I have yet to encounter a culture as vibrant and welcoming as that of Guatemala. It's nearly impossible to walk down the street without hearing "buenas" or "que le vaya bien" and once introductions have been made, hugs are exchanged and names are committed to long-term memory. It's an incredibly inviting and endearing atmosphere which is why it is so hard to believe that such a warm and beautiful place is still suffering from a tragic past.
I'm still learning about the civil war that took place here from 1960 to 1996. Politics and history are not my strong suit, but I'm benefitting from the passion of my fellow volunteers who are well-read about the turmoil that has resulted from the recent violence. I don't think I will ever be able to fully wrap my head around the horrific violation of human rights during this dark period of time in Guatemala's history. Because I don't have a firm grasp on the events of the Civil War, I honestly can't write confidently about it. I need to do more research and ask more questions. We recently listened to a podcast that gives a very real and very disturbing depiction of some of the events that took place during the war [to listen to the podcast click the following link --> http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/latin_america-jan-june11-timeline_03-07/].
The more I get to know San Lucas, the more I learn first hand about the poverty and unjust circumstances that exist as a result of the war and a corrupt government. Yesterday as we sat around the dining room table, all of us long term volunteers discussed the problems that currently exist in Guatemala and especially in San Lucas. The list goes on and on. There's no work because they lack major industries. They lack major industries because they don't have the money to begin companies or any long-term business commitments. Families who are stuck in the poverty cycle, struggle to afford food and permanent housing. While education seems to be the most obvious way to solve these problems, even with an education, people are often not able to find work because of a severe lack of available jobs.
Yesterday we made house visits to some of the poorest of the poor - the elderly who have no living family members. Just as I was beginning to feel the depth of the bleak poverty situation here, we met Juana - an 80 year old woman who lives by herself, eating nothing more than corn tortillas and salt. My heart ached just looking at her and my immediate reaction was to feel bad for her. But as soon as we asked how long she's been living alone, she smiled and said she's not alone, that she has her neighbors. She then proceeded to point out several houses of people that come by to check on her frequently. I was blown away by the community's response to caring for people like Juana.
As impressed as I am, I know it is an extra weight on the shoulders of these families to try to care for the elderly when they can barely feed themselves. I recently learned of a program in San Lucas called CFCA which allows someone in the States to sponsor a house of individuals or an elderly Guatemalan much like Juana. If I'm not mistaken, it's $30 a month to cover all of their food and a few other expenses. Literally a dollar a day could be the solution to so many problems for someone here in San Lucas. If you have any interest in participating in this program, shoot me an email [ [email protected] ] and I'll put you in touch with Fr. John who works with setting up sponsorships.
We did nothing to deserve being born in the United States; we basically won the lottery as far as countries go. I believe that with such privilege comes a power and a responsibility to care for our brothers and sisters in this world who are less fortunate than us. We must seek out these individuals and provide the care that they cannot provide for themselves.