Every month we’ll be posting an entry from a guest contributor who has some advice, resources, information and/or inspiration they want to share. This month’s guest contributor is Tom Hemingway. Tom Hemingway has explored the outer limits of Latin America from the U.S. to Argentina through many [...]
Archive for the ‘Guatemala’ Category
Evaluating Our Impact
As 2009 comes to a close, many of us volunteering in Latin America will find ourselves in a reflective mood, evaluating what we’ve accomplished and setting new goals for 2010. I was put in an especially pensive state the other day by the visit of two exuberant women, Fran Early and Connie Newton, [...]
December 15th, 2009 - 9:34 am § in Around Town, Guatemala
Educational Exchange with New Hope Teachers
Most of the content of this blog focuses on the adventures of English-speaking volunteers who are planning to or are currently exploring Latin America. While it’s not an easy thing to embark upon, it’s often much more accessible than the reverse, when Latin Americans look for experiences to expl[...]
How to Get Your Home-Culture Fix
When volunteers first arrive at their new posts in Latin America, one of their first priorities is to completely immerse themselves in the new culture. They’ll want to choose a living situation where they can speak as much Spanish as possible, sample the offerings of the local cuisine and generall[...]
What Are You Thankful For?
In honor of the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S. this week, I thought I’d carry on my family’s tradition of going around the table and asking each person, “What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?” Below, I report the answers from some of Common Hope’s long-term volunteers, who reflect[...]
November 24th, 2009 - 12:11 pm § in Around Town, Guatemala
Farming Practices — Changes are Coming!
The old man in the field next to my house is hoeing his corn rows in his bare feet, Stetson hat, blue and purple tipica fabric shirt, and a woven plastic bag tied around his waist like an apron to protect his beautiful white embroidered pants. Fortunately, he is hoeing his corn residue into the [...[...]
Nonprofit Network Launches Website
A network of nonprofit organizations in Guatemala, known as La Antigua Guatemala Network, launched a website this week that promises to improve communication and collaboration between nongovernmental organizations in the country. Impressively, the new website has been introduced in both English and [...]
Graduation Season
It’s technically verano in Guatemala, the opposite of rainy season, but the air has started growing cooler and crisper. (Luckily for us in the land of eternal spring, cooler and crisper only means lows of 65°F instead of the usual 75°F we enjoy for most of the year.) Each year with the cooler we[...]
Environmental Crisis, Community Opportunity
There’s an algae-bloom crisis going on right now in Lago Atitlan – one that has affected over 40 countries besides Guatemala – and because people in this community bathe and wash clothing in the lake, it’s a crisis that intimately affects everyone. The community is responding accordi[...]
