Sustain and SupportTowards our
goal of building sustainable education for
this village
Xecotoj Primary School (Guatemala)
Open: May 2011
Quite literally washed away by Hurricane Stan in 2005, Xecotoj is a community that has undergone many changes, but maintains its commitment to rebuild its community and work towards a better future for its children.
Originally located in Panajachel (location of PoP Guatemala Offices), the new location of this community has put it under the jurisdiction of a different municipality: San Andrés Semetabaj. As a result, it has been difficult for them to obtain assistance from the government to build a permanent and safe structure to use as the town school.
Without support from the municipality or the Ministry of Education, the community of Xecotoj worked together to build a temporary school. With the help of local carpenters, they built 4 classrooms made out of lamina or tin sheeting. These 4 classrooms were used to house all 7 grades of elementary school: pre-school through 6th grade. The community’s commitment to education is evident, however the sun and heat of the dry season made these metal traps unbearably hot. In contrast, during the wet season, the strong rain on the tin roof made it impossible to hear the teacher. If the rain remained persistent, as is often the case, the unsealed rooms flooded, increasing the likelihood of pneumonia, Guatemala’s single greatest contributor towards child mortality.
In preparation for the day a permanent school would be built, the community of Xecotoj took the first steps by clearing off and leveling a piece of land on which the school was built. The people of Xecotoj were eager and ready to collaborate.
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