Rehoboth Children's Home

Week 3

The work schedule at Rehoboth works so that you are working about 15 days and then have 3 days off. This week I had some time off which I spent with my family in the capital. Most of my volunteer hours this week came from working on the website (taking advantage of faster internet connection in the city). I've made a lot of progress with the site layout so far. For this site I chose to use Wordpress in the hopes that it would be easier for the Rehoboth staff to use than the one they previously made (which I made in high school). They are used to keeping the world updated on happenings at the home through their blogspot blog. While there's nothing wrong with this, I think if they were to utilize the website more it would appear more professional and "legit" to potential sponsors and donors that read about the home.



As for my time off, I was able to see a lot more of Guatemala and gain some insight as to what daily life here is like. Here are some of the things I've noticed: First off, Guatemala is a beautiful country. The only way I can describe it is like going to a day spa for your eyes....which sounds incredibly dumb. But really. Volcanoes. Volcanoes everywhere. It's a drastic change from the flatness that is Florida. Second, the roads are insanity. I've yet to see a traffic light and I've been here for a month :O There are pretty much no traffic laws of enforcement and yet Guatemala has a lower rate of deaths by road traffic accidents than the U.S. However by selecting violence as a cause of death Guatemala is ranked #1. Which leads me to my next point.....Guatemala is also pretty unsafe in some places (lololol). During my time here one thing I can truthfully say I have not enjoyed is how careful I have to be with how I dress, who I'm with, etc. The men here don't respect women and don't bother to hide it. During my first week here I actually witnessed the police chase down two stolen trucks and chase the drivers down the street into the restaurant where we were eating. And they had their guns pulled. But this is normal for Guatemala.

Last week we took the kids out for a hike in the area surrounding the home and we visited a woman who was making a tapestry for the house father. They were some of the happiest people I have ever met...and also some of the poorest. I very sneakily took some photos:

While I stayed with my family I had a different experience. My aunt is a very hard working educated business woman and has become quite successful. Below are some photos of her house, also taken very sneakily:

 The disparity of the living conditions in Guatemala are extremely evident, and the distribution of income is also highly inconsistent. The richest 20% of Guatemalans account for more than 51% of the country's overall consumption. More than half of the population lives below the national poverty line and nearly one half of Guatemalan children under 5 are chronically malnourished (source).

One last observation I've made that I'd like to share is that Guatemalan people are very hardworking. The indigenous people slave away making beautiful intricate tapestries that they sell for about 80-250 Quetzales (about 10-30 USD) with simpler patterns going for even less. What Guatemala lacks in the way of systems (roads, store inventories, etc.) it makes up for in customer service. Guatemalans are helpful, intelligent, and kind-hearted. Though Guatemala is very different from the States, I've definitely fallen in love with it, and will be very sad when I leave next month.