2018 Guatemala Report

Greetings Gesundheit! Family!

MamaCha here. We have just returned from our annual Alternative Spring Break Visit to Guatemala City—it was our 9th year there! It was very special for me, as I have been visiting for most of these 9 years and now I bring my young son to play with the young children of my friends! It is a delight to deepen our relationships with friends and facility directors and communities and returning clowns.

In very special news, this was our 3rd year visiting The Backyard School in San Bartolome (near Guatemala City), a school building we have raised money for since our first visit there. I am happy to announce that the school has collected enough funding to complete their beautiful, 3-story, earthquake-secure building which will host hundreds of children for school and classes for mothers in the community to develop work skills.

With the generous donations of current and past clown participants, we were able to sponsor lunches for 500 community members and clowns (!), cooked by women who have been trained in large-scale food preparation right there in The Backyard School community center!

Three years ago, Patch was immediately drawn to the school’s visionary director, Iris Santander <3, who had a dream of a safe place for children and families and so began gathering and teaching under a tree…this dream led to the development of The Backyard School! Iris is a true Heart Visionary and I am thrilled we have been able to help her with the construction of her dream school.

Many many thanks to our wonderful clown participants this year who showed up whole-heartedly, loving each person in front of them and engaged in community and personal development. We had almost every age decade represented, from almost 5 to 73,  including 3 generations of my own family in attendance! I feel honored to have met, trusted, worked and played with each LOVING clown who made the leap and came on this trip. I know it is not always an easy commitment.  <3 THANK YOU for opening and offering your healing hearts. 

I can hardly believe it but…next March will be our 10th ANNIVERSARY TRIP TO GUATEMALA and the party planning is already underway. Keep an eye on the website later this year if you would like to join us for this extra EXTRA special trip.

With love, and Relentless Joyfulness,

Charlotte Huggins/MamaCha