What We Do
Academic Education
Public education in Guatemala is compulsory, on paper. However, there is no widespread enforcement of this law, leaving many indigenous children and teenagers with little more than the ability to read and write, if they’re fortunate. According to the CIA World Factbook, nearly 20% of Guatemalans over the age of 15 are illiterate. Literacy is essential in breaking the cycle of poverty. Upon living and working in and around Antigua, Estuardo and Callie López were struck with the immense need for educational opportunities for children and teenagers who had to give up their studies in order to work and provide for their families.
In January 2018, we opened a small alternative school in the center of Antigua. We started by enrolling 5 students in 2018, and today we have 32 students with a diverse range of learning abilities. We provide daily Bible classes, as well as all core subjects. The curriculum we use is accredited by the Guatemalan Ministry of Education and as such, we are able to offer schooling from elementary grades all the way through high school. We have an incredible team of teachers who work with us to provide one-on-one instruction and mentorship to our students.
At Chispas of Change, we are convinced of the necessity of providing a daily nutrition supplement as part of our holistic approach to development. Therefore, we provide our students with a nutritious breakfast and lunch during each school day. These meals allow our students to learn and grow without the distraction and discomfort caused by an empty belly. Along with the meals, each student receives a daily vitamin to supplement any deficiencies not provided by the meal.
Athletic Activities
Chispas of Change originally began through relationships that were built by way of a soccer team that was started in 2016 specifically for the teenager street vendors from Antigua’s Central Park. The team was created to be a healthy outlet for teenage boys to learn about teamwork, perseverance, and good sportsmanship. These young men inspired us to begin what is today a multi-program Christian ministry! The soccer team continues today with weekly soccer practice on Monday afternoons and seasonal games and tournaments throughout the year. Estuardo López (a former professional soccer player in Guatemala) is the coach, and we also have occasional volunteers who do day-long soccer clinics with the team.
Orphanage Outreach
There are thousands of “social orphans” in Guatemala. A social orphan is a child or teenager who has living relatives, but whose relatives are unwilling or unable to care for them. Many of these children live in children’s homes and orphanages. At Chispas of Change, we believe that we are called to care for orphans based on the teachings of the Bible. Psalm 82:3 says, “Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.”
We serve as mentors in two government-run children’s homes. Eddy Con is a full-time Chispas staff member, dedicated to caring for and discipling teenage boys in crisis in the group homes. For the safety of the children we serve, we cannot provide specific details of these homes.
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“Our hearts burn to share the gospel with our students’ families, with children and teenagers from orphanages, with friends, with the young street vendors, with teenagers during soccer practice, and with potential students for next year.”