Solidarité Baie-St-Paul/Guatemala 2009
Centre éducatif St-Aubin

In order to agree to take part in training sessions, learn another language and raise close to $30,000 to fund a humanitarian trip, and this for a period of a year and a half, you have to firmly believe in the positive impact of your actions. It is unquestionably this strong conviction that guided the efforts of the 13 students at Centre éducatif St-Aubin who participated in the Solidarité Baie-St-Paul/Guatemala 2009 project. The students recently returned from their three-week mission in Guatemala with the feeling of a job well done but more importantly with a desire to share their experience and encourage other people, young and old alike, to also do their part in building a more equitable society.

“When you go to a small school, there is less cultural diversity than at schools in big cities and it is therefore important to find rallying projects that give young people the chance to open up to the world and to different cultures and above all allow them to take part in an experience in mutual aid,” asserts Annie Lavoie, one of the accompanying teachers and the person in charge of the project.

This was the second time a group of students from Centre éducatif St-Aubin had taken part in a trip such as this to Guatemala. The 2007 experience was so enriching that it was basically out of the question not to offer it again. In the course of the year and a half it took to prepare, the student participants had many opportunities to raise awareness in their community about what they were going to do as they helped bag groceries at a supermarket, organized a garage sale and prepared a dinner featuring international dishes. All the actions carried out were to lead them towards a reality that they barely knew even existed.

“We were well prepared, informed and trained but when you get off the plane and set off on the road, you quickly realize to what extent you’re in unknown territory. It went far beyond what we could ever have imagined,” recounts Secondary 4 student Kim Boucher-Morin.

A change of scenery is probably not a strong enough expression to describe the cultural and social shock the students experienced when they arrived in Guatemala. Disoriented is not doubt more appropriate, especially when they were dropped off directly at an orphanage where they were to spend their first night. “The following morning, there were children everywhere. They wanted to look at us and touch us and above all they wanted to attract our attention. We played with them and even watched a movie with them in the evening. It was a truly heart-warming atmosphere,” Kim confides.

Their encounter with these endearing orphans in Miguel-Magone was intended as a simple prelude to what lay ahead. The students and two accompanying teachers hit the road once again and, after a five-hour drive into the very heart of the Guatemalan countryside, they stopped at a small village with 300 inhabitants where the Finca organic farm is located.

For the next two weeks, the young volunteers gave a helping hand, looking after the village children, repainting the school, working on the farm, doing masonry work and market gardening. The workdays were long, beginning at about 6:30 a.m. and ending around 4 p.m., but they built up the group’s spirit of mutual aid and strengthened the ties of friendship with the villagers. They also took part in cultural visits including one to the city of Flores and a discovery trip to the wonderful Mayan city of Tikal.

“It was a truly enriching experience and we are proud of the work we accomplished. As far as I’m concerned, I would have liked to have been able to do more. It gave me the desire to get involved in numerous other projects,” adds Kim, who already gives of her time to the Amnesty International group at her school.

Boosted by their experience, the group of students toured the classrooms upon their return to talk about their adventures. They even gave a presentation for the general public, which chronicled the highlights of their trip and provided spectators with information about everyday life in Guatemala.

“They returned with a sparkle in their eyes, a very open mind and a steadfast desire to play an active role in our society. They want to get more involved and to pass on this enthusiasm to others” insists Annie Lavoie.

Solidarité Baie-St-Paul/Guatemala 2009
Centre éducatif St-Aubin