Project supporting the work of Los Niños in Guatemala
Club Project Spotlight: Guatemala
Reported by Christopher EdwardsThe Rotary E-Club London Centenary has donated £400 to the Los Niños project in Guatemala to fund the salary of the new computer teacher at the Semilla de Esperanza y Amor (Seed of Hope and Love) in the village of San Mateo Milpas Alta near Antigua, Guatemala. His name is Jorge Ortiz and he is a 21 year old accountant. An article about him that appeared in the February 2012 newsletter of the Los Niños is set out below.
Since January 2012 the project in San Mateo has a new computer teacher. His name is Jorge Ortiz, is 21 years old, an accountant who also is specialized in computer science. He is dedicated to his job and is very interactive with the kids. He teaches the kids how to use the computer in a very child friendly and creative way. The young kids start to learn all the aspects of the computer and the older grades learn more difficult stuff, real computer skills. The kids love him already. A born teacher.
PICTURE: New computer teacher in Semilla de Esperanza y Amor, San Mateo
Lys Flores, a progressive and enthusiastic Guatemalan woman, set up a school in the village some years ago and it soon had over 100 children. It outgrew the building it was using. In 2010 a new school was built with the help of Los Niños and opened in January 2011 with 117 students. It is attended by school and non-school-going children. They come for assistance with homework, and for English, computer and typing classes.
PICTURE: Lys Flores
The school has a large computer room and three of its computers were provided by the Rotary Club of Steenbergen in the Netherlands, where Chris Edwards was a member.
The small Dutch charity Los Niños has its headquarters in Tilburg in the Netherlands. The charity was set up just over 10 years ago by a Dutch woman, Anne-Marie Ackermans, who works at a local rate of pay In Antigua. Dutch volunteers of all ages work in Guatemala for the charity. The charity produces regular newsletters in Dutch, English and Spanish, an annual report and an annual action plan. All can be accessed via the Los Niños website, which is – www.stichtinglosninos.nl.