Our parish has helped provide an education for children in the Catholic elementary school, Our Lady of Carmen, in our sister parish in Guatemala for over 20 years. Typically, St. John parishioners sponsor over 100 students each year. There are over 300 students in the school.
The 2020 school year in our sister parish in Patzún, Guatemala was as challenging as it was here. The Guatemalan government banned all face-to-face academics for the year. This required the teachers to go home to home to help students since many parents are illiterate and technology is very limited. It took great adaptability and effort to continue the education of these students and the teachers demonstrated their commitment to ensure the process would work. This process will continue for the foreseeable future because the government has prohibited in-person classes again during the 2021 school year.
The COVID-19 virus has greatly affected many families in Patzún. Because of this, the government has severely restricted commerce, including bringing crops to the market. Many families have left their fields to find work in a larger city. The result is that there is a turnover in the students attending the Catholic elementary school we support.
If you would like to sponsor a child for the 2022 school year starting in January, the tuition is $360 for the year. You may pay one sum or split the cost into monthly direct drafts from your bank or credit card on Faith Direct for $30 per month. We are hoping that one of these options makes it possible for you to sponsor a child. These funds provide all school supplies, a daily snack (which may be one of the few meals of the day), an annual medication for intestinal parasites and a portion of the teacher salary.
It is more important than ever that we continue to provide the support so desperately needed for these children and their families. Please remember our brothers and sisters in Guatemala in your prayers as we all work to recover from the economic and physical devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you would like to sponsor a child or donate any amount towards this cause, please go to Faith Direct and select Patzún Mission. Thank you!