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BRINGING HOPE AND OPPORTUNITY TO A NEW GENERATION
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2008 SUMMER SPECIAL! FOLLOW THE TRIP OF A MISSION TEAM DURING THE MONTH OF JULY! CLICK "2008 SUMMER STORY" ON THE MENU TO FOLLOW THEIR ADVENTURES.
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THE CHILDREN OF LAKE ATITLAN WELCOME YOU
CHILDREN OF LAKE ATITLAN is a sponsorship program whose goal is to help meet the educational needs of children in Guatemala. It^s specific target at this time is the Colegio Cristiano Nuevo Amanacer, which means New Dawning Christian School. This school is located in the mountains of southwest Guatemala, on the western shore of Lake Atitlan, in the village of San Juan La Laguna. The New Dawning Christian School, founded in 1991, currently serves approximately 225 children in pre-school through grade 6. The CHILDREN OF LAKE ATITLAN program was initiated in December of 2004.
Most of the children in the Children of Lake Atitlan live in San Juan La Laguna, a village of about 5,000 people. They are almost all Maya Indians who speak the dialect T'zutujil as their primary language and Spanish as their second language.
San Juan families live mainly by sustenance farming and labor professions. And while men work as laborers, the women weave beautiful textiles. A two-parent home might be able to earn about $75 a month, although many children, as everywhere, only reside with one parent. This leaves little money for clothing, medical care, or even food. Although most children continue to study through 9th grade, education becomes more difficult when entering high school. Course offerings in the village are very limited, because the high school level in Guatemala is career preparation and very specific, and so most students who wish to continue to study move to other villages, where they live with other youth or relatives.
Nevertheless, the children of San Juan La Laguna love to laugh. After school, some of them enjoy playing soccer or basketball, fishing for dinner, or swimming, although many of them go home to go to work in the home or elsewhere. They are affectionate, inquisitive, and outgoing. They have many dreams for the future, even though resources and opportunities are limited. Their favorite food, because they eat it all the time, is usually black beans and eggs, along with tortillas. Coffee, of course, is a staple from early in life.
The New Dawning Christian School (Colegio Cristiano Nuevo Amanacer) was created in 1991 to provide a quality education program for children. It currently serves about 225 children in pre-school through grade 6, without regard to race or religious affiliation. The school administration is hoping to be able to include a Basico (grade 7-9) program beginning in January of 2008.
The school year in Guatemala begins in the middle of January and concludes near the end of October. The school provides education in the basic academic areas, and also has a full program of Christian education. The older children at the school also attend extended day programs, where they learn typing, computers and sewing, as well as arts. In addition to the regular academic program, the school provides health assistance for families, special cultural events such as weekend retreats, and emergency assistance to families.
WE INVITE YOU TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CHILDREN OF LAKE ATITLAN.
AND WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH US. INFORMATION ON HOW TO DO SO IS INCLUDED IN THIS SITE. TAKE A FEW MINUTES AND WALK THROUGH THESE PAGES.
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