Pencils of Promise

Pasajquim Primary School (Guatemala)

Open: September 2011

At the end of a poorly maintained dirt road, a long distance from neighboring townships, lies the clandestine community of Pasajquim.

Upon entering the village, one’s gaze is immediately drawn towards the myriad of school buildings which seem to monopolize the town’s infrastructure. The various buildings, though seemingly independent, all fall under the authority of a singular primary school that houses 17 different school sections consisting of over 450 students. There are so many students, in fact, that many of them did not have classrooms.  22 first graders, 35 second graders, and 22 sixth graders literally learned in the outside corridor, huddling under the overhanging roofs of other classrooms. These 79 students had little to no protection from the weather, completely exposing them to whatever the climate had in store for them that day. During the rainy season, which lasts from May to October, these three sections would no longer have access to education and would quite literally be left out in the rain.

Many parents chose to keep their children from attending classes, scared of what ill effects bad weather may have on their young ones. The number of school-aged children absent from classes would only increase as the rainy season began. Therefore, it was extremely important that the community find the means to construct three new classrooms, not only to protect the existing students and ensure their continued attendance but to also allow for more students to enroll. Despite the discouraging obstacles, the community is dedicated to educating their children. Teachers, parents, construction workers, and local hardware stores worked together with PoP to raise the funding and awareness necessary to keep their children in school.

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