable menstrual health products to women across the Lake Atitlán region and provide a source of sustainable income for the women who make them.

Ixaq Ch'ajch'oj's products

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Taking It Home: Healthy Eating at La Cumbre Primary School

10/7/2019

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Participating moms prepare a healthy meal

Sandy Arrives at La Cumbre

During Sandy’s last visit to La Cumbre Primary School, there was a lot to see. First, she stopped by the school library, established by Pueblo a Pueblo’s Pathways to Literacy project in 2015. Then, she walked through the organic school garden, also built with Pueblo a Pueblo’s support back in 2011.

Outside the garden, she greeted Principal Ricardo Sitan and asked about his plans for the corn, lettuce, and greens she saw growing there. “Same as always,” he said. “The harvest goes right into the kitchen to become part of the students’ lunch.”

Next, Sandy headed straight for that same kitchen. As she unpacked her ingredients, pairs of mothers and students began to arrive for their last healthy cooking class of the year. Sandy began the session by introducing the day’s topic: mindful eating.

Sandy gives her presentation

Participants during the lesson

Eating Mindfully

“It’s easy to overeat, or eat the wrong foods, when we aren’t paying attention,” she said. Sandy then shared some tips with the group. “It’s best to eat more, smaller meals,” she explained. Her recommendation? Eat three meals a day plus a late-morning snack.

Sandy also cautioned against distractions at the dinner table. “Many of us have phones, computers, a TV in the kitchen,” she said. “Try to put them aside while you’re eating.” It's important to pay attention to when our bodies are hungry, satisfied, or overfull.

Checking out the lentils

Listening to Sandy's presentation

Key Ingredients

Sandy then introduced participants to the day’s key ingredients: broccoli and lentils. “Broccoli is a common food here, but most people just serve it in eggs,” Sandy explains. “Today we’ll be trying a new way of preparing it.”

Lentils are less common, Sandy said, but they are an affordable and fast-cooking alternative to black beans and full of protein and fiber. She passed around a bag of dry lentils so the group could get familiar with the new food.

Helping to prepare the meal

Chopping veggies for salad—boys help too!

Time to Cook!

Next, everyone set to work making a delicious meal of broccoli fritters and lentil salad under Sandy’s instruction. Once the food was ready, the mothers transferred it into their own pots and Tupperware containers to bring home to their families for lunch.

Over 500 family members enjoyed these healthy meals in 2019. Sandy teaches students and mothers how to cook and eat healthier. Then they share their knowledge at home, multiplying the impact of Sandy's trainings.

Nutrition is vitally important to a healthy life, and this project is made possible by donors like you. Consider a year-end donation to Pueblo a Pueblo today!

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