A little 6-year-old girl getting her school supplies

It seems like every situation in Guatemala is like a blind pimple that needs to be cleaned out. Government corruption, environmental issues, malnutrition, and education are probably right up at the top of the list.

But as right now Brenda and I are up to our eyeballs in the failure of the education system and seeing what we can do to help, I started to do more research. According to USAID, on average, Guatemalan children attend only 4 years of schooling and only 3 out of 10 students graduate from sixth grade. The Guatemalan educational system reportedly provides for only 20 percent of the country’s children, and most public school systems cap class sizes at 50 students, excluding many children from entering such public institutions.

We may complain about high taxes in North America but it´s also interesting living in a country where few citizens pay income taxes and property taxes are not enforced. There is apparently a sales tax but it is not applied to goods sold in the informal economy – the cash economy of the street markets which is enormous.

According to one article I read, “the Ministry of Education is reputedly one of Guatemala’s most corrupt government agencies, as its employees successfully embezzle funds otherwise allocated for educational purposes. The government agency also distributes funds irresponsibly, some of which is directed for purchasing computers, expanding classrooms, and increasing teacher services without hiring additional teachers.”

Consequently, private schools are now being established for those who can afford the fee but when you consider that according to the UN Habitat, that “70 percent of the population lives on less than US $2 per day, and of these, almost 30 percent of the population of the country, and 8 percent of the urban population live on less than US $1 per day,” you begin to understand the gravity of the education problem. Private schools are simply out of the reach of most people and certainly those who need it the most.

It is an overwhelming problem which is why it is so commendable that Senor Pablo has the passion and the conviction in his heart to make a difference in his community. Given the enormity of it, most people would be inclined to throw up their hands and say, “it´s way too big of a problem”.

Brenda and I are trying to stay focused on what we can do, rather than focus on how much needs to be done. We are still working on those details.

In the meantime, I just had to share this photo with you. Isn´t she adorable? 6 years old, this little girl was so tiny we thought she wasn´t in school. But look at that face. Absolutely priceless!