Guatemala
Environment
Updates from the Field - Build a school from recycled materials for Maya
Updates from the FieldUpdates from the Field (or Progress Reports) on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.com by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
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Recent Updates from the Field
- Oct 14, 2009 - Postcard from Build a school from recycled materials for 50 Maya
- Jul 16, 2009 - A Postcard from Build a school from recycled materials for 50 Maya
- Jul 1, 2009 - Progress update on Tecnico Maya School
- Mar 20, 2009 - Our House, In the Middle of Our Street & Why Did Matt Name It “Long Way Home”?
- Feb 23, 2009 - Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, and Build a School
- Feb 20, 2009 - building new school and new volunteers join LWH
- Dec 2, 2008 - Being part of a larger vision
- Nov 21, 2008 - Thank you to our wonderful and generous donors
- Nov 13, 2008 - Walking the land of the future site of the school
- Nov 7, 2008 - Progress in Parque Chimya
- Nov 3, 2008 - Arrival to view new building construction
Postcard from Build a school from recycled materials for 50 Maya
By Mark Skeith - Visitor, October 14, 2009 04:16 PM
Before heading to Long Way Home’s project in the Mayan highlands of Guatemala this summer, I decided get a feel for the organization by reading their website. I ran into this mission statement:
“Long Way Home’s mission is to break the cycle of poverty among youth in developing communities by creating educational opportunities, cultivating civic interaction, and encouraging healthy lifestyles.”
At first glance, their strategy seemed to be a straightforward and common way of reducing poverty in any developing country. After volunteering with them for a month, however, this pitch has gradually transformed into a very coherent and pointed approach to achieving sustainability in a community unlike any other in the world. Like nudging a line of dominoes waiting to fall, Long Way Home has introduced the idea of a better future into a community so that it can use preexisting relationships to do so when Long Way Home leaves.
A 45 minute drive up into the highlands from the economic vein of the Inter-American Highway, this community, San Juan Comalapa, has felt the winds of globalization but has not yet found the sails needed to enjoy it. Without business connections to foreign companies like Castrol, Fed Ex, or even Gold’s Gym, store owners have painted their logos on their storefront walls instead. The DVD stand in the central market is surrounded by people who would love to purchase movies but do not have the extra dollar to do so. Especially with people in their thirties or older, it was very easy to see an almost giddy excitement that their children and grandchildren will never have to see what they saw during the recent civil war.
That optimism is coupled though with another haunting idea that, although they are climbing out of their past, they could still slip back into it. There are Coca-Cola trucks servicing Comalapa now, but there are also guards carrying loaded shotguns. Villagers can now enjoy the crackling of fireworks at festivals without having to worry about government approval, but sometimes the bangs I heard were actually those of a gun.
Matt entered this community in 2002 as a PeaceCorp volunteer, building relationships with community members before returning home. But unlike many others in PeaceCorp, he realized an opportunity for sustainable development and returned with colleagues and funds in 2004 to see it through. With a network of community leaders that were determined to pull their village out of its past, Matt realized that he could do more than just teach a child, build a road, or save a tree here. By “creating educational opportunities”, he has been providing parents a lasting way to protect their children. By “cultivating civic interaction”, he can pass appropriate technologies along to people looking for just that. And by “encouraging healthy lifestyles”, he is providing a roadmap to a longer, brighter future in an environment that used to seem inevitably tarnished. In each of these 3 approaches offered in Long Way Home’s mission statement, the community is receiving the tools needed to help themselves when he leaves.
During my month volunteering there, I noticed so many little moments when this change of attitude would come out. One day, I was enjoying a snack with a married couple in the back of a pickup truck on the way to the school construction site, and when the husband tried to throw away the wrapper, his wife said to him, “You shouldn’t do that” (The concept of littering is definitely new there!). Another day, I followed a group of students up to the soccer field listening to them complain about their little soccer balls that pop far too easily, and then like receiving Willy Wonka’s golden ticket, I saw the excitement in their faces when Matt held up ten gold medals that ten lucky kids would receive if they hustled. Coming from the U.S. where the idea of working at a soup kitchen sounds absurd on a beautiful NFL Sunday, it was amazing to see entire communities banding together to build latrines and retaining walls for the local elementary school because no one else would.
When I look back on a month there, all the wonderful conversations I had with Guatemalans, Long Way Home staff, and other volunteers pointed to one clear message about sustainable development. Community members are not the targets of development; they are its force driving.
And, this is why I really think it’s their slogan, not their mission statement, that does them the more justice:
“From the ground up”
“Long Way Home’s mission is to break the cycle of poverty among youth in developing communities by creating educational opportunities, cultivating civic interaction, and encouraging healthy lifestyles.”
At first glance, their strategy seemed to be a straightforward and common way of reducing poverty in any developing country. After volunteering with them for a month, however, this pitch has gradually transformed into a very coherent and pointed approach to achieving sustainability in a community unlike any other in the world. Like nudging a line of dominoes waiting to fall, Long Way Home has introduced the idea of a better future into a community so that it can use preexisting relationships to do so when Long Way Home leaves.
A 45 minute drive up into the highlands from the economic vein of the Inter-American Highway, this community, San Juan Comalapa, has felt the winds of globalization but has not yet found the sails needed to enjoy it. Without business connections to foreign companies like Castrol, Fed Ex, or even Gold’s Gym, store owners have painted their logos on their storefront walls instead. The DVD stand in the central market is surrounded by people who would love to purchase movies but do not have the extra dollar to do so. Especially with people in their thirties or older, it was very easy to see an almost giddy excitement that their children and grandchildren will never have to see what they saw during the recent civil war.
That optimism is coupled though with another haunting idea that, although they are climbing out of their past, they could still slip back into it. There are Coca-Cola trucks servicing Comalapa now, but there are also guards carrying loaded shotguns. Villagers can now enjoy the crackling of fireworks at festivals without having to worry about government approval, but sometimes the bangs I heard were actually those of a gun.
Matt entered this community in 2002 as a PeaceCorp volunteer, building relationships with community members before returning home. But unlike many others in PeaceCorp, he realized an opportunity for sustainable development and returned with colleagues and funds in 2004 to see it through. With a network of community leaders that were determined to pull their village out of its past, Matt realized that he could do more than just teach a child, build a road, or save a tree here. By “creating educational opportunities”, he has been providing parents a lasting way to protect their children. By “cultivating civic interaction”, he can pass appropriate technologies along to people looking for just that. And by “encouraging healthy lifestyles”, he is providing a roadmap to a longer, brighter future in an environment that used to seem inevitably tarnished. In each of these 3 approaches offered in Long Way Home’s mission statement, the community is receiving the tools needed to help themselves when he leaves.
During my month volunteering there, I noticed so many little moments when this change of attitude would come out. One day, I was enjoying a snack with a married couple in the back of a pickup truck on the way to the school construction site, and when the husband tried to throw away the wrapper, his wife said to him, “You shouldn’t do that” (The concept of littering is definitely new there!). Another day, I followed a group of students up to the soccer field listening to them complain about their little soccer balls that pop far too easily, and then like receiving Willy Wonka’s golden ticket, I saw the excitement in their faces when Matt held up ten gold medals that ten lucky kids would receive if they hustled. Coming from the U.S. where the idea of working at a soup kitchen sounds absurd on a beautiful NFL Sunday, it was amazing to see entire communities banding together to build latrines and retaining walls for the local elementary school because no one else would.
When I look back on a month there, all the wonderful conversations I had with Guatemalans, Long Way Home staff, and other volunteers pointed to one clear message about sustainable development. Community members are not the targets of development; they are its force driving.
And, this is why I really think it’s their slogan, not their mission statement, that does them the more justice:
“From the ground up”
Pictures:
Want to support this project's continued work? 
A Postcard from Build a school from recycled materials for 50 Maya
By Marc Maxson - Visitor, July 16, 2009 03:53 PM
Marc Maxson is GlobalGiving's Manager of Performance Analysis. This summer he traveled throughout Guatemala and visited a number of GlobalGiving projects. On May 29th he visited "Build a school from recycled materials for 50 Maya." When asked what he would tell his friends about this project, Marc said: "Incredible: You need to see this!"
Robert Dubois and I visited Long Way Home as part of our GlobalGiving staff listening tour in Guatemala. This is what we saw and heard:
Matt Paneitz led us through the community projects his organization had built outside Comalapa. A group of teens played soccer on the green field beside a healthy vegetable garden. We saw many buildings that used some sort of recycled materials and a few experimental structures, like a chicken coop, which appeared to be erected to test new mixtures of local stucco. As we walked, Matt explained his journey towards the point where they are today. This is a synopsis:
First they built a park. At night they would sit around the park and listen to the villagers.
Someone said, "I wish there was a garden."
So they built community gardens.
A girl said the soccer field was okay, but she wanted a basketball court.
So they built a basketball court.
Someone said, "I wish you would plant more trees, so we will have firewood."
So they planted a forest. They now sell the trees to pay a staff person who maintains the football field. The rest of the money goes to community projects.
Eventually it was time to build the school. But there was no money. So instead of starting by asking outsiders for money, Matt (the founder) got the idea of asking people to "pay" to enter the park by bringing them a plastic soda bottle stuffed with trash each time.
So people started bringing soda bottles stuffed with trash. The town started looking much cleaner.
Next they stacked the bottles to make walls and covered them in a mix of lime and dirt, like stucco. Now they have buildings, mostly made from free stuff.
But the bottles weren't coming in fast enough.
Someone said, "Everywhere I drive, there are discarded tires on the side of the road. Why don't we collect them all and use them?"
So they started cleaning up the highways and stacking hundreds of blown-out tires packed with dirt to make walls for the school. Next they will cover the tires with stucco to make walls. The only cost so far has been labor for 4 local workers, who live in the village and are so excited about the work no one even bothers to supervise them. But the work is on schedule nevertheless. GlobalGiving's donors pay their wages. Volunteers collect the tires.
Did you know cement factories produce 6 percent of global carbon emissions?
Long Way Home is building a school with a lot less cement and concrete.
Matt, the founder wants this school to create a new breed of environmental activist. I suggested he call these kids something new, like a recyclonista, or envirovisionary. May says the kids will learn how to think, problem solve, and find solutions for the future within the walls built of old tires, soda bottles, and other trash sources they have yet to tap. And even more, these walls may be quieter than the concrete walls that echo kid noise in a million classrooms around the world. Matt even thinks the tire-walls may be more earthquake-proof. Given the 7.1 earthquake nearby in Honduras last week, this may not only save money and resources, but also lives in the future.
Robert Dubois and I visited Long Way Home as part of our GlobalGiving staff listening tour in Guatemala. This is what we saw and heard:
Matt Paneitz led us through the community projects his organization had built outside Comalapa. A group of teens played soccer on the green field beside a healthy vegetable garden. We saw many buildings that used some sort of recycled materials and a few experimental structures, like a chicken coop, which appeared to be erected to test new mixtures of local stucco. As we walked, Matt explained his journey towards the point where they are today. This is a synopsis:
First they built a park. At night they would sit around the park and listen to the villagers.
Someone said, "I wish there was a garden."
So they built community gardens.
A girl said the soccer field was okay, but she wanted a basketball court.
So they built a basketball court.
Someone said, "I wish you would plant more trees, so we will have firewood."
So they planted a forest. They now sell the trees to pay a staff person who maintains the football field. The rest of the money goes to community projects.
Eventually it was time to build the school. But there was no money. So instead of starting by asking outsiders for money, Matt (the founder) got the idea of asking people to "pay" to enter the park by bringing them a plastic soda bottle stuffed with trash each time.
So people started bringing soda bottles stuffed with trash. The town started looking much cleaner.
Next they stacked the bottles to make walls and covered them in a mix of lime and dirt, like stucco. Now they have buildings, mostly made from free stuff.
But the bottles weren't coming in fast enough.
Someone said, "Everywhere I drive, there are discarded tires on the side of the road. Why don't we collect them all and use them?"
So they started cleaning up the highways and stacking hundreds of blown-out tires packed with dirt to make walls for the school. Next they will cover the tires with stucco to make walls. The only cost so far has been labor for 4 local workers, who live in the village and are so excited about the work no one even bothers to supervise them. But the work is on schedule nevertheless. GlobalGiving's donors pay their wages. Volunteers collect the tires.
Did you know cement factories produce 6 percent of global carbon emissions?
Long Way Home is building a school with a lot less cement and concrete.
Matt, the founder wants this school to create a new breed of environmental activist. I suggested he call these kids something new, like a recyclonista, or envirovisionary. May says the kids will learn how to think, problem solve, and find solutions for the future within the walls built of old tires, soda bottles, and other trash sources they have yet to tap. And even more, these walls may be quieter than the concrete walls that echo kid noise in a million classrooms around the world. Matt even thinks the tire-walls may be more earthquake-proof. Given the 7.1 earthquake nearby in Honduras last week, this may not only save money and resources, but also lives in the future.
Links:
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Progress update on Tecnico Maya School
By Elizabeth Rose - president, Board of Directors, July 02, 2009 10:54 AM
As of June the progress continues on the Tecnico Maya School. Below you will see some pictures of the latrine, the retaining wall and the walls of three classrooms.
Exciting new opportunities have come to Long Way Home. As a direct result of the news coverage recieved from the national newspaper, La Prinsa, a government agency of engineers came to view our use of recycled tires in building retaining walls. They have now contracted with LWH to hire our construction crew to build two badly needed retaining walls in two other Guatemalan locations.
LWH is proud to offer the services of our crew who will be paid a little more than the wage we offer them for these jobs. This is very good for our local economy and is a sign of a mainstream acceptance of our building practices.
Exciting new opportunities have come to Long Way Home. As a direct result of the news coverage recieved from the national newspaper, La Prinsa, a government agency of engineers came to view our use of recycled tires in building retaining walls. They have now contracted with LWH to hire our construction crew to build two badly needed retaining walls in two other Guatemalan locations.
LWH is proud to offer the services of our crew who will be paid a little more than the wage we offer them for these jobs. This is very good for our local economy and is a sign of a mainstream acceptance of our building practices.
Pictures:
Want to support this project's continued work?
Our House, In the Middle of Our Street & Why Did Matt Name It “Long Way Home”?
By Matt Paneitz - Long Way Home Executive Director, March 20, 2009 02:29 PM
A NOTE FROM GLOBALGIVING:
This is the second in a series of snapshots about project leader Matt Paneitz and his organization Long Way Home.
Thank you for your continued support of Matt and his tireless dedication to providing education beyond 8th grade to 50 Maya children in rural Guatemala. We ask you to contribute again today! Feel free to tell your friends about Matt and his incredible work!
~
Our House, In the Middle of Our Street
Long Way Home staff members Liz and Adam Howland custom wheels to keep them dry and safe in the Guatemala Highlands. After seven months of hard work, Liz, Adam, and Matt completed the construction of a round tire house built using discarded car tires, plastic bottles, and soil-filled burlap bags.
The house largely consists of 250 rubber tires packed full with the dirt from old adobe mud bricks. For under $2,000 Matt and his team were able to safely use roughly 64,000 pounds of garbage as building material in this prototype test structure, which is 13 feet in diameter. Although Liz and Adam are a “long way” from home, they live comfortably and affordably in their ecologically-friendly abode.
Why Did Matt Name It “Long Way Home”?
The name Long Way Home represents the daily journey of a rural Mayan farmer in Guatemala. Traditionally, the farmer leaves home at dawn to till the fields, his young children in tow to provide the additional labor more valuable to the family’s economic survival than their education. Quite often, a family of ten might bring home a daily income of $3, eating tortillas with salt as the nutritional mainstay. As the sun sets, children, parents, and grandparents are regularly seen carrying heavy loads of firewood tied to their backs as they return home from a long day of work in the fields. The firewood is quickly consumed preparing the food that will sustain the family as they repeat the routine the next day. Long Way Home strives to break the cycle of poverty by creating educational opportunities, cultivating civic interaction, and encouraging healthy lifestyles.
Interestingly, LWH was initially funded from firewood that was cut and sold as a fundraiser by volunteers in Oregon during 2004.
This is the second in a series of snapshots about project leader Matt Paneitz and his organization Long Way Home.
Thank you for your continued support of Matt and his tireless dedication to providing education beyond 8th grade to 50 Maya children in rural Guatemala. We ask you to contribute again today! Feel free to tell your friends about Matt and his incredible work!
~
Our House, In the Middle of Our Street
Long Way Home staff members Liz and Adam Howland custom wheels to keep them dry and safe in the Guatemala Highlands. After seven months of hard work, Liz, Adam, and Matt completed the construction of a round tire house built using discarded car tires, plastic bottles, and soil-filled burlap bags.
The house largely consists of 250 rubber tires packed full with the dirt from old adobe mud bricks. For under $2,000 Matt and his team were able to safely use roughly 64,000 pounds of garbage as building material in this prototype test structure, which is 13 feet in diameter. Although Liz and Adam are a “long way” from home, they live comfortably and affordably in their ecologically-friendly abode.
Why Did Matt Name It “Long Way Home”?
The name Long Way Home represents the daily journey of a rural Mayan farmer in Guatemala. Traditionally, the farmer leaves home at dawn to till the fields, his young children in tow to provide the additional labor more valuable to the family’s economic survival than their education. Quite often, a family of ten might bring home a daily income of $3, eating tortillas with salt as the nutritional mainstay. As the sun sets, children, parents, and grandparents are regularly seen carrying heavy loads of firewood tied to their backs as they return home from a long day of work in the fields. The firewood is quickly consumed preparing the food that will sustain the family as they repeat the routine the next day. Long Way Home strives to break the cycle of poverty by creating educational opportunities, cultivating civic interaction, and encouraging healthy lifestyles.
Interestingly, LWH was initially funded from firewood that was cut and sold as a fundraiser by volunteers in Oregon during 2004.
Pictures:
Want to support this project's continued work?
Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, and Build a School
By Matt Paneitz - Long Way Home Executive Director, February 23, 2009 09:49 AM
A NOTE FROM GLOBAL GIVING:
Please welcome Matt Paneitz. He is a new project leader here at GlobalGiving and over the past few weeks we have had the opportunity to get to know Matt and the great work he does for his organization Long Way Home.
Periodically over the next two months we will be sending you snapshots about Matt’s life and work. We encourage your feedback about this new form of progress update so that we can provide you with the most interesting and relevant information possible about the projects and causes you support.
We thank you for your contributions and ask you to consider donating again to Matt and Long Way Home. Feel free to tell your friends about this incredible project!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, and Build a School
Matt Paneitz and his colleagues at Long Way Home are currently working on the construction of a vocational school using recycled materials such as used car tires and trash-filled plastic soda bottles. The team broke ground in January, starting first with erecting a retaining wall out of used tires filled with dirt and eventually covered with a stucco exterior covering.
Matt has turned to the community to help him gather the “trash” used in construction. “Since starting our recycling program I have actually seen the small town that I live in become physically cleaner,” says Matt. “I have seen the children cleaning up trash in the streets rather than throwing more trash in the streets.”
With the funds raised through GlobalGiving, Matt has been able to hire a resident architect and eight local youth to serve as construction workers. The new school will consist of 14 buildings and will serve about 500 students at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
This isn't Matt's first attempt at building with garbage. Please stay tuned for future updates to learn more about Matt's innovative construction background!
Please welcome Matt Paneitz. He is a new project leader here at GlobalGiving and over the past few weeks we have had the opportunity to get to know Matt and the great work he does for his organization Long Way Home.
Periodically over the next two months we will be sending you snapshots about Matt’s life and work. We encourage your feedback about this new form of progress update so that we can provide you with the most interesting and relevant information possible about the projects and causes you support.
We thank you for your contributions and ask you to consider donating again to Matt and Long Way Home. Feel free to tell your friends about this incredible project!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, and Build a School
Matt Paneitz and his colleagues at Long Way Home are currently working on the construction of a vocational school using recycled materials such as used car tires and trash-filled plastic soda bottles. The team broke ground in January, starting first with erecting a retaining wall out of used tires filled with dirt and eventually covered with a stucco exterior covering.
Matt has turned to the community to help him gather the “trash” used in construction. “Since starting our recycling program I have actually seen the small town that I live in become physically cleaner,” says Matt. “I have seen the children cleaning up trash in the streets rather than throwing more trash in the streets.”
With the funds raised through GlobalGiving, Matt has been able to hire a resident architect and eight local youth to serve as construction workers. The new school will consist of 14 buildings and will serve about 500 students at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
This isn't Matt's first attempt at building with garbage. Please stay tuned for future updates to learn more about Matt's innovative construction background!
Pictures:
Want to support this project's continued work?
building new school and new volunteers join LWH
By Elizabeth Rose - President, Board of Directors, February 26, 2009 12:00 AM
Jauary 2009 ushered in the new year and a ground breaking for the Tecnico Maya School being built on two acres of land in the aldea of Paxan.
38 volunteers showed up for digging bringing shovels, azidones and wheel barrows.
Among this group we welcomed two groups of returning students from North American Universities.
Saint Benedict's College and St. John's University from St. Cloud, Minnesota retuned as did the crew from the University of Illinois at Urbana.
Also joining our volunteer staff is LEED cerified architect Erick Temple from Newton, MA. Ericka will be filling an "Architect in Residence" position until May 2009.
A '06 graduate of the Syracuse University School of Architecture Ericka hopes to bring community architecture to Comalapa. Ericka thinks Guatemala is a perfect social setting for this inovative architectural approach where the neighborhood is asked to be involved in the design process. She will also work closely with construction manager Adam Howland on final design decisions. We look forward to Ericka's work.
Three Long Way Home staff made an epic journey through all of North America bringing almost a ton of donated firefighting equipment, recreational supplies and medical equipment. These donations were driven over 4,000 miles in a trip lasting almost two weeks and driven by Matthew Paneitz ED, and new volunteers Ben Smith and Aaron Colvin.
The equipment and the drivers were greeted with a hero's welcome of a parade and banquet in their honor when they finally arrived. The equipment has already seen its first fire and Comalapan firefighters are most appreciative of this great community contribution.
38 volunteers showed up for digging bringing shovels, azidones and wheel barrows.
Among this group we welcomed two groups of returning students from North American Universities.
Saint Benedict's College and St. John's University from St. Cloud, Minnesota retuned as did the crew from the University of Illinois at Urbana.
Also joining our volunteer staff is LEED cerified architect Erick Temple from Newton, MA. Ericka will be filling an "Architect in Residence" position until May 2009.
A '06 graduate of the Syracuse University School of Architecture Ericka hopes to bring community architecture to Comalapa. Ericka thinks Guatemala is a perfect social setting for this inovative architectural approach where the neighborhood is asked to be involved in the design process. She will also work closely with construction manager Adam Howland on final design decisions. We look forward to Ericka's work.
Three Long Way Home staff made an epic journey through all of North America bringing almost a ton of donated firefighting equipment, recreational supplies and medical equipment. These donations were driven over 4,000 miles in a trip lasting almost two weeks and driven by Matthew Paneitz ED, and new volunteers Ben Smith and Aaron Colvin.
The equipment and the drivers were greeted with a hero's welcome of a parade and banquet in their honor when they finally arrived. The equipment has already seen its first fire and Comalapan firefighters are most appreciative of this great community contribution.
Pictures:
Want to support this project's continued work?
Being part of a larger vision
By Elizabeth Rose - Cat Brandon, Administrator, LWH, December 02, 2008 08:54 PM
Quick update on the Tecnico Maya school building project...
Comalapa is doing a water project to bring running water to the village of Paxan (pah-SHAHN), where the land is that we purchased to build the new school. Each family with land in Paxan was asked to dig a 25-meter section for the new water line. Everyone turned out yesterday morning to start on their 25 meters. Since we had 10 volunteers, we got ours done in a single day. It kind of felt like cheating, but we did do an extra couple of meters.
These first two photos show the first 18 meters we dug. After finishing that section, we were led to the next section we had to dig, which happened to be right in front of the school land! Suddenly the water dig seemed really exciting.
Cat
Comalapa is doing a water project to bring running water to the village of Paxan (pah-SHAHN), where the land is that we purchased to build the new school. Each family with land in Paxan was asked to dig a 25-meter section for the new water line. Everyone turned out yesterday morning to start on their 25 meters. Since we had 10 volunteers, we got ours done in a single day. It kind of felt like cheating, but we did do an extra couple of meters.
These first two photos show the first 18 meters we dug. After finishing that section, we were led to the next section we had to dig, which happened to be right in front of the school land! Suddenly the water dig seemed really exciting.
Cat
Pictures:
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Thank you to our wonderful and generous donors
By Elizabeth Rose - Project leader, November 24, 2008 05:56 PM
A big thank you to all our generous and wonderful donors. We ended the Glogal Giving Challenge today in 4th place, securing a total donation of $7,930 from 121 donors. We are thrilled to receive such a tremendous show of support for our project and we promise to continue to work hard in order to demonstrate ourselves worthy of your continued faith and trust.
We will be receiving individual emails of all who made donations in the coming weeks. At that time we will be able to thank each and every one of you with a personal letter of gratitude.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Rose,
project leader for Long Way Home.
We will be receiving individual emails of all who made donations in the coming weeks. At that time we will be able to thank each and every one of you with a personal letter of gratitude.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Rose,
project leader for Long Way Home.
Want to support this project's continued work?
Walking the land of the future site of the school
By Elizabeth Rose - President, Board of Directors, November 13, 2008 06:38 PM
From the ground up.....The day before we departed from Comalapa we went to visit and walk the land. In order to get to the land we took a 15 minute walk through corn field paths outside the city of Comalapa. We met a farmer driving his set of cows home. We saw the sun's rays protruding from behind some clouds far to the west towards volcan Aqua which is near to Antigua. We also noticed that the land is rich and healthy and has a steep incline. This is good for our building purposes because as we level the land we will use what we excavate to pack the tires. The careage has five mature avocado trees on it and they were full of fruit. We took this as a fruitful sign because we love guacamole! here are some pictures toi give you a fair view of the land that awaits the vocational school.
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Progress in Parque Chimya
By Elizabeth Rose - Vice President Board of Directors, November 07, 2008 06:11 PM
On Wednesday, the Parque Chimya staff and volunteers, consisting of intern Kari Ramsey from Oregon State University, volunteer Cali Olds from Wisconsin, Adam Howland, Matt Paneitz, Cat Brandon and myself, worked straight through on the documentation for the upcoming North American tour that Matt will be taking in November. Pictures were uploaded, excel files managed, PowerPoints were created and summaries constructed. This is an exciting time for LWH as we take the show on the road!
Our objective for the tour is to visit four US cities in 30 days speaking at churches, synagogues, radio shows and in college student unions. We hope to garner interest and support for our school which we will begin to build in January.
The neat thing about our school, that I keep repeating, is that it is being built economically in an ecologically conscientious fashion because it will use recycled materials like tires and trash-filled bottles.
We want others to know that even though a country is poor it can still be innovative and it can still raise itself up from its trash!!
I also visited a recycling center in Comalapa. Started by a Norwegian volunteer from Comalapa's sister city in Norway, it is the only recycling plant of its size in all of the Department of Chimaltenango. Residents can bring their trash, including common materials such as old boots and old buckets, and receive cash. A beautiful idea.
Check out the pictures in this update to see what I am talking about. Thank you for all your contributions. We will work to continue to earn the respect that your donations have given us.
Our objective for the tour is to visit four US cities in 30 days speaking at churches, synagogues, radio shows and in college student unions. We hope to garner interest and support for our school which we will begin to build in January.
The neat thing about our school, that I keep repeating, is that it is being built economically in an ecologically conscientious fashion because it will use recycled materials like tires and trash-filled bottles.
We want others to know that even though a country is poor it can still be innovative and it can still raise itself up from its trash!!
I also visited a recycling center in Comalapa. Started by a Norwegian volunteer from Comalapa's sister city in Norway, it is the only recycling plant of its size in all of the Department of Chimaltenango. Residents can bring their trash, including common materials such as old boots and old buckets, and receive cash. A beautiful idea.
Check out the pictures in this update to see what I am talking about. Thank you for all your contributions. We will work to continue to earn the respect that your donations have given us.
Pictures:
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Arrival to view new building construction
By Elizabeth Rose - Vice President Board of Directors, Long Way Home, November 04, 2008 05:57 PM
I arrived in Comalapa yesterday to view the completion of the tire house and begin work for our GlobalGiving Challenge. I was greeted at Parque Chimya by a mother and a group of 6 children happily enjoying the well cultivated gardens and the beautiful fields.
They were eager to pose for a picture and I have included it here.
The tire house is now occupied and has a functioning kitchen and running water.
This is a successful prototype for future building.
I climbed the steep hill and found a group of boys and young men having a competitive game of soccer on the grass soccer field on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
All is well and thriving at Parque Chimya.
They were eager to pose for a picture and I have included it here.
The tire house is now occupied and has a functioning kitchen and running water.
This is a successful prototype for future building.
I climbed the steep hill and found a group of boys and young men having a competitive game of soccer on the grass soccer field on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
All is well and thriving at Parque Chimya.
Pictures:
