The Great Divide
When I worked at World Missions, our communications guy told missionaries to avoid two cliches when creating their slide show presentations—pictures of sunsets and the words “land of contrasts.” I understand the temptation, because Guatemala is, indeed, a land of contrasts. There is a wealth of beauty and great deal of poverty.
We have eaten wonderful food of all kinds; about 47% of children under 5 here are malnourished.
We have seen and/or stayed in gorgeous hotels, houses and neighborhoods in awe-inspiring environments; the percentage of people in poverty is 59%.
There are colorful markets filled with traditional arts and crafts, fine jewelers offering Guatemalan Jade, and sparkling modern malls that put our local mall to shame; the percentage of people in extreme poverty is around 25%.
A land of contrasts.
Yesterday, we visited Lake Atitlan. This stunning body of water is surrounded by volcanoes and other hills. Colorful towns and resorts are scattered around the lake, overlooking the water.its 160 km from Guatemala City (about 100 miles) but it took over 4 hours to drive home, a situation that will be partially improved by the completion of a bypass highway for traffic.
There is the bustling city of Panajachel, where we parked and arranged a partial tour of the lake by boat. We passed vacation homes and hotels along the coast until Santa Catarina Palopo rose up on the steep shore. There we checked out the vibrant textiles and paintings they produce, then looked up Casa Palopo, a very nice hotel on the edge of town that my friend had been hearing about. We enjoyed a cold glass of lemonade in the open-air restaurant as we gazed out over the water.
Our next stop was San Antonio Palopo. An enterprising woman awaited at the dock, and she took it upon herself to lead us to the ceramics center the town is known for, where we got a tour showing us how the ceramics are made. From there she took us up winding paths to the store of her friend or relative, where they made Allison a “queen” dressing her in traditional clothing.
The day was a brief but interesting look at one region’s economy. It’s low season for tourists, so there was a slightly desperate feel to interactions. People here can farm and fish to survive, but in the years after their civil war ended (mid-90s) tourism has made it possible to do more than survive. One young man followed us to the boat, politely offering us any of his goods at almost any price. At the last minute, he offered us a pack of 12 bracelets for 5 Quetzales, which is about 65 cents. We were already seated in the boat, but my friend spoke with him, then gave him 10 Q for it, knowing he was hungry.
Rich in beauty and community, but poor in material things. Easter week will bring an overflow of visitors, and there will be more cash flow again.
Today we saw what urban poverty looks like. My friend knew of a program called A Safe Passage, started by an American woman in the 90s. She died young in a car accident, but the nonprofit continues the work. A Safe Passage provides education for children of the garbage dump. There are several dumps, privately owned, in Guatemala City. This one covers 40 acres, and desperate people pay a small fee each year for the right to pick through the garbage for anything that can be sold to recycling centers. One of the pics below shows a corner of the dump, not too clear, but if you zoom in you can see all the vultures circling in the air.
There is a hierarchy—people who have been there longest have claim to the glass, which brings the highest price. They bring it home, wash it, and break it before bagging it to bring to recycling. There is a rush to claim each truck as it comes in, and trucks displaying the codes of wealthier zones (especially the hotel zone) are highly desirable. People run and jump into the truck as it keeps moving.
Around 2500 people aged 15 and up (as well as children and others who enter unauthorized) pick through the dump each day. They squat in slums near the dump, stringing precarious cables to the street to redirect electricity. A Safe Passage has a preschool, primary school and the first grade of a middle school. They hope to add a grade each year to keep up with the current 7th graders, but paperwork with the government makes this an ambitious idea. They have tutors and other support for the students who have gone on to public high schools, education and parenting classes for parents, and medical and psychological support. They teach life skills, typical school subjects, and English.
Currently they have 575 students, and since they’ve been around for 20 years they have more students applying than they can accept. They feed the children multiple times a day—nourished brains make better learners. Think again about a rate of malnourishment that is almost 1 of every 2 children under 5.
Urban poverty is different, more dangerous and limiting because of gangs, pollution, and lack of ability to grow your own food. A Safe Passage is an oasis in a dark place, with room to play and grow, with staff and volunteers from all around the world. We met a number of them today—enthusiastic, hopeful people who love these children like their own. If you are interested in sponsoring a child’s education or volunteering, see www.safepassage.org. If you would be interested in purchasing products made in their adult skills classes, see creamosfuturos.com.
It’s a broken and beautiful world. May God use us all in its restoration.
We have eaten wonderful food of all kinds; about 47% of children under 5 here are malnourished.
We have seen and/or stayed in gorgeous hotels, houses and neighborhoods in awe-inspiring environments; the percentage of people in poverty is 59%.
There are colorful markets filled with traditional arts and crafts, fine jewelers offering Guatemalan Jade, and sparkling modern malls that put our local mall to shame; the percentage of people in extreme poverty is around 25%.
A land of contrasts.
Yesterday, we visited Lake Atitlan. This stunning body of water is surrounded by volcanoes and other hills. Colorful towns and resorts are scattered around the lake, overlooking the water.its 160 km from Guatemala City (about 100 miles) but it took over 4 hours to drive home, a situation that will be partially improved by the completion of a bypass highway for traffic.
There is the bustling city of Panajachel, where we parked and arranged a partial tour of the lake by boat. We passed vacation homes and hotels along the coast until Santa Catarina Palopo rose up on the steep shore. There we checked out the vibrant textiles and paintings they produce, then looked up Casa Palopo, a very nice hotel on the edge of town that my friend had been hearing about. We enjoyed a cold glass of lemonade in the open-air restaurant as we gazed out over the water.
Our next stop was San Antonio Palopo. An enterprising woman awaited at the dock, and she took it upon herself to lead us to the ceramics center the town is known for, where we got a tour showing us how the ceramics are made. From there she took us up winding paths to the store of her friend or relative, where they made Allison a “queen” dressing her in traditional clothing.
The day was a brief but interesting look at one region’s economy. It’s low season for tourists, so there was a slightly desperate feel to interactions. People here can farm and fish to survive, but in the years after their civil war ended (mid-90s) tourism has made it possible to do more than survive. One young man followed us to the boat, politely offering us any of his goods at almost any price. At the last minute, he offered us a pack of 12 bracelets for 5 Quetzales, which is about 65 cents. We were already seated in the boat, but my friend spoke with him, then gave him 10 Q for it, knowing he was hungry.
Rich in beauty and community, but poor in material things. Easter week will bring an overflow of visitors, and there will be more cash flow again.
Today we saw what urban poverty looks like. My friend knew of a program called A Safe Passage, started by an American woman in the 90s. She died young in a car accident, but the nonprofit continues the work. A Safe Passage provides education for children of the garbage dump. There are several dumps, privately owned, in Guatemala City. This one covers 40 acres, and desperate people pay a small fee each year for the right to pick through the garbage for anything that can be sold to recycling centers. One of the pics below shows a corner of the dump, not too clear, but if you zoom in you can see all the vultures circling in the air.
There is a hierarchy—people who have been there longest have claim to the glass, which brings the highest price. They bring it home, wash it, and break it before bagging it to bring to recycling. There is a rush to claim each truck as it comes in, and trucks displaying the codes of wealthier zones (especially the hotel zone) are highly desirable. People run and jump into the truck as it keeps moving.
Around 2500 people aged 15 and up (as well as children and others who enter unauthorized) pick through the dump each day. They squat in slums near the dump, stringing precarious cables to the street to redirect electricity. A Safe Passage has a preschool, primary school and the first grade of a middle school. They hope to add a grade each year to keep up with the current 7th graders, but paperwork with the government makes this an ambitious idea. They have tutors and other support for the students who have gone on to public high schools, education and parenting classes for parents, and medical and psychological support. They teach life skills, typical school subjects, and English.
Currently they have 575 students, and since they’ve been around for 20 years they have more students applying than they can accept. They feed the children multiple times a day—nourished brains make better learners. Think again about a rate of malnourishment that is almost 1 of every 2 children under 5.
Urban poverty is different, more dangerous and limiting because of gangs, pollution, and lack of ability to grow your own food. A Safe Passage is an oasis in a dark place, with room to play and grow, with staff and volunteers from all around the world. We met a number of them today—enthusiastic, hopeful people who love these children like their own. If you are interested in sponsoring a child’s education or volunteering, see www.safepassage.org. If you would be interested in purchasing products made in their adult skills classes, see creamosfuturos.com.
It’s a broken and beautiful world. May God use us all in its restoration.
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