Posted in Guatemala on February 1, 2020
Day One – Our Antigua adventure
Our first day in Antigua was an absolute blast. From the cobblestone roads, to the culture and the colours of the people and the flag. There were many interesting things we learned, saw and took in. We went on many tours throughout the town. Our first stop was going to the Cerro de la Cruz, I had fun during the hike but a hard time keeping up with the others. Getting to the top was very rewarding because I really got to take in the beauty of Antigua and all it has to offer. After that we got to take a walk around the markets and see many churches/monastery’s. To end off the day we got to sit in Central Park and enjoy the frozen yogurt. Central Park was a nice way to end the day because we got to see where families sat and talked and mingled.
Maya, DWC Student Volunteer
Day Two – Project work begins
Our second day in Guatemala began with the routinely delicious breakfast followed by our drive to an education centre outside of Antigua. As we drove the 15 minutes we watched the poverty level rise. Though the town is
close it seemed as though it could’ve been much further due to the difference in lives. We were put straight to work on a play area and met our appreciative, carefree, and goofy clients after their nap. We were able to see the
effectiveness of our work as well as who it would affect and made us much happier to be a part of such a great project and to create the best possible end product. Overall, our day was filled with kind people (big and small) and were given a great feeling of purpose and connection!
Gina, DWC Student Volunteer
Day Three – Ecofilter Tour
Tuesday was our second work day, we started off the day by visiting a company called ecofiltero. Ecofiltero is a company that makes sustainable water filtration systems using ceramics. Once we arrived we received a tour from the CEO of the company. He explained their highly effective business model and discussed the future of social entrepreneurship. After touring the facilities we went to visit a family whose home had been built by a volunteer group from our school on a past service trip. Seeing the sincere impact that their service had on this family was inspiring. After this visit we returned to the worksite where we continued our efforts so restore a local daycare.
Natasha, DWC Student Volunteer
Day Four – Caring for Others
Today I had the amazing opportunity to shadow doctors and nurses in a diabetic clinic. I met patients and tested their blood sugar. I really enjoyed learning how to do this and meeting the people in the clinic. The staff were amazing and all of the patients were so friendly and grateful for the care that they were receiving. I found it very inspiring that even though these patients are struggling with chronic illness, they still have a positive mind set and make a sincere effort with others. Even though there was a language barrier, I found that I still connected with the patients very easily and enjoyed working with them.
Natasha, DWC Student Volunteer
Posted in Guatemala on February 1, 2020
