WFM TEAM MEMBERS SAY GOODBYE

On Thursday, the Team Members said their farewells to the children in an emotional ceremony. The children gave the TMs a despedida (farewell) card and a hug. Each TM received an honorary diploma from Bartolo, the school principal, for their work and participation in the school. It was a great send-off to a fantastic group that overcame many obstacles during their time in Guatemala.

On their last night in Guatemala, TMs had dinner at the famous La Fonda de la Calle Real (Inn of the Royal Road) Country Director Alton Germain expessed his gratitude and appreciation for all their efforts this past month. "There were many unique experiences and challenges during the program and this group met them head-on and made their mark on the project. The persistence of this group was evident and the TMs have been rewarded for ther hard work and dedication."

This has been an amazing trip for me!- Zachary Brown

This trip has been life-changing for me.- Elissa Surabian

I feel privileged to have worked with the community and be immersed in the culture.- Justine Brown

WFM TEAM MEMBERS SAY GOODBYE

TEAM MEMBERS OVERCOME CHALLENGING CONDITIONS

Despite drenching downpours, mudslides, and the possibility of a teacher's strike,the TMs have persisted to make their mark on the project. Illness has also struck TMs and GVI staff as well. The persistence of this group is impressive and they are truly benefitting the community and have met challenges head-on and we are seeing the rewards. Since the program began, TMs have built 10 stoves and we hope to have enough extra materials for 2 more. Team Members and GVI staff have covered 235 hours of classroom instruction and supervision. This group also is well traveled. Tikal, Antigua, volcano & nautre hikes, Grameen, Santiago Atitlan are just some of the adventures the group has been having. This group has really gotten along well with each other. Their pesistence with their work in the school and stoves is remarkable and they have been fantastic in interacting with the community even with their hectic and unpredictable schedule (due to heavy rains and the possibility of road closures) Mara, Megan, Zack, Elissa and Justine are a tough and strong group that have perservered and gained a great experience and the community is grateful for their hard work.

TEAM MEMBERS OVERCOME CHALLENGING CONDITIONS

WELCOME BACK TEAM MEMBERS!

The Whole Foods Market Team Member Volunteer Program is underway in Guatemala for the 2011 season. Fourteen TMs from various regions have visited the Allegro Coffee plantation as well as the Grameen borrower's meeting. The group is now working in the community school and stove-building. We are looking forward to the next set of activities before the group's departure at the end of the month. For now we are all enjoying our Guatemalan adventure!

WELCOME BACK TEAM MEMBERS!

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Whole Foods Market and GVI have reached their goal of installing a stove in the homes of every student that attends the school based in Buena Vista, Guatemala.WFM and Global Vision International have worked together for three years to complete this tremendous accomplishment. Not only have the TMs built these stoves for our students, they also have built stoves for the relatives and grandparents of the students. In this last phase of August-October 2010,we built 24 stoves, reaching our goal of having an energy-efficient stove in every home in the community. All of these families have children that will now grow up in a smoke-free environment thanks to the hard work of WFM, GVI and the Town Council of Buena Vista. It is an accomplishment that we are proud of and are now poised to expand our stove program throughout the region of Peña Blanca. Since 2007 WFM has worked out of the Lake Atitlan Region of Guatemala sending over 70 volunteers to participate in this program. Each of these TMs have bulit a stove and has contibuted to the effort. In total, TMs have built over 70 stoves. The change in the region is monumental. Deforetstation has been drastically reduced and respiratory illness is less prevalent . The introduction of these stoves into the community exponentially increases the longevity of the lives of these people as well.

Being amongst others who are dedicated and passionate about changing the world is truly an awesome experience
- Carey Atwater

The GVI-WFM stove project has changed those conditions for SO many families in the Peña Blanca community, directly affecting nutritional well-being and overall quality of life. By helping construct a stove for one of these families, I have played a small part in this change. I´ve never helped do something so valuable my life -Molly O ’Grady

I am absolutely amazed by this place and its people - Anna Bourland

The people and those kids have left a beautiful mark on my heart that will last forever- Robert Carlson

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Independence Day Celebrations

Every year schools across Latin America celebrate one of the biggest holidays on their calendar. In Guatemala all the schools have competitions with each grade competing in different categories. The TMs helped with the costumes, decorations and
rehearsed with the children. The children, TMs and teachers worked together all week preparing and it was a fantastic day with some great performances.

Three New Team Members!

Our new group of TMs have arrived! We welcome Crystal, Julie and Nora to our crew in Panajachel. We climbed up Volcano Atitlan to visit a coffee plantation where Allegro sources their coffee. The skies were clear and the TMs were able to see the complete beauty of the lake and the volcanoes. Martin gave us a great tour and we stopped at the farmers co-op to pick up some of the finished product from the finca.

INDEPENDENCE DAY!

TMs Enjoy their First Week with the Children!

TM Robert Carlson from Boston skips rope with the children

Despite the rough weather, Team Members were still able to engage the children with games and arts and craft projects. At the moment TMs are assisting the local teachers and students with the Independence Day celebrations for this coming week. We had a beautiful day today and hope it continues for Wednesday's parade.

TMs Enjoy their First Week with the Children!

Community Capacity Building in Guatemala

One of GVI's goals in its educational program is to empower young indigenous women and give them the opportunity to advance their educational achievements as well as pursue their career goals . Whole Foods Team Members work alongside these indigenous women in the community projects to develop lesson plans, arts and crafts activtities for the children as well as having the extraordinary experience of developing a meaningful , authentic relationship with native citizens in a unique and vibrant culture in Latin America.

Diana, Michel and Rubi all speak Qui'che' as thier first language,(there are 24 languages spoken here in Guatemala)

Kakchikel, Spanish and they also speak some English as well. They are enthusiastic and hard-working. Their job is to assist the Team Members with lesson preparation, translation, material sourcing and classroom management. The TMs are doing well instructing the children and a fantastic job of collaborating with these indigenous women and truly enjoying this inimitable cultural exchange.

Much like Grameen, this program focuses exclusively on young women. In many third-world countries, women constitute the population most disenfranchised and most likey to be living below the poverty line. In our project here in Guatemala, we hope to contiune their educational development and their desire to benefit their communites through education and how this combined with the Grameen micro-credit can exponentially increase the statndard of living for these impoverished people.

Community Capacity Building in Guatemala