Patzun!!

As of July 18, Patzún is my new home where I will be living for the next two years!! Patzún is the name of a town in the state of Chimaltenango, which is about 32K away. I will be 85K from Guatemala City, close to Lake Atitlan, Antigua, Xela, and other major cities. I am very fortunate to be in such a central location with accessible transportation. The population in Patzún is 42,326- 42% urban and 58% in rural. 96% of the population speaks their indigenous language, Kaqchiquel, as well as Spanish. So I will have the opportunity to learn Kaqchiquel! This is crazy to think about because I still have a long ways to go with my Spanish. Patzún is 7,300 feet above sea level with cold weather. AH! Patzún has a big market, electricity, water, private hospital, a giant Catholic church, restaurants, internet cafes, a nice park and a grocery store!


My visit last week was fabulous. I have three site mates- Lydia and Laura are Healthy Schools volunteers, they´ve been in Patzún for three months, and Colin is an Agriculture volunteer, leaving in three months. My counterpart, Anacleto, is fabulous! He is hard working, motivated, patient, spent more than two years in the US on a scholarship, has connections all around the world, very well known in Patzún, has a lovely family, organized, and has a good sense of humor. I am very fortunate to have a counterpart with these qualities!

My favorite aspect of the Latin American culture is their greetings. Patzúneras really go above and beyond when it comes to this- very sincere and patient. Everyone is extremely friendly, greeting you on the streets, ¨Good morning! Have a nice day¨. I was walking to one of my schools and a farmer just stopped to ask if I knew where I was going. You can spark up a conversation with anyone- it is almost expected. When you buy bananas at the market you end up learning about someone´s life history or simply talking about the weather (for a good ten minutes). In a professional setting you can easily spend five minutes introducing yourself. Let´s say there are five professionals; you spend about 30 minutes introducing yourself before the meeting even begins. I felt extremely welcomed. Many families invited me into their homes, offered me food and drink, and said that their doors are always open. It is wonderful! A perfect fit for me.

What will I be doing? My primary job involves two schools and two agencies. I will be teaching life skills- decision making, self-esteem, HIV/AIDS, leadership, etc. to students aged 14-18. One of my schools is private; the other is ¨telesecundaria¨- 170 students and three teachers. I will be working with ¨Los Amigos de Patzún¨. ADP is an organization founded by three PC volunteers that offers scholarships to students. Anacleto and I will be working on legalizing this program in Guatemala, developing a committee and making the program more sustainable. The other organization that I will be working with is the ¨Centro de Recursos¨. This is a resource center for teachers. I will have the opportunity to do teacher trainings on topics such as sexual education, self-esteem, and communication.

As for secondary projects the options are endless. I plan on volunteering at ¨Escuelas Abiertas¨, which is a government funded program for children to participate on the weekends. They have a range of programs from language classes, break dance lessons, painting, computers, etc. I had the opportunity to work with this program in Sumpango, as well. Through ¨Escuelas Abiertas¨ I met a wonderful Guatemalan woman, Maggie, who I am going to keep in touch with when I leave Sumpango. Patzún has a 15K race after their independence day on September 19. Right now, Patzún only has a running club for men. I am either going to try and join their running club and/or start one for women. Patzún also has an orphanage that I might look into volunteering at. I have already met a few women who play on basketball teams. I have learned that basketball is actually more popular than soccer here. Patzún also has an Alcoholics Anonymous organization. Nearly everyone wants to learn English; however, I do not want my role as a PCV to be confused with that of an English teacher.

The possibilities are endless! I am so excited about my placement in Patzún. It seems like such a perfect fit for me, especially the friendly community and social work related options. I feel very fortunate and blessed to be placed in Patzún!

My NEW ADDRESS IS:
Maggie Kelly
Apartado 33
Chimaltenango, Chimaltenango
Guatemala, Centroamerica

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