Eva – Mission communities in Guatemala

Eva spent 2 weeks working on educational and community projects in Guatemala.

1) What has your international experience brought you?

It was an enriching experience, as I was able to discover a new culture and talk to very smiling and friendly people, which is sometimes not the case in France.

It's also interesting to leave your comfort zone, especially in a country like France where you're used to having everything at your fingertips (almost ahah).

For example, I noticed that we had city buses in very good condition compared to those in Guatemala, where they don't even have belts... In the village where I was a volunteer, the house fronts are poor and hygiene conditions leave much to be desired.

All in all, I think people are happy with very little, and I think that's wonderful.

2) What were your best memories?

As part of the :

My best memory is undoubtedly the introduction to composting that I offered. Indeed, the association where I was placed has a medical and eco-responsible dimension. That's why I naturally thought of mentioning the principle of composting to the Director, who informed me that they didn't know anything about it.

So we built a wooden compost bin and put it in the garden, then baked an apple cake (French version, a first for them!). We didn't throw away the peelings, so we made chips with one part and our first layer of compost for the second. We did the activity with women and children from the village, who were very enthusiastic and willing, which is a real pleasure to share.

I was also able to create a guide in Spanish on how to compost.

Within the family :

Exchanges with a lovely Spanish couple

Leisure / Tourism :

The discovery of Lake Atitlan with the very spiritual village of San Marcos de la Laguna. We also took a hike to admire the sunrise over the lake, from a viewpoint called Indian Nose.

3) Assessment of services offered

Pre-departure information :

5/5: very useful documentation and advice

Registration process :

4/5: The good thing is to have a really available contact.

The negative point is that you mention that a Paypal transfer is possible when it is not.

Management / Project coordinator :

2/5 : Not all the assignments mentioned in advance are available. For example, I don't find it normal that I was only informed on the spot that the construction project was not possible because of Covid. In fact, I was told that the people financing this project come from the United States and were unable to travel because of Covid.

What's more, I didn't really feel supervised in the sense that my tutor, the association's director, didn't have much time to devote to me outside the days when we went out to neighboring villages. She's very committed and loves what she does, but I still didn't feel fully supervised.

On the other hand, I appreciated the fact that I was allowed to take the initiative and the enthusiasm of the locals to carry out the projects. I also really enjoyed being up close to the population when hygiene products and soya milk were distributed. What's more, all the staff are lovely. Unfortunately, my Spanish wasn't good enough to talk to them fully...

Volunteer schedule :

4/5: Nothing to say about schedules.

One small downside, however. With the Director, we had set up an English class every day from 2 to 3 pm. Often, there was nothing special to do afterwards...

Food and lodging :

5/ 5 : very good nothing to say !!! Accommodation perfectly adequate, food good and varied. Special mention to Carolina, Adolfo and Luis who are more than adorable.