Thanks to the support of AFG’s generous donors, six girls from AFG’s Adventure Club took a trip to Guatemala this month! During their adventure, the group spent time volunteering at a local school. They also took a quick, deep dive into Guatemalan culture and history.
A Brand New Adventure
The trip lasted eight days and included two days of traveling. The group stayed at Cross-Cultural Solutions (CCS) home base in Tecpán, Guatemala. CCS runs volunteer programs all over the world and provides a safe home base for their volunteers. Stephanie, one of girls who went on the trip, loved staying at CCS, “You could play outside! It had a basketball court; you could play soccer, basketball, and volleyball.”
Each day, the girls volunteered at a local school. They taught English to 2nd-5th grade students and painted murals in the yard. “My favorite volunteer project was teaching English. It was fun showing them and seeing them trying to speak English and their reactions to the words, too,” Stephanie shared. Luzelena, who also went on the trip, enjoyed getting to know the students at the school, “The kids at the school were so loving and nice,” she shared.
A Whole New World
Besides volunteering, the girls were able to learn a lot about Guatemalan culture and history. Some activities they did were: a tour of a local coffee plantation, weaving, pottery, and ceramic lessons, swimming in Lake Atitlan, and much more! “I liked making the pottery,” Luzelena shared. “They got their own rocks and they showed us how to crush and wet it to make into clay. Then the lady made some and we got to make our own little cups!”
Throughout their adventure, each girl got a first-hand look at a culture different from their own, “Here [in the US] it’s so much easier. It’s been modified to make everything easier and there [in Guatemala] it’s harder and takes longer to do everything,” Luzelena remembers. Stephanie agrees, “The clothes were way different!”
One thing is sure; their trip to Guatemala has given them the confidence and desire to travel more in the future! “I would like to go where it is way different than here. I want to go to places that don’t use technology a lot or have big sky scrapers and buildings,” Luzelena dreams. “Like Africa!” Stephanie adds.
