VALPARAISO SCHOOL REPORT...HISTORY VIDEO...links to recent posts

RECOMMENDED TO UNDERSTAND THE FOUNDATION:
Video #18 The Complete History of the Guatemalan Foundation 

One comment from a High Uinta friend who saw this video:  

Hi,

I just watched this video, and I can hardly believe such an amazing story. It is mind boggling how much good you were able to do even in the parallels of danger. You are truly inspiring. I'll be sure to pass along the word, thank you for sharing this.

- Neal

LINKS TO THE POST ON ORPHANS & MOTHER'S/FATHERS DAY AT CHULUC

CLICK HERE FOR:  Newsletter #6 July 2014 Valparaiso & Patzicia Reports

CLICK HERE FOR: 
 UPDATING OF THE FOLLOWING PHOTO/ESSAY August 25, 2014
Showing the Last Aspects of the Project

Now the REPORT ON THE VALPARAISO SCHOOL PROJECTS 

by Cordell M. Andersen

"BREATHTAKING" UPDATES:
July 23, & 26,  2014 -  NEARLY FINISHED...scroll down to see progress
including:
 THE INCREDIBLE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL!
&
OUR 42 YEAR LONG VOLUNTEER DOING MIRACLES!
Neither Julie nor any of us could ever have imagined the small beginning in 1968 would have grown to what it is today! THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!

Most of you will recall that originally the Foundation work started in Guatemala on the Valparaiso Plantation--which was the family agricultural business that supported us in Guatemala.  It also became known as the Center for Indian Development, and eventually we established the 240 resident Maya/Poqomchi Indians in their own community on land they became the owners of...seen here from Google Earth.

This is a montage showing the beginning of the evolution of education on the plantation, with  adult literacy, vocational education for the youth--boys & girls, and primary education for the children with all 6 grades. Then, below a montage of of the change that the Guerrilla War in 1981 forced guiding it to what it is today....the montage is followed by a few enlargements of the specifics....

Rigoberto Xona doing volunteer work beginning the construction of the school.

In mid-September 1981 the Guerrilla War forced me to move my family back to Provo, Utah, but I continued  to hold everything together making trips back and forth.  For the education of the children I donated land to the government, the Foundation provided constructions materials, and the people did the work of building a school that was donated to the government. 

It was dedicated under the protection of the Guatemalan Army whose Israeli armed troops guarded the perimeter 

 Eventually we helped build on an addition--a temporary one seen here on the right.

Next we helped them replace the temporary structure with a permanent one seen on the right.

 Eventually the Foundation helped them build a permanent 2nd structure that doubled the classrooms to 6.

Soon the original 110 students grew to 200, and then 300....and more. 

More growth by the turn of the century made necessary expanding with a a new building on the lower level along the river.

From 1994 on a collaborator from the beginning, Professor Federico Veliz, became officially the Foundation's Regional Director, and soon he helped the community spearhead an effort to establish there a Junior High School....a rarity in rural Guatemala. Eighty youth from 8 surrounding villages made up the initial student body that used the building in the afternoons.  The 400 elementary students studied in the mornings. 

Then came the sudden and tragic passing of my daughter & constant helper over 45 years that spurred on even more development of education in the Valley with the generous help of all our donors & friends...

In 2012 to take care of the growing school's expanding needs, we constructed there an addition called The Julie Andersen Memorial Pre-school Classroom.


The pre-schoolers now had their own nice classroom to get a good start with their education.

 At that time we also helped them modify and improve the school kitchen.

Each year the Foundation has provided the students there, and in all the 31 rural schools of Santa Cruz Verapaz, educational supplies so they could get a good start. 

Recently an addition was added on to the complex down along the river.

 Federico met with the Improvement committee of the Valparaiso Community and made plans for needed improvements.

 One pressing need was to construction new sanitary facilities as the original ones were so inadequate and terrible that students would rather seek seclusion along the river to take care of their needs.

THE WORK BEGINS WITH TRUCK LOADS OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS...INCLUDING THE FIRST FLUSH TOILETS IN THE AREA!

Flush toilets were acquired and work went forward, eventually producing two units of new sanitary facilities.

 Somehow I have lost better photographs of the finished sanitary facilities, so here is a montage of what was constructed......Federico sent me a new one seen below.

The construction of a needed storeroom for the kitchen and school was started, but then stagnated, so recently Federico went to work again and we helped them construct an enlarged storeroom you see here in a series of pictures

Expanding the original structure that had never been finished.

With the storeroom mostly finished we went to work to build a retaining wall.

Next would come the construction of stairs down to  the lower level where the new sanitary facilities are, along with the expanded classroom annex, and the play field.

The storage room is now finished & painted.  Federico observes the children  coming for their mid-morning nutritional "brunch."

The more than 300 students line up at the kitchen we helped remodel in 2012. 

From the back of the storage room we  built a retaining wall, and on top a cement block wall to prevent children from taking a fall. 

A stairway begins here making possible the children getting down to the classrooms & sanitary facilities on the lower level along the river where is also found the soccer field.

Down below can be seen the new sanitary facilities,  the play-field, and an expanding classroom unit.

We provided money to complete the stairs, and now will begin construction of 4 "lavaderos"  "pilas" -- a facility to make possible washing of hands, dishes,  and cleaning of the school......THANKS TO SOME OF YOU WE GOT ENOUGH MONEY TO CONNECT THE TOP LEVEL WIT H THE LOWER....

      This is what it was.....

Here we see from below the retaining wall and cement block wall on top of it.  Now we need to  construct a chain link fence on top of that wall so the kids won't climb up on it and risk falls, and then smooth up the hillside with a little landscaping.

WE NEED ABOUT $1,500 TO FINISH THE PROJECT AT VALPARAISO & THEN MOVE ON TO OTHER SCHOOLS & CRITICAL NEEDS TO MAKE EDUCATION IN RURAL Santa Cruz Verapaz MORE EFFECTIVE....but let's finish this UPDATE WITH A FEW GLANCES OF THE INCREDIBLE 

VALPARAISO JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL...now with 97 students.

The 97 students from 7 villages study in the afternoon, the elementary level children in the mornings--making double use of this continually expanding school.
They come from the following rural villages surrounding the school:  
Valparaiso, Rosario Italia, Najquitob, Vista Hermosa, El Naranjo, Chiquiguital and Parrochoch
....some several hours on foot from the school....making it an unbelievable effort for some of these youth

Below we see the young staff of junior high school teachers--all educated young ladies from the area.
 CORRECTION:  The 8 well dressed young ladies are not the "staff" of the Junior High, rather students from the Santa Cruz Verapaz area in their last year to become teachers--doing their student teaching at the Junior High, 3 of them from Valparaiso- this correction in itself is an incredible detail--3 more youth from Valparaiso joining others who have become "professionals!"  Unbelievable when considering the beginning.

 You might remember in the beginning no girls were enrolled in the Najquitob School, pictured below, nor in the little class Julie started at Valparaiso--only with 5 little boys.  In trying to convince fathers to send their girls to the class, and later, the school, fathers would say

 "Patron, the girls are only good for making tortillas, and they can learn that at home!"  

We finally got one little girl to come to Julie's class....opening the door for what now looks like a "WOMAN'S WORLD!"  All the student teachers at the Junior High being beautiful young ladies--youthful Guatemalans helping their own people...three from Valparaiso.   All of them in one way or another got where they are today with help over the years from the GUATEMALAN FOUNDATION!

THIS IS TRULY BREATHTAKING!

Do you remember how it was in this area in 1968? 

NOTHING AT VALPARAISO....only the following  at the Najquitob Village, 2 miles up a slippery trail from  Valparaiso.  All were little boys....no girls.

Special thanks to the Foundation's volunteer Regional Director, retired teacher Federico Veliz, now in his 42nd year working as a volunteer for the Foundation.

THAT IN ITSELF IS "BREATHTAKING!"

He deserves our total support. 

I repeat to end this UPDATE: 

 WE NEED ABOUT $1,500 TO FINISH THE PROJECT AT VALPARAISO & THEN MOVE ON TO OTHER SCHOOLS & CRITICAL NEEDS TO MAKE EDUCATION IN RURAL Santa Cruz Verapaz MORE EFFECTIVE..

Thanks for all your help.  Please help us finish this project with your generous donations.  We will then go on to help other schools in the area with needed improvements so that  the 6,000 rural students of Santa Cruz Verapaz will have a better chance of lifting themselves up and becoming self-reliant and productive citizens.