Education Sponsorship for poor Maya children

In July of 2003, Virginia Shrader, who was at that time working as psychology guidance counselor in Honduras, took time off to improve her Spanish at Casa Rosario. While there she decided to help a young Maya man, Bartolo, pay for his classes at the university because 70Q per class was going to prevent him from getting his education. When she returned to Honduras, Vicente, one of the directors of Casa Rosario, took over handling the money for her, making sure it was used for his school, and making sure Bartolo really did go to the classes. Vicente was enthusiastic to help poor Maya youth finish their education, and took on administering the funds without taking a centavo to cover the expenses he incurred. This was how the program started. A couple of Casa Rosario students each took on supporting one new student ,but when Mahiya Norton came to Casa Rosario from Australia with a few years later, she added money for about five new students, and the program took off. It is call Virmah for Virginia and Mahiya. Below are photos of some the students the program is helping to finish their education. Most of them, when they graduate, will be the first in their family to finish high school.

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Some of the sponsored students at a monthly meeting in February 2007. Left to right, back row: Felipe Raxic Yojcom, Ruben Antonio Yojcom Cortez, Vicente Cumes Pop (volunteer administrator), Jose Afredo Yojcom Navichoc, Francisco Raxic Yojcom; middle row: Edgar Francisco Xelemanto Ixcaya; front row: Elena Sipac Simon, Megdelena Quicain Cox, Maria Ixmata Garcia, and Paulina Sunu Tuch.

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Letter from Mahiya:

Two years ago I did some volunteer work in Honduras looking for a place where I could set up a charity project for women. I only visited Guatemala because my daughter was studying Spanish in a small Maya town on Lake Atitlán. She begged me to come, saying it was a magical place. I only spent a week in San Pedro, but I was captivated. Partly because San Pedro is the cheapest place in the world to learn Spanish, I went back in 2004 to study for four months, returning again last year to perfect my Spanish.

Most highlands towns and villages of Guatemala have public schools which teach children up to the sixth grade. After that many children from the very poor families drop out because their parents, who earn only a few dollars a day, cannot pay the twenty dollars it costs to keep them in high school. During my first visit I was approached by an amazing man, Vicente Cumes, who is the Director of the Casa Rosario Spanish School. He asked if I would like to sponsor the high school education for a very poor child who would otherwise have to drop out of school. Agreeing to sponsor a child changed my life in a fabulously rewarding way, and brought me many new friends.

Sponsored student Elena Sipac Simon
and her father Lucas Sipac.

Between my family and friends, we now sponsor six students. Two of my god children just graduated from high school. The jobs they will get will mean their families do not live the way their parents and grandparents have, working for meager wages on someone else’s land. For the girls, it will mean that the quality of their life is not completely dependent on finding a good husband, and that they have their own resources to help them out.

Student Maria Ixmata Garcia

We live a very blessed life in the west. Experiences in third world countries such as Guatemala makes us realize how fortunate we are. During my last trip, we took all our students and some of their families away for a two-day holiday in Chichicastenango, a town about twenty-five miles away. Most of them had never left San Pedro, nor been on a boat across the lake. My godchild's mother was petrified because even though she was a grown woman she had never been on a bus before.

Student Paulina Sunu Tuch and her father
Lorenzo Sunu Chocoy

You are more than welcome to contact me via e mail or by phone if you are interested in sponsoring a student and require more details, or if you are interested in doing some volunteer work in Guatemala. Any sponsors who wish to visit will be warmly received. May we meet in the land of Eternal Spring ( Lake Atitlán is called 'Eterna Primavera' because of its idyllic climate all year round ).

Mahiya Norton

mail me at .
Ph 618 94186861

Students Jose Alfredo Yojcom Navichoc (l) and Filipe Raxic Yojcom (r) and
their sponsor Desiderio Gonzalez y Gonzalez, a San Pedro businessman (center)

How sponsorship works

Vicente and his brother Samuel, a grade school teacher in the local school system, look out for children from the very poorest families in the area. Vicente and Samuel, having lived there all their lives, know who is needy and who is not. They want children who might otherwise have to stop their education to begin working in the fields or for girls in the kitchen. All of the chosen children are sufficiently motivated to finish their education if given the opportunity.

Your support can make a huge different not only to the student concerned but also for his/her whole family. One educated child can make a huge difference. In exchange for the sponsorship the students have to pledge to give back something to the local community. The students as a group decide on this community project which might be something like and spending a Saturday morning cleaning up rubbish from the shores of the lake, or planting trees. Each student also writes his/her sponsor every three months.

The students are at different levels, and often go to different schools. Vicente pays the schools directly. 100% of the sponsor’s money goes to help the student. All expenses in transferring the money to Guatemala are paid by Casa Rosario and Arte Maya Tz’tutuhil. If, for instance, a sponsor includes an additional gift for clothes, Vicente does not give the money to the parents (who would very likely not spend it on clothes), but rather takes the child out shopping himself to purchase the items. Each student also receives US $20 each year to help with their books and supplies.

This is the first meeting of the students (and some family) whose education is sponsored by Virmah. Virmah is an all volunteer organization that began mainly through the efforts of two Casa Rosario students, Virginia Shrader and Mahiya Norton. Mahiya Norton, author of this letter is the standing woman in the white skirt, Vicente Cumes is the seated man in white, Samuel Cumes is the man in the plaid shirt, second from right. Virginia Shrader, who is not pictured, sponsored the first student.

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For questions and answers in English call me in San Francisco, California at (415) 282-7654 or email me at .

Casa Rosario Spanish School
Canton Sanjay
San Pedro la Laguna
Depto. Sololá
Guatemala, C.A.

All paintings are copyrighted by Arte Maya Tz'utuhil for the artist. The reproduction rights are reserved and administered by Arte Maya Tz'utuhil for the artist. Reproduction for commercial reasons without prior written consent is strictly prohibited.