English class at the Las Canoas School. (All Photos © CARE 2002/David Rochkind)

Hammad Ahmed, Wintta Woldemarium, Neena Panjwani, Kathryn Ebert and Nisha Jain of Atlanta, together with Clare Cameron and Phillip Martin of Chicago, are standing in front of classrooms filled with well-behaved Las Canoas students. Kathryn, with the help of two Spanish interpreters, Christine Frias from Delta Air Lines and Ruth Fuller of CARE in Chicago, guides the students along one of the more engaging lessons on this cloudless and sunny morning.

"Hello," Kathryn says.

A young girl smiles. There is reservation in her smile, but it is the cute shyness of a young child meeting a room full of new family members. She responds politely, "Hello."

"How are you?" asks Kathryn, hands behind her back and speaking with perfect enunciation.

The response is hidden behind more smiles and more blushing. "Fine, thank you."

"What is your name?" The same bright eyes and equally bright smile greet this question, as Clare steps in with a little hint to the proper response. "My name is..."

Lake Atitlán.

Unlike yesterday's journey from Guatemala City to Panabajal and from Panabajal to Panajachel, today's trip from our base at The Regis Hotel to the village took a relatively short amount of time, only about half an hour. And although the road was brought to life by picturesque views of Lake Atitlán and its brooding volcanoes, the CYC members were not totally engrossed in their surroundings. Conversations along the way included yesterday's memories and today's expectations, as well as a few card games and some quick napping. Waking at 6:30 a.m. takes a lot out of us.

The Las Canoas School is a participant in one of CARE's education programs. Las Canoas school director, Rodrigo Cumes explained to the CYC the history and value of working with CARE.

"About three years ago, CARE came to talk to me about the program. They asked for the support of the teachers and the director, and because (those involved with the school) love education, they gave them their support."

The program works like this: CARE gives loans to mothers of enrolled students, which are used to start a business, purchase livestock or a plot of land, to help increase the family's income. This new influx of "dinero" increases the opportunity for the girl or girls in the family to attend school.

"For me the program is really terrific," says Cumes, "because the people here want to work and want to move forward. The program has benefited many mothers who need the loan. And it is beneficial to the girls, too. Because of the loan, the girls are able to come to school."

Regarding his students Cumes says, "I know that they've been prepared and that if they want to continue studying they will and can. I know that they will be good people."

And the CYC students are having a good time with the good people. Aside from the English lesson, there are a few classes in art as well. The classes aren't necessarily held in the established classrooms, but are important nonetheless.

Clare Cameron (left) helps students at the Las Canoas School with their mural project.

Three new murals adorn the outside walls of the Las Canoas School. One with the message, "CARE love Las Canoas," another with the word "CARE" and the new CARE logo, and the last a painting of Guatemala's flag. CYC can't claim all the glory, the Canoas students stayed right by their sides the entire time, making sure the Youth Corps didn't wear themselves too thin with all the artwork.

The young students even got the chance to use their own handprints for the CARE emblem that is placed on the wall. One by one, first through sixth graders lined up, placed yellow or orange paint on their right hands and left their stamp on the wall. The kids got such a kick out of it that CYC members Wintta Woldemariam and Kathryn Ebert walked out of the school with those same handprints on their pants, rather than just on the wall.

Games of basketball and soccer filled the morning time, and after lunch the smiling faces that so gleefully played with us skip home and try to call it a day. But the CYC is right behind them, skipping all the way up the street to where the Las Canoas community begins. The itinerary explains the afternoon activities as "home visitations," where the CYC has the pleasure of spending two hours with the families of some Las Canoas School students.

CYC members are shown how to plant potatoes.

Las Canoas is a community spread out atop a few of the hundreds of mountains in Guatemala. When viewed from afar, there are small clusters of little buildings made with bricks and topped with metal roofing. When you step inside the humble homes, you realize that the only floor in the house is the rocky earth.

Hammad Ahmed, Nisha Jain and Neena Panjwani make up one group visiting the home of Matilde Locon for a weaving demonstration. Phillip Martin, Kathryn Ebert and Wintta Woldemariam go potato planting with Mrs. Prudencia. And Clare Cameron, Jerrell Jordan, and myself (Kenneth Butler, your narrator for our trip) attend to tortilla cooking with Adelaide Chintay and her daughter, Sulma.

Our experiences varied, but the hard work is a consistent factor. When we all rendezvous again two hours later, stories about our experiences are shared on the ride home.

Colorful weaving typical of Guatemala.

"Weaving is the most difficult thing ever. Ever. In the world," plainly states Hammad of his adventure into the lifestyle of rural Guatemala. Phillip, Kathryn and Wintta tell of first having to fertilize the land before assisting in planting the potatoes. Clare, Jerrell and I share the ordeal of tortilla making and our subsequent embarrassment at making about two semi-correct tortillas out of 30.

Our arrival to the hotel, half an hour later, brings about deeper discussions on our experiences. "I think the family values are very important to them," observes Neena Panjwani. Nods of agreement all around.

Journal entries are written by Kenneth Butler, student-writer for the CARE Youth Corps.