Later this morning we will welcome our first 2015 school group of volunteers to Project Somos. St. George’s school from Vancouver will be our first group of students (9 young men). Next week we will welcome Southridge (South Surrey) and then Strathcona Tweedsmuir (Okotoks, AB)
Last week we spent most of the week preparing for the start of our busy volunteer season. We cleaned and set up the tents, cleared the brush around the tents, prepared beds, did menu planning and shopping, etc.
The list of volunteer tasks is made and awaits willing hands and hearts. Project Manager, Greg Kemp and our Foreman, Antolin Gonzalez will oversee the work. Our volunteers will work alongside our nine local workers.
When the students arrive this morning, we will take them on a tour of the Village and show them all that has been accomplished since we began here in 2011. They will see the work that was previously done by Saints volunteers in 2012 (the perimeter wall) and 2013 (the playground). They will meet our mamas and kids. After that, they will have a delicious lunch made by Nico Chumil who has been in charge of food and hospitality here since 2011.
After lunch our volunteers will get into their work clothes and get to work! Some will do physical work while some offer programming to our kids.
After taking a hot shower (powered by the sun!) everyone will have dinner and then clean up. We will then have a presentation sharing the history of the Project, the needs here in Guatemala and outline how their week will unfold.
We will show a couple of short online documentaries that have recently been featured in the New York Times and UNICEF. These outline just some of the dire situations children face in Guatemala. They are heartbreaking and eye opening and emphasis the importance of the work we are doing here at Project Somos.
Unicef UK Ambassador Michael Sheen’s Guatemala video diary
Michael Sheen: Guatemala is the ‘worst place to be a child’
New York Times-Too Young to Wed
I hope you will take a few moments to watch theses videos so that you too, can understand the urgency of the situation here and why we are grateful to have the support of each volunteer and every donor that assists Project Somos!
You can follow our volunteers’ progress on Facebook, Instagram (@projectsomos) or Twitter (@projectsomos)
-Heather Alicia Knox
Executive Director & Co-Founder
Project Somos Guatemala
Thank you for posting Heather.
I know that the volunteers will come away from Project Somos with love in their hearts and determination to help the Guatemalans in their pursuit of self reliance!
Big hugs to all the volunteers. The incredible paid staff and of course you and Greg. I am so proud of all of you. And I’m honoured to volunteer for such a beautiful project.
Tia Gin