Upcoming Events and Excitement
The board here at Empowered Guatemala has been working all summer to prepare for our August / September trip. We have so many exciting things to share! Last spring we received a grant to set up a computer lab. And it's not just a computer lab. It's a coding lab, a STEAM lab and we have a full curriculum of computing activities so the students can progress and eventually receive a certification. This is not a college degree, but it does make a student trained and ready to fill a job in tech. In anticipation of the opening of the Teckitos Computer Lab, we have been busy purchasing all the required equipment and brainstorming how we will announce this big opportunity to the community. Juan Carlos Xirum will be directing the activities at the Lab. We hired him in advance of our opening, once we knew we were receiving the grant. Since coming on board, he has been able to assist Zila in the library's day to day operation, he has done landscaping and been just a true pleasure to have around. I've probably said it before, but we have been so blessed with our staff and everyone involved in the running and advancement of La Casita de los Libros. In addition to our paid staff, we have a robust group of in person volunteers who tutor, teach, play and support.
We are converting one of our upstairs rooms specifically for the purpose of our computer lab. Patti, Regi and Diana will arrive August 21 to purchase the required furniture and supplies for the new lab. The trainers from the company that awarded the grant will be arriving on 24 August to start really setting everything up. Once complete, we will have 5 work stations, an Apple TV set up, robots, games that promote STEM skills and understanding of the process. We plan to have the lab open everyday, Monday through Friday from 2:30-6:00 pm. As we grow and expand, we will likewise expand our hours of operation.
We are also registering our organization as an entity in Guatemala. We have an entire Guatemalan board of directors that will support our organization and activities in country. Our reasons for this decision are two-fold. As a registered organization, we will be able to offer our employees the same benefits as if they were working for any other company or organization. There are two ways to pay employees in Guatemala, salario=salaried and honorario=contractor, hourly work, generally part-time. Employees on salario are eligible for Guatemalan Social Security and better access to medical care and other benefits. And since we are an organization with a mission to create opportunities, of course our employees will be salaried with benefits, including two weeks of paid vacation per year. This is one more way we can make a difference in our community and treat our employees with the same compassion and ethical considerations we would expect in the United States. The other reason for being a Guatemala entity is that it allows us to open a local bank account and write checks rather than conducting our transactions in cash.
Finally, the first week of September marks our first anniversary of opening La Casita de los Libros. One year ago I never would have imagined the successes we have experienced, the outpouring of community support and the amazing staff who make our library a truly magical place to visit. And in true Guatemalan style, we will have a party with music, refreshments and firecrackers. Viva La Casita.
--Patti
Comments