Delegation from Needham Congregational Church
To Santa María Tzejá
February 16-27, 2011 – Trip Report
Brenda Metzler
In collaboration with Co-Leader Tina Scharback and other delegates
Delegates: Noah Baker, Hannah Clifford, Andrew Cullen, Jen Cusack, Val Kistler, Susan McNeice, Brenda Metzler, Scott and Joene Pike, Tina Scharback, Emily Verschoor-Kirss, and Ben Wildman. Ali Durbin and Randall Shea served as interpreters.
Note: Since many delegates contributed to this report, each section indicates the writer’s name in parentheses.
Table of Contents
Introduction (Brenda Metzler) 2
From Needham to Guatemala City (Brenda Metzler) 3
‘Coyuntura’ (Briefing) (Susan McNeice) 3
Visit to “Only A Child” (Andrew Cullen) 4
Supreme Court Appeal (Susan McNeice) 5
Museum Exhibit: “Why We Are the Way We Are” (Noah Baker) 5
Meeting with University Students (Tina Scharback) 6
Off to Cobán (Brenda Metzler) 7
Dinner with High School Students in Cobán (Emily Verschoor-Kirss) 7
On the Road to Santa María Tzejá (Brenda Metzler) 8
Visit to Federation of Cooperatives of the Ixcán (Susan McNeice) 8
Arrival and Welcome in the Village (Brenda Metzler) 9
Meeting(s) with the Improvement Committee (Brenda Metzler) 9
Commemorative Mass (Brenda Metzler) 11
Welcoming Celebration (‘Bienvenida’) (Brenda Metzler) 11
Church Attendance and Partner-Family Letter Distribution (Brenda Metzler) 11
Meeting with Scholarship Students Studying in Playa Grande ( Jen Cusack) 12
Meeting with COCODE (Brenda Metzler) 13
Meeting with Potable Water Committee (Brenda Metzler) 14
Meeting with Primary School Teachers (Noah Baker) 15
Meeting with the Básico (Middle School) (Hannah Clifford) 16
Meeting with the Computer Committee (Jen Cusack) 18
Meeting with the Library Committee (Jen Cusack) 19
Meeting with AESMAC (Brenda Metzler and Ben Wildman) 20
Meeting with the High School Project Committee (Brenda Metzler) 22
Meeting with the Scholarship Committee (Brenda Metzler) 23
DELEGATION PARTICIPATION IN THE BASICO 25
Teaching Art Classes (Noah Baker) 25
Theater Workshop (Hannah Clifford and Emily Verschoor-Kirss) 26
Teaching English Classes ( Hannah Clifford) 26
Trip to the Waterfall (Emily Verschoor-Kirss) 26
Playing with the Children (Ben Wildman) 27
The ‘Parcela’ Trip (Andrew Cullen and Ben Wildman) 27
Meeting with the Survivors (Tina Scharback) 28
Meeting with the Women’s Union (Val Kistler) 29
Meeting with the Widow’s Group (Val Kistler) 31
Meeting with the Church Committee (Brenda Metzler) 32
Meeting with the Health Promoters and Health Committee (Tina Scharback) 33
Eye Care in Santa María Tzejá (Scott Pike) 35
Meeting Our Partner Family for the First Time (Jen Cusack) 35
Home Visits and Meals with Families (Val Kistler, Jen Cusack, Ben Wildman, Susan McNeice ) 36
The ‘Despedida’ (Farewell Party) (Brenda Metzler) 37
Return to Guatemala City and Trip to Antigua (Brenda Metzler) 37
Home to Boston (Brenda Metzler) 38
TRIP EVALUATION (Tina Scharback) 39
Travelers’ Actions Upon Return (Brenda Metzler) 41
Introduction (Brenda Metzler)
This delegation to Guatemala featured a wealth of new experiences for our group of 12 travelers that included seven adults and five youth. Although we found it challenging to keep up with the pace of activities in Guatemala City, there is nothing we would have chosen to leave out. A highlight was the unique opportunity we had to witness the quest for justice by attending a court case heard before Guatemala’s Supreme Court. Before even a word was spoken, the setting was compelling: a group of indigenous survivors of the violence of the 1980’s filing into an austere but elegant hall, with suited lawyers, robed judges, and the U.S. ambassador in attendance. We hoped that our presence in some small way would serve to support the victims in their pursuit of justice long denied.
Our time that followed in Santa María Tzejá was productive and enjoyable, no doubt facilitated by the good organization and hard work of the Improvement Committee. Despite the every increasing number of meetings to attend, I personally found myself less stressed than usual and was able to enjoy many moments of sharing and laughter. The young people contributed by making up our complicated daily meals and meetings schedule, engaging families at meals, and participating in the schools -- teaching art, theatre skills, and English. Everyone in the group participated in and contributed to meetings with the many village committees, although we occasionally wished for a stronger youth presence. As usual, conversations with families in their homes offered some of the most special and personal moments.
Over the course of our six-day stay, we observed a number of changes in the village. The most noticeable one is the arrival of electricity as of last August. Its usage by individual families varies considerably. Some homes have just a single light bulb, while others have a refrigerator, blender, and television. At the community level, electricity serves to reduce the cost of running the computer center. It also allows students and teachers to study into the night. The town center also has lighting, and one entrepreneur has even opened an Internet café!
We observed and heard about other projects. The community is working to complete a new library, despite funding limitations and challenges by ‘mother nature’. They continue to work toward making potable water a reality. Impressively, the Community Development Council (COCODE) has compiled a list of priority projects, supported by the infusion of ideas, energy, and knowledge from the many high school and/or university-educated young people who are now participating widely in the community. We viewed a presentation for a high school planned for the village, with blueprints prepared by SMT architect Nazario Gutiérrez.
Beyond the increasing admiration I feel with each delegation for the remarkable efforts in education and its impact in Santa María Tzejá and the region, what really grabbed me this trip was a new sense of hope and excitement about the possibilities for our partnership. This feeling arose from a number of special moments of sharing and candor with villagers. A common thread in several of these exchanges was the presence of Hugo Quinilla, who serves on the Improvement Committee and is also Director of the Middle School (Básico). At one meeting Hugo and others were very interested to learn from Tina about the roots of our partnership, which grew out of our church’s consideration of the ‘sanctuary’ issue nearly 25 years ago. There was also a moving exchange during the last meeting with the Improvement Committee. Hugo essentially observed that in order for a long-time relationship, such as ours, to continue to thrive and remain fresh, it requires that we work together very intentionally to improve and renew it. Clearly he is looking forward to that.
It is through dialogue like this that our partnership will continue to evolve, engage and transform people on both sides, and reinvigorate itself, as we work to live out our faith in our respective communities and in the world at large.
From Needham to Guatemala City (Brenda Metzler)
Following a lovely send-off at the Clifford’s Tuesday evening, complete with homemade desserts, our delegation met at Tina’s at 3:30 am for our drive to the airport. Never had a delegation been more on time or seemed more ‘together’, so we were feeling very confident as we drove to the airport. Unfortunately upon arrival, Tina realized that she didn’t have her passport, so all manner of consternation ensued. However, with some pretty heroic efforts on everyone’s part plus a bit of good luck, we managed to make our flight with the delegation intact. As Tina and I collapsed into our seats on the plane, we vowed never to leave for the airport again without a passport check!
Our flights to Guatemala City were uneventful, and we proceeded to collect our bags and clear customs. We exchanged most of our money at a bank inside the airport at Q7.68 to the dollar, although the teller ran out of cash shortly before we were done. Ali and her children were waiting for us at the curb, with Chely holding a colorful welcome sign that she had made for us. With considerable effort, the van driver and our youth loaded most of our luggage on top of the van, and we piled inside for the ride to the Spring Hotel.
‘Coyuntura’ (Briefing) (Susan McNeice)
After settling in at the hotel, we gathered downstairs at 5:30 pm for our ‘coyuntura’, an overview of the current state of Guatemala. The speaker was Regina Pérez, a journalist from Santa María Tzejá (SMT) who studied at the University of San Carlos. Regina has completed her coursework and only has to complete her thesis to graduate. She works for a small, “alternative” news agency that gathers news from various social organizations and publishes at www.cerigua.org. Her special interest is acts of aggression against journalists.
This is an election year, and the 27 Guatemalan political parties are preparing their candidates. Although it is technically illegal to begin campaigning, several candidates are featured on billboards. On our subsequent trip to Cobán we saw lots of red paint (symbol of the Patriots’ Party) with candidates’ names written in white on telephone poles, trees and rocks. Apparently there is a lot of money available for the campaigns, although no one is certain of its source.
As always, the key issue in the election is the relentless violence in the country; 6,000 people are murdered each year. Human rights groups have suffered 300 acts of aggression including 8 murders, and two political figures have been killed. In the last 4-6 years the violence has increased. The current president, Alvaro Colóm, cannot run again so his wife is running in his place. The private sector despises her and uses their considerable influence over print media (Prensa Libre, Siglo 21) to discredit her and her husband. They have the mistaken view that the president and his wife are leftists since they have sponsored social programs. TV and radio tend to side with the president and offer publicity disguised as news. While Colóm promised to use intelligence to combat violence, another candidate, Otto Perez Molina (Patriot Party), vows to use the “heavy hand” of the military. Molina is purported to be linked to violence and disappearances during the war, although this does not seem to be affecting his candidacy. He is among the front runners. Another candidate, Suri Rios, is the daughter of former president Rios Montt, who is also suspected of links to violent acts.
Four years ago, the elections went well except for some ballots that were burned in rural areas. It is unclear whether international observers will be present for the coming election. There is concern that organized crime and narco-trafficking could infiltrate the process. In the Ixcán, ever since the URNG party lost four years ago, there have been divisions among the political parties and they have not yet united behind a particular candidate.
A group from the Ixcán sent a delegate to hold a press conference protesting the re-opening of the military base at Playa Grande as a violation of the peace accords. Colóm claims that the remilitarization is necessary due to increased narco-trafficking in the area. A U.N. study estimated that 90% of drugs entering the US come through Central America, with El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala being particularly attractive targets. Landing strips are being built in the Petén, and it is rumored that the small Cobán airport is held by drug interests.
Presumably the government is trying to follow the Mexican model of fighting drug trafficking – deploying more police and military – but many civilians have died as a result in Mexico. Legalization of drugs would be an alternative, but it wouldn’t work if Mexico and the U.S didn’t join in doing it also.
Scott said he had heard that the violence is worse now than during the internal armed conflict of the 1980’s but that it’s ‘different’. Regina said that previously the State was largely responsible for the violence, but now it’s not clear who is doing it.
The battle against impunity continues with many high and low points. CICIG, the UN-created International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala, found that several government officials were involved in extra-judicial killings, including the Ministers of the Interior, Penitentiary and Police. CICIG’s biggest concern is that the infiltration of government by crime goes so high that very few cases even go to trial. In fact only 2% of crimes make it to trial and sentencing. However, an effort is being made to raise the salaries and improve the training of public prosecutors; and a new Attorney General, Claudia Paz, is an advocate for human rights groups. Meanwhile, the justice system has had Q400 million ($52 million) cut from its budget. The Commission (CICIG) is scheduled to leave Guatemala in 2013.
All in all, Guatemala has a long way to go, but there are many good people working hard and bravely to see that progress is made. It is an inspiration to see these people in action.
After the ‘coyuntura’ we invited Regina to join us for our group dinner, prepared by the Spring Hotel. Ali’s family also joined us and we enjoyed a good and plentiful meal in a relaxed atmosphere.
Visit to “Only A Child” (Andrew Cullen)
Following breakfast the next morning, we were picked up by van and had the privilege to visit the residence and workshop of ‘Only a Child.’ Only a Child is a foundation started by George Leger where older street children are given the opportunity to leave the streets and are taught the trade of wood carving. They make ornate boxes and then sell them. The majority of the money goes to pay for the young men’s room and board and to let them continue their education, but they also get some spending money from the funds they earn making and selling the boxes. We learned that these boxes are even sold nearby, so here’s my little sales pitch: At the ‘Clever Hand” in Wellesley and at ‘Five Crows’ in Natick, one would be able to purchase these boxes, and this would help fund the kids at ‘Only a Child.’ After visiting their residence, we were able to visit their new workshop, which has much better ventilation than their previous one, so the workers don't have to inhale the sawdust and the finishing coating for the boxes. The workshop is also in a much safer area of town. This was an incredible opportunity because we got to see so much of ‘Only a Child’, getting to meet the young adults who are finding new purpose in their lives. And several of them are even going on to college.