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Report from Project Victoria - December 2010
1. Four PV students graduate in 2010, bringing our total number of graduates to 23!
2. Chris Curran describes his visit to Quetzaltenango
3. Letter from Angelica Sacaxot Salanic
4. Audited Year-End Financial Report for 2009
5. Vice President Juana Sohom reports back on PV's Reproductive Health Workshops
6. Twenty-five students receive scholarships for the 2010 school year
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1. Four PV students graduate in 2010, bringing our total number of graduates to 23!
These four students have achieved the victory they set out for themselves when they first applied for help from Project Victoria to be able to study. Our 2010 graduates are:
1. Baudilia Soledad Puac Salanic, from Cantel, Quetzaltenango. Program: Bilingual eduation (K'iche' / Spanish). She received support from Project Victoria for three years and is now licensed to be a teacher.
2. Magdalena Tambriz Cocom. Program: Bilingual eduation (K'iche' / Spanish). Home community: Nahuala, Sololá. Her first language is the Mayan language K'iche'.
3. Dominga Irma Guachiac Ajpacaja. Program: Bilingual eduation (K'iche' / Spanish). Home community: Nuevo Xetinamit, Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan, Sololá. Her first language is the Mayan language K'iche'.
4. Nohemy Virginia Cos Castro.
Program: Bilingual secretarial studies.
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2. Chris Curran describes his visit to Quetzaltenango
In May 2010, my law school sent me to present a paper on food justice in Mexico City, and I took advantage of the opportunity to take a bus to Guatemala and meet with the students and board members of Project Victoria. I was once again amazed at how much they have accomplished and how determined the students are to overcome the obstacles they face.
During the meeting I attended, one of the activities led by the students was a project to create a visual depiction of a tree representing the roots, branches, and fruits of Project Victoria. Each person wrote or drew a on a sheet of paper to describe what Project Victoria has meant to them, and everyone had the chance to explain their contribution to the tree. Many of the parents at the meeting were overcome with emotion when they spoke about the gratitude they felt that their children were able to have the opportunity to study. This opportunity was not possible for the majority of the parents of our students, and both the parents and the students recognize how valuable it is.
Also present at the meeting was Emily Jarvis, a social justice and peace studies major from the University of Western Toronto, Canada, who was in Quetzaltenango to study Spanish with PV co-founder Marielos Hernández. Emily spoke at the meeting about her understanding of education as a tool for social change.
PV student Ángel Acabal, who is a natural leader and who organized several of the activities we carried out during the meeting, is pictured below. Ángel’s shirt says “I know my reproductive rights” (“Yo conozco mis derechos reproductivos”), which I think is a sign that Project Victoria’s reproductive health workshops have been making an impact!
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3. Letter from Angelica Sacaxot Salanic
Below is the translation of a letter from María Angélica Sacalxot Salanic, who is studying at the bachillerato diplomado level with an emphasis on law. Her mother sells orange juice in a market and was unable to pay for María Angélica's high school tuition until she began receiving support from Project Victoria.
“To: Christopher. Hello! I hope you are well, with your loved ones nearby, and that God brings many blessings to your life. This letter is to thank you and all the supporters of Asociación Victoria for helping me in my studies, so that I will one day be able to help my parents and also my people. As I have told you, I am moving forward every day toward my dream of becoming a lawyer, and now that I am in my fourth year of studies I am close to graduating and becoming a professional. Thank you for your support and may God bless you always. Sincerely, María Angélica Sacalxot Salanic.”
Click on the image below for a larger version of Angélica's letter.
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4. Audited Year-End Financial Report for 2009
Summary of expenditures:
Expenses Casa Victoria rent and food Scholarships, Workshops,
and Administrative expensesAdministrative salary Total of 2009 Expenditures Click on the image below for a larger version of PV's audited financial documentation for 2009.
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5. Vice President Juana Sohom reports back on PV's reproductive health workshops
Former PV student Oralia Chopén Churunel is pictured at right.
Eight reproductive health workshop discussions were held in Caserío Pasis, in the village of Tzampoj, municipality of Santa Catarina Ixtahuacán, Sololá province, Guatemala.
This Mayan village near the coast is very isolated and difficult to get to, so it is very difficult for the residents to have access to information about HIV/AIDS. The most vulnerable members of the community are married women, who are the most affected by sexually transmitted infections since their husbands leave home for months at a time to work in the coffee fields (and many return home with infections).
For this reason, the Asociación Victoria carries out workshops on issues of reproductive health in Mayan communities where there is a lack of access to information. In our culture, we have also been taught that it is a sin to speak freely about sexuality, but Asociación Victoria is taking the initiative to address the taboos that still exist in communities by hosting dicussions of the following themes:
a- Sexual and reproductive rights
b- Sexual Health
c- STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections)
d- HIV/AIDSNumber of workshops carried out in 2009 ---------------- 8
The following number of people have participated in workshops:
Women --------------------------------------------------- 30
Adolescents of both sexes --------------------------------- 40
Children --------------------------------------------------- 15
Total------------------------------------------------------- 85The impact on the community: Since the discussions began, the women have been very struck by information they have learned about the risks associated with STIs. At the same time, they are very grateful to expand their knowledge about reproductive health issues and the rights we possess as women. Too often, men are the ones who make decisions without considering that women also have a voice and that we have a right to make decisions about our own bodies.
As the health educator leading this project, I feel very satisfied to have made progress in
breaking through some of the obstacles that my people face. It is impressive to see that women now feel free to speak about condoms with their partners and children, and that many couples are taking control of their own family planning due to the knowledge they have acquired. The women place a great deal of trust in me – they tell me about their lives and I support them with any information I can provide. Many young women become pregnant at a very young age, without wanting children or fully understanding the risks involved with sexual activity and pregnancy. For this reason, the parents in these communities are very grateful to Asociación Victoria for having undertaken these workshops because the information is especially important for adolescents to hear. I feel very satisfied to be carrying out a project that has been my goal since I first had the opportunity to become educated about human sexuality. Since the reproductive workshops with Asociación Victoria began, we have successfully broken many barriers and the members of our communities can now speak freely about these issues without embarrassment, shame, or fear.- Juana Catarina Sohom Ajpacajá
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6. The following students received scholarships from Asociacion Victoria for the 2010 school year:
Name Home village Level in school 1 Angélica Sacalxot Salanic Cantel Fourth year 2 Baudilia Soledad Puac Cantel 6th Magisterio 3 María Celestina Tambriz Tze’p Nahual 2nd year of Basic 4 Juán López Guachiac Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan 4th year of Magisterio 5 David Israel Coz Nebaj Fourth 6 Marta Isabel Cuc Nahual 5th year Magisterio 7 César David Calel Vicente Momostenango 4th year of primary 8 Danilo Cristóbal Calel Vicente Momostenango 4th year of primary 9 Gonzalo López Quetzaltenango 1st year basic 10 Ángel Acabal El Quiche 5th year Magisterio 11 Ana Lucía Mendoza Huehuetenango 6th year, administration 12 Wilson Enrique Panjoj 6th year primary 13 Rigoberto Cocom Ramos Tzampoj 5th year primary 14 Eugenia Tambriz Tambriz Tzampoj 2nd year basic 15 Isabela Josefina Ixtos García Tzampoj 2nd year basic 16 Pascuala Cristina Ixtos Sohom Tzampoj 3rd year basic 17 Ana María Coj Tambriz Tzampoj 5th year primary 18 Mario Sohom y Sohom Tzampoj 1st year primary 19 Miguel Ángel Tahay Guachiac Tzampoj 2nd year basic 20 Lorenzo Roberto García Tahay Tzampoj 5th year primary 21 María Jesusa Cac Muz Santa Maria Chiquimula 4th year Magisterio 22 Magdalena Tambriz Nahual 6th year Magisterio 23 Dominga Guachiac Alpacaja Nueva Santa Catarina 6th year Magisterio 24 Nohemí Coz El Quiche 6th yr Bilingual Secretary studies 25 Manuela Elizabeth Guarchaj
Antigua Santa Catarina 4th year Magisterio Below are photos of some of our current students:
Wilson Chopen. In 2010 he studied 6th grade of primary school. He starts at the primero basico level in January 2011.
Danilo Cristobal Calel Vicente. He studied 3rd grade primary school during 2010.
Cesar David Calel Vicente. He studied 3rd grade primary school during 2010.
Juan Lopez Guachiac. In 2010 he began studies to become a bilingual teacher.
Isabel Ajú Cuc. She completed her second year of bilingual teacher studies in 2010 and plans to finish the program in 2011.
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Thank you to PV board member Roland Elf for taking all photos on the Project Victoria site! Thank you also to all donors whose contributions who have made possible our success so far, and who continue to support Project Victoria.
Tax-deductible contributions to Project Victoria may be made to:
Project Victoria Fund Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation 324 3rd Street SE Cedar Rapids IA 52401 319-366-2862You can also give ONLINE with a credit card at the following link: http://www.causes.com/causes/416919?m=0d43bb06
This link takes you to the Facebook Causes application, but you do not need to be a member of Facebook in order to donate.
Content and web design © Christopher Curran, 2010
All photos © Roland Elf.