Hi everybody!
So plans have changed quite a bit since my last post. I didn´t end up going back to Belize because it turned out that the orphanage isnt taking new volunteers at the moment. As dissapointed as I was, I was also excited at the opportunity to do something else. So after a bit of asking around and some VERY long bus rides, (the 8 hour bus from Toronto to New York ain´t got nothin on me anymore), I have wound up back in Guatemala. I am working at a place called ANA, about 10 minutes outside of Antigua in a town called San Felipe. It is a center which runs many different projects such as a trade school, a hospital for malnourished children, a homeless shelter, and more, but I am mainly working at the offices in the Primary school. All of the services are free for the very poor population in San Felipe. I do get to go over to the hospital some days and care for the sick children or deliver free groceries to the moms who come in, but my main job is in the school office. The Associacion is extremely understaffed, so the managerial side of things is very disorganized and all over the place, which makes it difficult to get the real jobs done like feeding and educating the kids, helping with medical care, building homes for homeless families, etc.
I have been working from 8am to 5 pm since Monday, doing all sorts of odd jobs. It´s a lot of work and it´s a lot more tiring than just playing with and feeding kids, like when I was at the orphanage. But I can tell that they really do need me at the center. I feel very useful translating documents, going to local businesses and asking for donations, handing out groceries to the moms, helping the children with school, and assisting the directors of the center in any way I can.
I only have 3.5 more weeks at the center, and then I come home!
I can´t beleive it, it´s gone by so fast! I am so going to miss Guatemala and Central America. I will miss the kids and the amazing families and the culture, but at the same time I am looking forward to coming home and taking a HOT shower and having my own room and being able to eat my favorite foods and seeing all my friends and family.
I will see you all soon! And dont worry, I plan on posting at least once more before I return.
xoxo
Kate
