Santa Ines Uno, is a k-6 school of mostly indigenous children. This was the first year Books for a Better World visited this school in a very rural, remote, and mountainous area of Guatemala. 
Volunteers reached the school by travelling along a curvy, bumpy dirt road, and then climbing a small hill up to the school. The children came quickly to surround the volunteers, in part because they are not used to having visitors.
The school director/principal was very happy to receive the BBW donation of books because the school had practically no books for the children to read. He had worked at the school for 18 years, first as a teacher and now as a director. During all of those years, he slept on a cot at the school during the week, and travelled home on the weekends to be with his family. Such dedication!
The director gathered all of the students in the courtyard and then volunteers Allen and Alice read to them. Although the children were not used to having stories read to them, they soon learned to love it. We asked them to repeat key phrases in the stories and to make the sounds made by the animals. Soon they were quacking like little ducks and saying bow wow like the puppy in the story. It was fun to see their eyes light up with excitement as we read to them.
Many of the children wore traditional clothing, handwoven skirts and embroidered blouses. They wore very inexpensive rubber sandals and shoes. Most of the girls had long braids. The majority of the students drop out in or before sixth grade, to work in the fields, care for children, or marry very young.
This year’s donated books will begin to show them that learning can be fun and to broaden their horizons.
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