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In the United States and other parts of the developed world, many of us begin attending school at the age of three or four in a joyful pre-school environment. Classrooms are filled with colors, shapes, books, toys, songs, crayons, etc. These happy days become a part of our childhood memories and the foundation for our social references and future goals.

In Guatemala, the situation is starkly different. Guatemala is a country of breathtaking volcanoes, verdant hillsides, tight-knit families, traditions and pride. It also is a victim of civil war, hunger, prejudice, poverty and ignorance. Generally speaking, Guatemalan children do not begin their schooling until the age of six or seven, and few attend past 6th grade. Many stop their studies by 2nd grade, and others never attend at all.

Public schools have as many as 50 students in one classroom, with only one teacher. Absenteeism is alarmingly high among public school teachers, and when absent, children are left unsupervised. The average wage for these marginally-educated Guatemalans is between 2-10 dollars per day.

Cambiando Vidas lights the way to a brighter future for Guatemalan Children

Cambiando Vidas is a non-profit pre-school located in Pastores, a suburb of Antigua,Guatemala. The town is known for its handmade boots, coffee processing and susceptibility to being flooded during winter rains. It is a tight-knit town occupied by generations of hard working people who earn 10 dollars per day or less. They also have a school in Santa Maria de Jesus in a rented building. This school is currently for pre-school age children and the paperwork will be completed shortly and then it will be a Nationally-recognized educational institution. Next year, we hope to build a new school in Santa Maria de Jesus for the Cambiando Vidas Project similar to the one in Pastores if we can purchase property and obtain the necessary funding.

Both the school in Pastores and the one in Santa Maria de Jesus sparkle with excitement.. Class sizes are small and there is always a teacher for each class and most classes also have an assistant teacher. Creativity and self-expression are encouraged, and artwork covers the walls. They are joyful places.

 Some facts about Cambiando Vidas:

• Cambiando Vidas is a bi-lingual school, teaching English and Spanish, and has recently celebrated its second anniversary.
• Janette Cuellar de Reyes, the program director, donates 100% of her time to Cambiando Vidas: this demonstrates her personal dedication and commitment.
• Cambiando Vidas in Pastores has secured all of the necessary paperwork and is a Nationally-recognized educational institution.
• The mayor of Pastores, has granted Cambiando Vidas a 25-year cost-free lease for the property where the new school is located.
• One of the largest and most prestigious engineering and architecture firms in Guatemala supplied all of the plans for the new school.
• Cambiando Vidas worked with a local construction supply company who supplied a significant amount of the materials needed to build the new school.

If this beautiful country is ever going to emerge from this cycle of violence, it needs to graduate strong and caring leaders, who understand the poverty of their people, because they have come through it. We want these men and women to have a deep sense of self, and pride in their cultural heritage. We must give them the critical-thinking and creative problem-solving skills, to lead their people to "a new way of being."

Please read this wonderful and inspiring letter from
Martha Julia Garcia-Sellers, Ph.D. Tufts University.

September 7, 2008

It is with great pleasure that I write this letter on behalf of the Association Cambiando Vidas. This program in the community of Pastores, Sacatepequez, Guatemala offers the exceptional support to children and parents. Despite the scarce resources available to the staff, they provide exemplary service that equals or surpasses that of educational programs that I, as a professional in the field, have observed in the United States and elsewhere.

I became acquainted with Cambiando Vidas during my working visit to Antigua this past summer. My initial conversation with Janneth Cuellar, the Association Director, awakened my interest in the program’s goals and approach. Further conversations with Mrs.Cuellar and the program staff at the school confirmed my initial impression of the outstanding value of their work.

Cambiando Vidas is devoted to promoting children’s educational achievement, providing a bilingual (Spanish and English) learning environment, reinforced by the empowerment of their parents. It is based on a comprehensive approach which is faithful to the cultural needs of this rural Guatemalan community while at the same time it elevates parents’ values and aspirations so that they give high priority to their children’s educational accomplishments.

In the classroom, the teachers, whom I observed to be capable and dedicated, guide the children through a developmental curriculum that is sensitive to, and builds on, students’ individual differences. In conjunction with the learning experience in the classroom, two psychologists visit the children’s homes regularly, and work with parents on various activities related to the school while at the same time providing guidance regarding children’s development, family nutrition, physical health, and other relevant topics. Cambiando Vidas deals skillfully with children’s and parent’s current needs while at the same time keeping an eye on the longer term goals and building a path step by step for them to succeed.

At present, Cambiando Vidas serves preschoolers and kindergarteners. They hope to expand the grade offerings to enable the current group of students to complete elementary school while enrolling others into the younger grades. The Director has already received expressions of interest from bilingual high schools in Guatemala to enroll the graduates from Cambiando Vidas when the time comes for their secondary education.

As a university professor and a clinician in the field of child Development, I have devoted many years to studying and teaching about children’s development and education. Very seldom have I come across a program that so effectively promotes children’s own abilities and learning as does Cambiando Vidas. The fact that it has blossomed in a fairly remote, Guatemalan town lacking the resources of a more privileged setting is even more remarkable. Cambiando Vidas has already had an impact on my life. Because of the ability and dedication of the director and her staff, whatever contribution made by those of us who support their efforts will be multiplied many times and lead to significant changes for children and their families in Pastores.

Let me close this letter by mentioning that a significant part of the success of Cambiando Vidas should be credited to the endless efforts and enthusiasm of Janeth and her staff. Working with them is truly inspiring!

Sincerely,

Martha Julia Garcia-Sellers, Ph.D
Assistant Professor and Senior Research Scientist