Cesar, president of P.E.M. with Dora (Katy’s mother) and Delia (Nivia’s mother).

Dear Friends,

 

Seven of P.E.M.’s current eight students above San Antonio Aguas Calientes(January 2007). From left to right: Nivia, Keyla, Teresa, Idalia, Maria de los Angeles, Katherine and Williams.

The “Proyecto Educacion Maya” has started its fourteenth year of activity since its founding in the village of San Antonio Aguas Calientes, near Antigua Guatemala in 1993. We have had twelve high school graduates so far who have since their graduation found jobs as bilingual secretaries, mechanics, electricians, accountants and teachers. Some have continued their studies on their own at the university level. Gregoria Xicay Pichola graduated last year as a social worker and continues her social engagement, helping peasant workers in the highlands of Guatemala. Education has brought a decisively positive change to the lives of these young people who are no longer dependent on tourists buying their weavings and other artifacts to scrape together an all-to-meager income. Even though P.E.M. has already met its objective of improving the lives of Indigenous youth from San Antonio Aguas Calientes through education, we feel that our mission is incomplete as long as our last eight affiliates have not in turn had their chance to graduate from high school. We have greatly appreciated your long-term commitment to these young people and hope that we can continue to count on your support for the current school year. You will find enclosed with this newsletter a letter from your godchild.

Contact:
Catherine Reinhardt-Zacair, 3353 Topaz Lane, Fullerton, CA 92831 (714) 572-3847
[email protected]