Colonia Santa Elena, El Asintal, Guatemala-
With clapboard walls, dirt floors and some classes forced outside by the lack of space, The “Escuela Oficial Rural Mixta” (Official Co-ed Rural School) of this small village is typical of the elementary schools of rural Guatemala. Rain and insects enter the class rooms with equal alacrity, light streams in only from the roughed-in, uncovered windows and the spaces between the wall boards and tables are largely makeshift affairs, fashioned from cinderblock and unfinished boards. The people here are “campesinos”, subsistence farmers or field hands of Maya decent, who, on those rare days that they actually get folding money, must make their living on around $1.50 a day…. The children wear second or third hand clothing, washed in the nearby creek beds by their mothers, rubbed against a rock to remove the worst of the stains. The diet is beans, rice and corn tortillas…the diversion a pickup game of soccer played on a field shared with cows and the odd horse. Even elementary school here is a luxury that many families cannot really afford. The school uniforms meant to muddy the difference between the “haves” and the “have-nots” are beyond the reach of families in a village that has no “haves”, and basic school supplies are much too expensive for most. The drop out rate is extreme, with less than 18% of the children going on to high school, and even fewer graduating and going on to any sort of trade school or college programs. AMEDICAusa Volunteers with students in Colonia Santa Elena, Guatemala “By easing the burden on the families and assisting the teachers with basic educational supplies and equipment, we help the kids to stay in school.” said AMEDICAusa President Neale Brown. “Every kid who goes on to high school and beyond is a victory for us, and more importantly, a victory for his or her village.” AMEDICAusa, headquartered in Frederick, Maryland, brings more than supplies to these educational missions. Dovetailing with their medical programs, these visits also bring basic health and dental education to the students and provide an opportunity to assess the health needs of the community, as well as identifying health concerns for particular students. “We’ve seen everything from eye infections to broken bones and other traumatic injuries on these missions.” said Brown, a retired Fire Officer and Paramedic. “It’s a rare occasion when we don’t find at least one child or village resident who is in need of medical care, and whom we either refer to a clinic or, in the more severe cases transport ourselves.” Anyone interested in volunteering on a school mission can get the details here. Those kind enough to donate to AMEDICAusa ‘s ongoing programs may do so here. AMEDICAusa, inc. is a I.R.S. 501(C)(3) registered charity. 