Giving Out Toys In Nueva Victoria and the new tutorial program

A couple of Saturdays ago the USA teachers that are working at a private school in Guate City came out our way again to do a party for the children of Nueva Victoria. It was the same exact party as they had done the week before at Los Robles. Two hugh pinatas, homemade cookies and presents for all the children.My children all attended both parties and loved them. Except my 5 year old had not been in the LR present line. This time in NV she asked if they could have a little present that had Gabby's name on it. She was so funny and got her present. The teachers braved the 20 minutes of treacherous driving on the dirt mountain road leading to Nueva Victoria. The children all came running when we called them. They were noticeably dirtier than the Los Robles children, but water is harder to come by on top of the mountain. To wash clothes or bodies, the women have to walk down the same steep mountain road to the river.It takes my car 10 minutes to get there so it pprobably takes them an hour and then they have to walk back up. Not sure how clean my kids would be if I had to do that. The kids were getting their presents all nice and orderly. I walked off to see something esle and heard people yelling my name to get back over there. It seems there were extra presents and a bunch of the kids dived for them and took off running. Also many hid their presents or their mamas did and then they came back all sweet and innocent for another one. The teachers were upset and commenting on how much more orderly and organized Los Robles was. At that moment I saw the effect our last year of tutoring has had on the Los Robles kids. Because they were like the Nueva Victoria children a year ago. But our teacher in LR, Gil, has worked with the children daily teaching them academics, but also teaching them gratitude and manners, how to have clean hands, faces and teeth and orderliness. It was such a testimony to my husband and I that we have started a tutorial program at Nueva Victoria. The NV lunch program starts again this week. Yesterday we interviewed the teacher for the tutorial program. He will start training with Gil for the next two weeks and then he will tackle working with the elementary children of NV. This year we have 11 children in LR that went on to middle school instead of dropping out. They did this with your financial help and Gil's support. And the support of their families who have seen the progress they have made with our tutorial program. My husband and I met with the head men of NV and discussed the new tutorial program. They are very excited. We asked about how many of the kids who finished 6 grade would go on to middle school. NONE. There were 10 possiblilities and 8 kids interested, but no money. My husband wanted to try and help those 8 and requested report cards and for the comite [ the men who head the community] to meet with the parents. No parents came. So we are postponing this to next year. We feel certain after a year of a caring teacher, the parents will see the benefits of education and we will be asking you for help in getting the NV 6 graders into middle school.
Pictures From the bottom up
1] Teachers from the city who gave the party and my Gabby
2] One of two hugh pinatas
3] the children waiting in line
4] a group of mamas enjoying their children's joy
5] a volunteer with one of the children
6] children with their toy

Vicki 20.vicki@gmail.com