After being in Guatemala for awhile, it's easy to get used to most visual signs of poverty. Tin shacks become just more urban sprawl, children selling newspapers become just more vendors pushing their goods, and garbage lining the streets becomes just more Tortix chip bags that make me wonder why anyone would buy the barabacoa when the límon are so good.

It is for this reason I am grateful to have had a job that constantly reminds me why Guatemala and poverty is worth fighting for. At New Hope Village  volunteers are fortunate enough to live next door to the families, which gives them the chance to become very close to them.  I am now back in the States as my term with Common Hope ended on June 5th and I can honestly say it hurts very much to be back. I really miss everyone from the village and their inspirational will to continue fighting to improve their conditions and the conditions of their neighbors. Guatemala seems to have problems finding leaders, or uncorrupt leaders , which I suppose could be blamed on the civil war when being a leader meant risking your life. Yet New Hope seems to be filled with strong people who are leading everything from community consuls, community gardens, or even just aerobic classes.

Their generosity is something else that never ceases to amaze me. Nearly every day one of our affiliated families would come by our offices in the scholarship program with gifts of fruits, desserts, and other snacks. I can speak of one family specifically that gave me limitless friendship, a single mother and her 13-year-old son, Luis. She picks up work every now and then washing clothes and doing other household chores, which in an area like New Hope and the surrounding villages are hard jobs to come by, as people don't usually have extra money to hire people to do these chores. Most of the jobs she finds are jobs given to her by people sympathetic to her situation who can't really afford to hire her—they simply understand the importance of helping their neighbors. What always got me was how this generosity was then passed on to me. They would constantly invite me over for breakfast, or lunch, or both. At one point, when I moved to a different house, Luis helped me move and wouldn't accept a single cent. I had to tape a bill to his back on the way out to get him to accept it.

These are the things people do all the time around New Hope Village, acts of pure generosity, never asking or expecting anything in return. It is these connections the families selflessly create with us that constantly restores my hope for Guatemala and reminds me why Common Hope is there.

Read more volunteer reflections

back to top