“Finding the Taste for Learning”

Twelve year-old *Miguel wasn’t interested in learning. Demotivated and disinterested, he constantly told our Guatemalan partners ‘I can’t do anything’ or ‘I’m too tired’. 

But our partners didn’t give up. They doubled down on encouraging him and personalising his learning support, and eventually their efforts bore fruit. “Now he is participating more and more,” they say. “He has found the taste for learning and has realised he is capable of many more things than he thought. His behaviour has improved, as well as his grades and studying habits.” 

Miguel is one of 38 sponsored children on the mentoring programme run by our partners in Guatemala for children at high risk. They all benefitted from a tuition programme our partners delivered throughout 2021, whilst schools were closed due to Covid.  

School closures in Guatemala have been prolonged, with no end yet in sight. Some schools partially re-opened in February 2021, but by November 2021, according to UNICEF, only 22% of children in Guatemala were benefitting from face-to-face education.

Thousands of children and young people have dropped out of education altogether, demotivated by the long school closures, unable to access online learning, drawn into gangs or early pregnancy, or simply needing to work.  

In this difficult context the tuition programme has been a triumph. Except for three children who moved away from Guatemala City, all the children are still accessing learning, and many, like Miguel, are making more progress than they did in full-time school.  

The team is led by Paula de Chun: “Since the beginning of the education project, it has been a challenge,” Paula writes. “There have been many changes of schedules and logistics. But I try my best to motivate the children and teachers so that every day is better than the previous one and so that we can all meet our goals.” 

Thank you so much to all the donors who supported this programme via our Lent Appeal in 2021, paying for the first full year of operation. Global Care has recently funded another term’s tuition, using legacy funds, at a cost of £6,500.