Help Support Project Somos

To start, I want to thank all of you who donated to Project Somos this year. As you probably know, every US dollar goes a long way in Guatemala to provide education, nutrition and quality experiences for children.

We came back from our volunteer trip about a week ago. It’s always hard to put experiences into words, and I find it especially difficult to capture the experience of being at Project Somos, which exists in what feels like another world: the highlands of Guatemala. Eleven of us volunteers (9 from the US, one from Canada and one from Germany) came together to work at Somos, which includes a farm, a children’s school and outdoor spaces for kids to play. This non-profit community makes a profoundly significant impact on the young participants (ages 3-12) and their families. In Guatemala, 68 percent of children are living in poverty. My daughter MJ (center) helping in the one of the classroomsChronic malnutrition affects 58 percent of indigenous children and 47 per cent of children under the age of five. The kids (mostly indigenous) who come to Project Somos get much-needed quality time with teachers who help them to read and write, farm and cook, and play in a safe environment. The kids are offered nutritional meals and snacks. As volunteers, we don’t go to Project Somos to do something massive, like build a house or a school. We simply show up and support the project with whatever they need when we’re there. This year we helped harvest wheat, shell beans, work in the garden, read with and play with the kids. We performed an interactive concert, helped fix the internet and set up ipads for educational use. Together, we raised $13,268 in donations for the project.

 There is something magical that happens when you bring together a group of caring people willing to take a risk on a volunteer trip.  We help during the day, and at night we enjoy conversation and some good laughs. This year’s group was particularly musical (and/or interested in hearing music) which made it incredibly fun. We spent every evening with guitars, keyboard, ukulele and tin whistle (!) and just about everyone’s voices singing along to songs. I will always feel a special connection to everyone who shares in the Project Somos experience. Stay tuned for news about a trip next year, in February 2025! Thanks again for your support!

 P.S. Thanks to Sarah de Lemus (the amazing new director), Claudia Ordonez and Arne Blister for organizing!  

Also a shout-out to Antje Duvekot for introducing me to Project Somos!