Pencils of Promise

Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan Secondary School (Guatemala)

Scheduled: April 2012

Ixtahuacan, in the native K’iche, translates roughly to Flower of Water.

Lake Atitlan sits on a large caldera formed by an enormous volcanic eruption 84,000 years ago.  Apart from the three visible volcanoes surrounding the lake, other sub-surface activity has been observed throughout human history.  In Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan, geyser eruptions were very common in the past – this is the origin of the name “Flower of Water.”  However, though the name sounds innocent, geyser eruptions present a significant danger to the community as no one can predict when or where the next will surface.  In addition, the houses of many community members are cracked or broken in some places – this is due to the sub-surface pressure that characterizes the region.  Such earth activity has caused the community to be relocated 4 times.

In New Santa Catarina, the basico students (middle school) do not have a school of their own.  Their classes are currently held in rooms graciously lent to the school by the Maya Palace Institute.  But the Maya Palace Institute is growing and has need of these extra rooms; therefore, soon the students in New Santa Catarina will be completely without classrooms.  Help from Pencils of Promise is badly needed.

The director of the school is grateful for our support, noting that “the community is happy to see that help from Pencils of Promise is immediate, while solicitations to the government take a lot of time and ultimately result in no action.”  The director has affirmed that Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan is ready and willing to collaborate with our organization to make all of their students more comfortable in new classrooms!

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