Asociacion Pop Wuj - Volunteer Program in Guatemala

I worked closely with the volunteer program for several months, and in fact ended up staying longer to remain involved in the projects at Pop Wuj! This organization has an incredible impact on the community, and is contantly open to finding new ways to reach out to the community, as well as to utilize the unique skills of students and volunteers. The program is run by incredibly compassionate and dedicated staff, who are truly devoted to the projects, and work to create a positive impact for the community as well as a positive experience for volunteers. I was very impressed with the cultural competency training provided, as well as staff's ability to work and communicate with volunteers of all levels of Spanish ability.

I have been volunteering at Pop Wuj's Centro de Apoyo Familiar (Family Support Center aka La Guarderia) in Llanos del Pinal off and on for several years. Llanos del Pinal is a rural village outside of Xela--near the Santa Maria volcano. I have been both a regular volunteer and the coordinator.

Pop Wuj students are invited to volunteer any day of the week, but the school's official visit is Thursday afternoon. Non-Pop Wuj volunteers are welcome, but a minimum time commitment of 1 month is required.

The Center serves approximately 40 children and youth (ages 2-18), providing a hot lunch, snack, and educational support Monday-Friday. Most children arrive around 1pm (after school) for lunch and then settle in for homework and other activities. Volunteers can help with homework or coordinate other activities. Reading activities, puzzles, and handicrafts/arts are popular as well as playing outside. The site is open from 9-5pm with the busiest hours being 1-5pm.

The Safe Stove Project is a collaboration between Asociación Pop Wuj and rural K'iche villages in the Mayan highlands of Guatemala, and is offered as a volunteer option to students of Pop Wuj and visitors alike.

There are many organizations that work with rural communities to build safe stoves, and I chose to join Pop Wuj, a Spanish school in Quetzaltenango that contributes tuition proceeds to several community development projects. This particular initiative was developed to combat the dangers that result from cooking indoors over an open fire.

Every Wednesday morning we met at Pop Wuj and gathered tools, met other participants and our teachers. Instead of the traditional daily 5-hour class, teachers join their students to conduct informal, practical language classes on-site. I found this real-life practice of language instruction with locals and other students extremely effective.

The school's housekeeper and community liaison, Lety, heads up the outing each week. Lety is a bilingual K'iche woman who communicates the value of the program to families in the rural communities surrounding her own village. She organizes transport via local bus service and also gets down and dirty with volunteers, distributing materials and delegating tasks. She also organizes the purchase and delivery of materials, which is partially funded by Pop Wuj and the participating family.

The on-site work varies from mixing and applying concrete to installing aluminum chimneys to hacking bricks with a machete. No special skills are needed except the willingness and ability to do some strenuous physical labor and acceptance of non-existent safety standards. Although I never personally felt unsafe and was never expected to do anything I was uncomfortable with or unable to do, there is a huge difference from developed countries in general approaches to safety, which, in my opinion, only enriches the experience.

During my service, I helped build stoves for four different families and found the entire program incredibly rewarding. My favorite days were when Lety would bring her children, who happily and impressively pitched in, often directing volunteers on what to do next.

The Safe Stove Project directly improves the health, safety and financial positions of families in the most poverty-stricken areas throughout rural Guatemala by reducing smoke inhalation, accidents and expenses for firewood. It also gives interested volunteers the opportunity to gain a better understanding of Guatemalan culture, politics and language while making meaningful connections with the beautiful people that make up this complex, rural landscape.