A&M GARDEN CLUB GARDENISTAS

GUATEMALA SEPTEMBER 23 – OCTOBER 1, 2018

This year our travelers included AMGC members Johanna Roman, Helen Quinn, Carmen Billings (and husband Ron), Carolyn Parsons, Travis County Master Gardeners Robbie Sherfy and Kirby Johnson, Waller County Master Gardener Trish Stafford, and Yanina Albornoz (Johanna’s sister.) As always, our gracious host/chauffeur/friend, Jorge del Carmen welcomed us to his home at the beautiful Finca Xejuyu, El Tejar.

The primary objective of our visits is to bring love, gardening, healthy eating choices and exercise to the Mayan children in the local schools and on the farm. Secondary, but so much fun, are the opportunities we have to experience the beauty of the country, it’s culture, and welcoming people. Reports of our “tourist” activities are to be found in detail on our Facebook Page and on our Blog (amgardenclub.wordpress.com). The Dream Center operates a Feeding Station, offering a nutritious meal to children from surrounding villages and providing a safe environment in which to spend their after- school time reading and learning other life skills. Here we helped serve lunch, after which each of us had two or three children sit outside with us to read a book out loud. They were so eager to show us their reading skills. They had been learning songs to entertain us, in English and Spanish; we joined in with the musical moves! After many photos with the children, we all went outside to where the staff had built two raised vegetable beds. Here we taught them how to plant various vegetable transplants and place markers with the plant names in Spanish and English. Before the buses came to take them to their homes, we had time to kick a Fútbol around and join in their games!

At the church in El Durazno, we taught the children about bugs and butterflies, parts of a flower, “symmetry”, and nutritious alternatives to the more traditional fare. These were mostly younger children, and what made it even more special were their mothers being there, many of whom were carrying babies in the traditional Rebozo (sling) on their backs or fronts! These women also seemed interested in the activities and even a few of the men came in and “hid” at the back to see what was going on!!!

From there we walked further up the hill to the School in El Durazno, where we delivered more craft projects. Unfortunately, the morning session was just getting ready to leave to go home. We have presented activities there during our previous trips, including helping with a fairly big garden at the back, which has now been reclaimed to accommodate another building!!

We have a Junior Master Gardener club at the Farm, and since Ron is a retired TX Forestry expert, we taught the farm kids about planting trees! Each child, or pair of children had his/her own tree to plant, and a marker with his/her name on it. They were charged with caring for their trees, making sure they had water when needed. Their fathers and mothers all came along, - a real family affair!! After the planting, we headed back to the “picnic” site where we had table cloths on the ground and the children tucked into healthy snacks. They all received Certificates of Participation before departing for home. These children range from toddlers to teens; it is such a joy to see how they have grown during the four years AMGC has conducted these trips, to see how the parents are doing, and meeting the newest babies!!!

¿Dónde está mi papá?

The kids we serve include approximately 100 at the El Durazno School, 115 at the Dream Center (Grace Ministries), 50 at the Church in the village, and 35 at Xejuyu Farm.