Sylvia and Family ' Feliz Navidad / Happy Christmas

(I was goin to edit this post on review I was never happy with the fluincy or structure but to be honest on reflection I think that reflects my emotions on the matter. It was really hard to write and things like having Sylvias mother sitting there telling her life story to a total stranger dont sit well with me so all in all I think its a reflection of how I am about it all)


Happy christmas to everyone who has supported me in anyway and allowed me to act as captain planet over here (as Mick put it). The money is essential of course but the people who read the blog and wish well are equally as important. I know money isnt that flush at home so I really do appreciate it, and the people who cant afford to give money I also appreciate your support just as much. Thank you and a this story is my christmas present and thanks to you.
As you know, I took 2,100 of your money with me to Guatemala. I intitailly planned to spend it solely on construction projects in La Cumbre. I however have decided to give 700 of it to a very worthy cause. I hope you will all agree. I am really happy about it and im sure you will be too.
First im gonna get the sad bit out of the way so that we can end on a happy note. Pretty much most people in Guatemala have a sad story of hardships. This one touched me especially though. Sylvia is a 14 year old girl from Chiantla. Currently she works in the nearest city Huehuetnango as a live in cook, cleaner and general dogsbody for an elderly woman for the grand sum of twenty euro per month. Now I have to state the woman is generally nice to Sylvia and she has no complaints in her treatment but she is a 14 year old girl working 24 hours a day without any days off for 20 euro a month. We are going to change this though becuase we are sending Sylvia to school next year. Starting from January she is going to attend the boarding school in chiantla and hopefully in 6 years time Sylvia is going to become a qualified national school teacher. Thats what she plans on becoming anyway.

Im a little tea pot pose from me. Not sure what thats all about. This is me with the 3 youngest kids the first day we visited the house. Mother was working and Sylvia was in Huehue. O yes and the oldest son is 16 he works in Huehue in construction for 30 euro a month. Hopefully gonna have a bit of work for him with sheeps wool and a bit of construction in new year up in la cumbre, if he wants it that is.

Cooking lunch

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Now there is no guarantees and to be fair to Walter when I asked him about any disaster stories he told me out straight. Seeds of help have given children the opportunity to go to school and it has been thrown back in their face. One girl left half way through the first year because she wanted to get married at 12, others who have been caught stealing from other kids in the school and there are plenty who just arent willing to put the effort in. So there are no guarantees. But, when I seen Sylvia crying with joy  because she is getting the chance to go to school its hard not to be excited. It is pretty humbling too. I thought she was crying because we were putting too much pressure on her but she was genuinely crying with joy. It is going to be really hard for her especially in the first year. At the moment she can just about spell her name but thats it, so she has a lot of learning to do just to catch up with the other kids never mind the whole experience of starting secondary school. Its hard not to be optimistic though becuase I hav met the family and they seem like such good people. Fairly out of luck it must be said though.

Family photo including puppies..........

Without getting too bogged down with depression, here is a little backround on Sylvia and her family. Her mother comes from a Mayan family, her own mother died when she was 2, her father later remarried and started a new family, so from the age of 5 she moved to the capital where she learned Spanish and grew up pretty much on the streets. She got married herself and moved to Huehuetenango where she had 5 buetiful children. Her husband, Sylvias father, died and she was left to raise the 5 kids by herself. Because the only school in Huehue was fee paying the kids rarely got to attend school as there was never enough money. An uncle from America offered to lend them some land in Chiantla for them to build a house so Sylvias mother accepted the offer and moved the family here.
Now before you judge a mother sending her eldest daughter to work at 14 consider this perdicament. She is currently 38 and going through hormonal changes. She requires medicine but it costs money that she doesnt have. She gets some work washing clothes but no where enough to pay for medicine. The only option for her is to go to the USA or Mexico to earn enough money. It is not an option to bring the kids with her so she has to leave them at home. A different uncle, than the one who gave the land lives next door. He has tried to sexually abuse Sylia already so she is too afraid to leave her at home minding the kids while she goes to Mexico. This uncle also torments the younger kids throwing rocks at the house etc... when the mother isnt there. (It costs 15 dollars to have somebody killed in Guatemala just in case your wondering at this point. Seriously though, he has a young family too so how ye go about justifying that even if he is such an arsehole). So a big part of the reason that Sylvia started work in huehue was for her own safety not just for the money. The younger kids went to live with an aunt, but they were beatin for no reason and treated really badly. So that didnt last too long before they had to return home. So it was back to square one again for the family. I felt pretty bad asking all these questions and having her tell me the story because the poor woman got pretty emotional but I needed to be sure about where I was giving the money too.

The family house

The kids and Brenda.

Right so the good bit now. Because they live close to the boarding school Sylvia is goin to live at home and attend classes during the day. So the family stays together. The money that normally would go on living accomodation etc goes to the family instead. There will hopefully be enough for medicine too. Sylvia goes to school and gets a chance of becoming a teacher and earning a decent wage, improving the families fortunes and also gains the self respect that education allows.
From the outset I had one condition of sponsoring Sylvia and I have been pretty insistant with both Sylvia and her mother. Once a month we will meet up and do a posting on the blog while I am in Guatemala and then Sylvia will do it herself when I leave. This is for two reasons. Firstly you deserve to be kept informed of your investment. If there are any questions you have feel free to ask. Write a comment on the blog or send me an e mail there is no problem.
The second reason is that the e700 pays for one year. Hopefully she is going to be studying for 6 so next year and the year after etc 700 will be requires. This could be 70 people paying one euro a month or 7 people paying 10 euro a month but we can decide this later and I will gladly worry about it next christmas when Sylvia is starting her second year. I guaranteed her as long as she tries her best and also keeps us informed of how she is getting on, that the money will be there.

Randomness Month two - Western Highlands

This is the church in chiantla. Dunno if you can make it out but there is a statue of the vrgin Mary and Jesus in pure silver on the alter. Silver mining used to be a pretty big industry in the region.

Chiantla again. Chiantla in the nearest town to me. About have an hour away at the bottom of the mountain. Doesnt look like it bu the hill in the backround is 1km higher than here.

When there is no room in the bus you sit on the roof.

Improvised Sunday session in Xela. Hannah and Stefan. Two great singers to be fair.

Natural hot springs near Xela. About 38 degrees. Nice. Especially when there is no such things as baths here and there is no shower in my house.

Alma and Ian. Xela again. Night out. Xela id about 3 or 4 hours away from where I live but the nearest decent town. Hue huehuetenango isnt the nicest of places to go out in and feel safe at least.

Los ruinas. The ruins. Mayan ruins near Huehue. Fucked up by the United Fruit Company in the 60´s restored using concrete. Gobshites.........

Lago Magdalena. Lake near where I live. About at hour away on dirt tracks but so worth it.

View down the waterfall.

Men carrying wood on their backs.

Before.............

After.................

Christmas party at Robertos house.

Stefan and Robertos wife having a dance.

Randomness Month 1 / Antigua and around

I was going to do a seperate blog for travels but I am going to put it here now. I am not ashamed to say I normally have blow out at the weekends, but anybody who knows me knows ive been this way since i was about 15. To be honest I need it a bit more than usual now, ying all week but a bit of yang at the weekends is needed to keep me sane. I think too much normally and I wreck my own head of about a Thursday every week but when im drinking or doing something I take a break. Im not justifying having a good time to anybody dont get me wrong and i dont feel guilty in the slightest but im just explaining why I am how I am. Anyway I am gonna do a monthly post of randomness and photos. This one is from Santa Tomas and around Antigua......




This is a large prosession for the 1st of November, the day of the dead in Antigua. It was about the size of a truck trailer and was carried around the city and the shoulders of men in black suits. The shrine in the middle is from on of the churches and is a life size staue of jesus in gold.

This is a Barrillette, (massive kite). Every year for the day of the dead they apparently fly the kites to scare off bad spirits with the noise they make but also to send messages to the dead in the forms of notes tied along the main rope. This is also part of the day of the dead celebrations. That something actually it really is a celebration of the dead peoples lives rather than anything solemn or sad. This is Denise the only other student at Inlex while I was there so by default my best friend for the Month. Lucky she is cool anyway.

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DokjreV_vGks&h=0AQHNWbAXAQHGPBHUE8__qehVQDTxcmzSxljT-8GkuowA4Q

check out this link on youtube and forward to about 2 minutes and 40 seconds. Made the news and wasnt in the country a week. well top of my head did anyway.

This is the Cerro de la Cruz. It overlooks the city of Antigua and is on the way to el Hato and Earthlodge

this is the Town of El Hato, up in the Hills above Antigua and where Earthlodge is located. Earthlodge is eco hostel with great food and cheap beer. I decided to walk here took me about 1 and a half hours, all up hill. Had to buy a new t shirt when I got there. Was all happy with myself and then when I was getting a lift back down seen Guatemalan guys running up it. Was devastated ha ha

                                           This is Earthlodge

this is the view of the sunset over Volcan Agua. Was pretty cool, changed every second. Best view around Antigua. Best view in Antigua is Sky bar in case your interested.

This was the first part of my school tour would you believe. This is a totally organic macadamia farm outside Antigua. Getting ready for an oul free head massage with macadamia oil. Tough life.

they use the macadamia nut to make chocolates and buety products. The shells they use as road chippings, suprise suprise I was more interested in that.

the second part of the trip was a trip to Saint Peters church. O yea I have to tell you, we were meant to go to a coffee plantation but we missed the bus because myself and Denise went wandering for sweets and bus went without us. I decided that it wasnt a school tour without sweets and Guatemalan buses never left on time. We strolled back with mouthful of chocolate to see our two teachers standing on the street with no bus. ha ha.

Bit of the architmatecture from St Peters

Whose a happy camper. Had to but a new pair of shoes because the soles were worn off my own after chasin round Antigua after the lovely Klara. Wonder does Sweden need a new volunteer.... Had some craic in Reilly's the Irish bar, no se bar and with everybody  I met at the Jungle Party hostel.. Special room in No Se bar that your only alowed into if you drink at least two double shots of Tequila. Yes i was......

This is me climbing Volcan Pacaya. An active volcanoe about an hour from Antigua not too far from Guate city. Had a bit of a head on me so struggled a bit but really wasn.t much of a climb. Bout an hour and a half. For about half the walk up ye have people tryin to offer you a lift on the back of a donkey. Was tempted but battled through........

this is a blow hole you can get into its like a sauna. pretty nice too especially compared to cold up here....

this is our guide roasting marshmallows from a blow hole. We didnt actually go to the top. I was raging to be honest. I asked him could we climb the last bit and he said no because we didnt have time on this tour but I could come back tomorrow and pay extra. This is Guatemala .. 

  

Seeds of Help. Getting Started and Stopping........

This is basically a run down of what I have been working at of late and what the plans for next year are.... I am excited anyways......


Right so after much effort we got most of the materials for the sheeps wool project such as chicken wire to keep it up in the roof, black plastic for the wool to dry out on and eventually Borax. Wasn't as easy as I had expected and fair play to Walter taking a bit of a wild chance on a chemist in Huehuetenango a good hour away, or I would still be looking. We have enough for to do a few experiments but need to wait until new year to get more from same chemist or find another source.

Borax Experiments:

First Stage is to try remove the majority or unpurities from the raw sheeps wool. Yes this is normally sheep shit.

Second stage is to wash the sheeps wool with the scrubbers as seen below and then rinse in clean water. This is the bould Roberto by the way.....

This is the apparatus. Wool, Borax and two bits of timber with few nails through them.

Borax and boiling water at a ratio of 1 to 10 for soaking the wool.

This is where the wool dries out. Also going to use chicken wire to keep it in ceiling.

The finished product. Dried wool with good coating of Borax.

Fire test. Normal sheeps wool on left, borax wool on right. Both smoulder but  normal wool actually lights and has flames dropping to floor where as borax does not.

Also tried old newspaper and borax. Worked well in fire test probably similar to untreated wool. Might be a good more readily available substitute in the right situation.  

Still have to do a test as on insect/rodent repellant with both paper and wool.

We have no where near enough wool even for one house but we started to introduce the topic in the womens groups and let them know A) what its all about and B) that we will be buying the wool for 10 cent a pound weight. The interest is pretty good so far and Roberto is quite the haggler. We want to get as much as we can now because it is just after shearing season and it will either be dumped or sold to someone else if we dont act fast. Buying it from somewhere else and transporting it is not an option.
If we end up with too much for one house we go onto the next and so on. We have also discussed a few interesting ideas with wool for the womens groups such as insulated curtains / draft excluders, draft excluder "snakes" / Insect guards for inside of doors (Borax kills or in not pleasant to most creepy crawleys), and wool matresses.



From the 15th of December to the 15th of January pretty much all activities close down here. Pretty much this week besides the sheeps wool we have been having end of year meetings and parties.

The Childrens Party in La Union: 300 people all in all. concert, football, food, Santa, and a few sweets...

"Guate Girls Aloud" Concert at the School in La Union.....

Exclusive after party event. Some attitude I can tell you dont know if the picture does justice. This one is definitely gonna split the group to persue a solo career.

Los Lagunas are the World Champions of Los Cuchumontanas for 2011. First prize a leather football. Hope they dont loose it anytime soon cos I am mad for a go. I am bad enough with a proper football never mind a large wind blowing ping pong. Wanna show off my silky skills ye know...

All hands on deck for the food preperation in a nearby house.

Ho ho ho. Not much need for a slay around here. Santa and helper arrive. Aka Adriana and Dulce (Brenda´s Neice)

Anyone for a photo???

Home made chips double fried on a slice of fried pig fat with ketchup mayonaise and hot sauce all for 20 cents  (euros) how could you say no. And yes it tastes as good as it sounds.... mmmmmmm

Seeds of Help crew plus a few........

Womens groups meeting and award cermonies..............

Brenda speaking to the heads of the womens groups in each community. The idea of this conference is to allow the women themselves have some input into the direction of the weekly womens group seminars for next year. They communicated their concerns and issues that are important to them. They also had a look back over the last year.

Florentina (Middle), a student who recieves a scholarship from Seeds of Help and who is going into her final year to become a bi lingual primary school teacher this year. Walter is especially proud of this girl and to be fair it isnt hard to see why she lights up the room when she walks in. For the summer holidays she was teaching women from local communties the traditional art of weaving. 

Florentina showing one of the bags she thought the other women to make over the last month. The detail in her dress is absolutely amazing. She said that a bag like she is holding takes about 4 or 5 full days I cant imagine how long the dress took.

Florentina with one of her students and two bags top right which  were completed during the month.

Diploma awareded to the students who completed course.

There is not much happening now for the next month so I am going to take a 1 month break and take the opportunity to do some travelling around. I will however be completing a tank project from the 16th to 20th or so and will have a meeting on the 21st and then head back to Santa Lucia for Xmas and week of fun with kids but from new years on I will be on my travels for about 3 weeks. Destination unknown as of yet....
After xmas we will hopefully a have a lot of wool, the moisture meters and thermometers from Ireland and a big supply of Borax. So we should be gung ho into the sheeps wool. There is also a few complete tanks to be built and I still have to take a look at two that arent working properly.
I plan on spending 3 ++++ months from the 21st of January here in La Cumbre. This will get me well into the rainy season a great time to try out some lime rendering as the nights are not so cold and there is plenty of moisture in the air. Both essential for lime to cure properly.
School proper starts back around the end of January along with the womens groups so that will also be interesting stuff.

I am moving into a new house in the new year also. This has nothing to do with Dona Carolina and her family who have been great. I intend to eat with them a lot of the time and hopefully have daily interaction as they are only next door. The reasons I am moving, is for one I want to up grade the volunteer house after Roberto´s and also try out a few other experiments like building pot belly stoves with clay and back boilers which I can get stuck into straight away in the evenings in the new year. Basically a lot os sustainable construction ideas that I am going to take the opportiunity to make reality while I can.

The other reason for this is an experiment on myself. I got the inspiration from Stefan who was up here for last Month volunteering who I have the utmost respect for and who is trying something similar in January. The idea is this, for the month of Febuary I will live on a Euro a day, or 7 euro a week/ 70Q. To be honest I feel like I am a bit of a fake so far as I have been talking the talk but not truely walking the walk as regards money. It is great talking about how the people of Guatemala life, sustainable architecture and sustainable living but unless I truely live like them for a while how would I really know. I love talking about socialism and people living in excess but I have never lived outside capitalism and its excess. According to the World bank, Over 1 billion people worldwide live on less than $1 per day and 2.7 billion people live on less than two dollars per day. This is a little over half the population of the world.
Because of the money restriction and the trying to live a similar lifestyle to other Guatelamalan people in my area I will have a few other self imposed rules. I will not eat meet unless offered it. This is mainly because I wont be able to afford it but it is a pretty big insult not to accept it here because it is such a big deal when people do eat it. Only speak spanish, this is because I need to practise really. I wont leave La Cumbre because I probably wont have bus fair. Not drink alcohol (I know yea..) wont be able to afford it but also its pretty tabboo here. I will also only use the computer on a Sunday to up date blog and possibly speak with family on skype etc. For this I will deduct 4Q per hour from the budget.
Obviously it is not a true reflection of the peoples lives because at the end of the day I can opt out at any time but I am determined to try it and feel what its like. I would like to live sustainably one day and this is hopefully a step in the right direction. I think that everybody including me should live on a lot more than 1 or 2 dollars a day so I dont expect to live like this forever but somewhere in between would be nice. Hopefully after this experiment I will have a better understanding of what I actually need and what I think I need to live happilly. Another point is that things are a good bit cheaper here so its a lot more possible to do it here than it is say in Ireland. How possible I still dont know but sure isnt that half the craic?