Visiting El Hato

While staying at Earth Lodge in breathtaking Guatemala, the girls of TTS21 were offered the unique opportunity to visit El Hato school. The school is located in the small town just outside Antigua. The educational program at El Hato is run by the non-profit organization Las Manos de Christine. Las Manos de Christine also provides education for impoverished children in Guatemala City. The school provides basic education for children ages 5-14 and English classes for young adults ages 13-22. Visiting El Hato provided us the opportunity to improve our Spanish skills by speaking with the children there. We were able to play with some of the younger children during our first visit, and during our second visit we helped older students read books in English. The school was filled with positive energy from the children's smiles and optimistic attitudes. Several of the TTS21 students described the experience as enlightening and inspirational. We were able to speak one-on-one with several of the children and learn the hardships and challenges of their lives. It brought us to realize how lucky and fortunate we are to have a good education. Unfortunately, good education in Guatemala is very expensive for families with lots of children so usually only a few are sent to private school and the rest attend public school. Students in rural areas often walk hours to go to school each day. In a developing nation, education helps those who need a job to have better skill and
help them be more successful. Visiting El Hato school was a very heartwarming experience that helped verify how lucky we are to have such good educational opportunities in our lives.
By Annalise, Senior, WY