COMMON HOPE BLOG

Last month, our education support staff hosted a day of hearing exams with support from the University San Carlos. They performed 57 exams on mostly children along with a few adults.

Mariela España, psychologist and speech therapist for Common Hope, organized the event. She says that hearing loss is very common in Guatemala, because people are exposed to a lot of loud noise on a daily basis, including diesel buses and firecrackers. People start losing their hearing around 40 or 50 years old in Guatemala because of the loud noise. The hearing tests are very important for educational success, because when a child is young and still learning to talk, if they have hearing problems, they will end up having speech problems as well.

Mariela usually conducts hearing exams at Common Hope herself, but she wanted to do an exam day to be able to test a large group at once. She invited university students and two professors from the University San Carlos to perform the exams. Children were referred by Common Hope staff and teachers from our partner schools. The students referred have shown possible symptoms of hearing loss, including difficulty with homework, not responding when called on, or having frequent ear infections.

This week, Mariela will meet with the students who tested poorly to retest and confirm the results. She will then recommend treatments depending on the issue. If they have ear infections, she will refer them to an ear, nose, and throat doctor. If they have hearing loss, Common Hope will get affiliated children a hearing aid. Children who are not affiliated with Common Hope will be referred to public health services. If children don’t have a hearing problem, our Education Support staff will work with them to figure out if they have a learning disability, and they might also be referred for an eye exam.

Mariela says that one of the best things she observed was that the university students from San Carlos not only had a great experience practicing what they are studying but also they had the opportunity to serve low-income students—a valuable experience for Guatemalans from diverse backgrounds to have. Many thanks to the University of San Carlos for the support!

Jesus Alex with the butterfly he made with Debra.

by short-term volunteer Debra Des Vignes

A couple of weeks ago, I was glad to be heading to the Santa Catarina school along with my husband to meet some children who go to the school. We left behind Antigua’s candlelit restaurants and beautiful courtyards for the winding path into the small town. We drove past cornstalk and aluminum walls of family homes—a scene very different from where I was from. It was eye-opening to be in this corner of the world.

A child, whose name I would later learn is Jesus Alex (pronounced hey-soos ah-lex), approached me inside the school. He was pint-sized and dusty, and his smile melted my heart. Jesus Alex seemed eager to join with the other students in an after-school art project I was leading. Ten students were already painting a butterfly when Jesus Alex shuffled alongside them and dipped his fingers in paint; the dirt on his hands made for an even darker shade on top of stark white paper.

Standing next to Jesus Alex I realized how small all these kids appeared. ¿Cuántos años tiene? I asked. Jesus Alex told me he was five years old, but he looked much younger. I gave him a high five.

When we finished the art project, Jesus Alex waved good-bye. His mother didn’t come to greet him like many of the others. Instead, he walked outside and hopped on an old bike. That day I realized there are many simple things that I take for granted back home. My heart sank. I wanted more for Jesus Alex, at least the certainty of basic needs, like food, water, and a roof over his head. Then I smiled. Jesus Alex is a part of a new generation. There’s great hope and opportunity for kids of his generation and the future of the people in Guatemala.

Last year, the 1000th Common Hope affiliate graduated from high school. And in 2010, Common Hope families worked 5,532 sweat-equity hours to earn homes that are clean, dry and safe. I wondered where five-year-old Jesus Alex fit into the equation. I hope he knows that his future is not already carved out for him.

Correction: An earlier version of this story identified the town as San Rafael and Jesus Alex as Jorge.

Debra with Jesus Alex at the Santa Catarina partner school.

In light of Mother’s Day (celebrated yesterday in Guatemala, Sunday in the U.S.), we honor all of the mothers we work with—both in Guatemala and the U.S. We wish you all a wonderful holiday.

En honor del Día de la Madre (celebrado ayer en Guatemala y el domingo en los EE.UU.), honramos a todas las madres con quienes trabajamos, tanto en Guatemala como en los EE.UU. Les deseamos a todas una celebración maravillosa.

We have a couple of short-term volunteers currently, Debra Des Vignes and Andrew Hayenga, who have been sharing photos of their work each day via Twitter. It has been fun to see them as they go. Here are the photos they’ve shared so far. You can follow them on Twitter at @debradesvignes and @andrewhayenga.