Posted in Guatemala on March 13, 2025
Day 1, Saturday, March 8
I, Richard, was the second one to arrive in Guatemala City. As promised Helene was waiting for me at the airport café. We had a good three hours of ´Tete a tete¨ to get to know each other while waiting for the other team members.
Eventually Scott, Lucas and Johann joined us. We got on the van and rode to Antigua to meet Jacqui and Mark. Lise was coming in later that night. However due to some delays she only made it the next day.
Helene is fluent in Spanish, so no need for a translator. It is quite an advantage to speak the local language.
Post by Richard
Day 2, Sunday, March 9
After a lazy morning, we all went to climb the Pacaya Volcano. We had the option to hike or ride horse. Two of us rode a horse while the youngsters hiked. Riding the horse allowed us to look at the scenery rather than the ground. Unfortunately, as we got to the top, we were shrouded in a cloud and could not see 100m away.
We did however taste some marshmallows heated through a vent on the side of the volcano. We made the return enveloped in a cloud and in the dark.
We needed a good night rest to prepare for our first day of work.
Post by Richard
Day 3, Monday, March 10
We travelled about 30 minutes to the Open Windows School. We were met by Dennis and two other staff members. They gave us a tour of the facilities and explained to us the purpose of the school.
We then got to work. We had to move a few dozen concrete blocks, cement bags, along with hundreds of buckets of sand and gravel, and some rebar to the second floor work area.
On a wall in the kitchen, water infiltration had done some damage. Scott expertly removed the affected portion and applied a new coat of mortar.
We eat breakfast at the same restaurant every morning, but select a different one every night for dinner. There is a multitude of places to choose from.
Post by Richard
Day 4, Tuesday, March 11
Today four people were assigned to paint the walls in the kitchen. We were provide with all the necessary equipment and we happily went at it. The work was completed in mid-afternoon.
The others moved scaffolding to the second floor, set it in place and proceeded to increase the height of the wall. The local mason is very handy and patient with us who have never done this type of work.
We had dinner in a very lovely restaurant, which from the outside was not all that impressive, but quite large and beautiful.
Post by Richard
Day 5, Wednesday, March 12
Mid week of our Project and the day dawned clear and sunny as usual. Fabulous views of the surrounding volcanoes greeted us on our short drive (20-30 minutes) out of the city of Antigua to our worksite in the small town of San Miguel Duenas (population 13,000). We started work right away building the next layer of concrete blocks; half the team on the scaffolding laying the blocks and the others mixing cement, sifting sand, delivering building supplies, custom cutting concrete blocks with a hatchet if needed etc.
Today we had later lunch and finished work early as we had an ATV sunset tour planned to various viewpoints around Antigua. We were all fitted with helmets and picked up the ATV´s at a nearby garage. After a short demo we were off on the cobbled streets of the city to get up into the hills.
Our first stop was Cerro de la Cruz with a large cross and great view over the city. We then continued up to 2500m to Hobbitenengo – a Hobbit themed eco park. We had to swap the ATV´s for the back of a truck for the last steep ascent. Unfortunately, the fabulous views we should have seen from there were obscured by the cloud that descends during the day here. We had a final stop at a restaurant for drinks and food before returning back to the city and those bumpy cobblestones! We then all enjoyed a very welcome shower after our mornings work and afternoon dusty ride. A fun and productive day for sure!
Post by Jacqui
Day 6, Thursday March 13
After another good breakfast at our nearby café – omelets or quesadillas with beans and fruit, Mark & I made our usual coffee run for excellent espresso at another café down the road. We are into the swing of the work day now on day 4 and get right to it. The team on the block laying putting up the last row of concrete blocks along the first side. More scaffolding needed to be built for the second long wall of the classroom.
During the day the younger children are in class and we have short interactions with them which are always fun. Some of them are so shy of us and just wave or give us high fives but others. Later in the afternoon the older children arrive (after their regular school day). There are two sessions for each grade 1 – 6 in the afternoon so the school is a busy place.
After lunch the mason ordered another 100 concrete blocks which had to be carried up to the classroom. We had more rebar cages to build, wiring on cross braces for the top of the walls. And of course, the usual mixes of cement and supplying the volunteers ´on the wall´. We worked until 4pm today and after a quick shower and change went to our Tamales cooking class. We were taken by tuk tuk to Santa Ana on the outskirts of the city to a family’s house.
After a lesson on some of the Mayan history of corn we got straight into the making of two kinds of tamolitas – a savoury one with chipilin leaves in the corn dough along with a generous helping of pork fat. Pork fat is the main fat that is used in Guatemalan cooking. We also made a sweet dough with a filling of raisins, and an amazing sauce made with roasted tomatoes, sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds and chocolate all blended. The tamolitas are wrapped in corn husks and the sweet ones tied up like a candy at each end and then steamed over a wood fire for an hour or more. We then got to make the Chirmol sauce by grinding roasted vegetables, chilli etc. on a volcanic grinding stone. These stones are treasured and passed from mother to daughter down the generations. It was not an easy process to learn. Of course, we were then able to taste both tamolitas with their sauces and a tamarind drink. All were delicious and filling and there was much finger licking at the end of the meal.
Some of the team then finished the evening trying a salsa dance class which was great fun although a steeper learning curve for some of us unlike our amazing dance/team leader Helene. The week has flown by and we will be sad to leave the school project and Guatemala.
Post by Jacqui
Day 7, Friday March 14
I’m writing this as I board my flight to Chicago, running on little sleep but with a heart that is so full.
Reflecting on this incredible week, I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better team for my first trip as a team leader. You were all rockstars—showing up every day with energy (even after long days of heavy work), giving it your all, and making this experience unforgettable.
This week has been nothing short of epic. We’ve shared unforgettable moments and plenty of laughter, making it even more special. From witnessing the mind-blowing Fuego volcano eruption (sorry I didn’t dare waking you up team, it was quite late), cruising through Antigua on ATVs, and attempting to master tamalitos-making, to dancing the nights away (for the most adventurous ones), we truly made the absolute most of our time here. And, of course, we did all of this while building the future classroom for the amazing kids of the School of San Miguel Dueñas. Mission accomplished!
We wrapped up this incredible week on the highest note, achieving our goal of getting all the walls up, followed by a heartwarming traditional celebration from the kids and school staff. It was incredibly moving, they hand-delivered us a certificate signed by all the children, and we ended the celebration dancing together, leaving us with full of gratitude and joy.
Now, time for some well-deserved shoutouts! I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to:
- DWC for this amazing opportunity to lead such a rockstar team.
- Joy Dempsey for you trust and support.
- Guerlinde for helping coordinate transport and activities so smoothly
- Juan, our foreman and mason, who guided us every step of the way.
- Nilda, Dennis and the school team for their kindness, generosity, and for sharing their knowledge and traditions with us.
- The kids, whose joy, energy, and endless smiles reminded us daily why this work matters.
- Jorge and Susy, our wonderful hosts, for their warmth, kindness, and generosity.
- And last but certainly not least, to my amazing team: Richard (Ricardo), Yohann (Yohanito), Scott (Scottsito), Lucas (Lucasito), Jacqui (Jacquisita), Mark (Marko), and Lise (Lisita) thank you immensely for your trust. You showed up with flexibility, resilience, and the best attitudes. None of this would have been possible without you!
I’m beyond grateful for each and every one of you. If I could bottle up this experience, I would. But since I can’t, I’ll settle for staying in touch, sharing our countless photos, and maybe—just maybe—seeing (some of) you in Kenya next year
Until next time! My heart is full Thank you!
Post by Hélène
Posted in Guatemala on March 13, 2025
