Every year I volunteer with an amazing non for profit called Seeds of Help (www.seedsofhelp.org). The ngo is based in Columbus, Indiana but operates in Huehuetenango, Guatemala which is right below Chiapas, Mexico. Besides volunteering on various projects I document the great work Seeds is doing.
The reason why I love this non profit is they cut through the b.s. and typical red tape paperwork and focus on improving the lives of Mayan women. Other reasons why I love Seeds of help are: Americans assisting are all non paid volunteers, there are no huge offices in New York City, and all donations go towards Guatemalan teachers, scholarships, water tank projects, school lunches, and several other projects.
My most recent trip in early March was an eye opener. We went to a remote village I had never been to visit the family of Florentina, who is a Seeds scholarship recipient. On the side of a coffee growing cliff, live her parents and grandparents in a two room adobe brick hut. Their income primarily comes from growing coffee along with some livestock. Another interesting aspect of Florentina’s family is she is bilingual as her parents only speak an indigenous Mayan language. Despite the dangerous roads, visiting her family was priceless. They prepared a special chicken lunch and even gave Walter a rooster to thank him.
Also on this trip we had Valerie, a volunteer from California, join up with Seeds to teach at the schools for a month. On the Seeds of Help Blog you can read her take on life and volunteering in Guatemala.
I could go on for days about how awesome Guatemala is but as always my writing always pales in comparison to the photos so I’ll unleash those. Enjoy!
Maribelle and her cousin. Maribelle is an amazing weaver and will be teaching weaving to our woman’s groups!!!
Walter, me and Florentina’s family
Girls in Seeds of Help’s preschool class learning their colors and how to hold a crayon
Seeds of Help’s Preschool class
How’s this view at 10,000 feet? Not bad!
Walter and I finally getting a photo together… behind us are the volcanoes of Guatemala
CONTACT ME | MY PORTFOLIO | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
