Day 2: Our First View of Zone 3

The time was 7:25 A.M. in room 19 of the retreat house. My alarm went off indicating that this was the time I had to wake up the other participants. The previous night, I was nominated to execute this job which, to be completely honest, was pretty fun. As all of us arose from our beds, tired and anxious for the day ahead, we began to get ready. We were welcomed by Andres, the teachers, and a more than desired breakfast, which served as a perfect start to a day filled with a melting pot of emotions (Get it? Melting Pot? Ahhhhhh words are fun).

Once we finished with breakfast and were energized through the day, we packed into a bus that’ll take us on an adventure that we will not soon forget.

We meandered through the city in our trusty bus, and as we proceeded towards the Coll school we soaked in the capital city of Guatemala.  Eventually, we arrived at Zona Tres and were taken to a few houses close to the borders of the main dump of Guatemala City. These homes were essentially just small, one room buildings that held, in one case, more than 14 people. Even with such little space, and so many people, the families welcomed us into their homes with open arms. Every family had a different story, and while listening to each and every one of them, we grew more intrigued by their difficult lifestyles. After a series of questions from us and a warm “Muchas Gracias,” we went on our way and continued our way through Zona Tres.

Our next destination was the school, and making our way towards it was certainly a significant journey within itself. We made our way through the congested streets of the borough, stepping over any trash that had been laying there probably for what seemed like forever. Yet, one thing grabbed our attention more than anything: the children. For living in the condition they were in, the kids were so happy to see us and play around. Two little boys had yoyo toys that they showed us as they were, literally, jumping with joy at our presence.  After that, two little girls jumped out of an alley only to attack us with hugs, grabbing me by the arm and squeezing with joy. They more or less dragged the group the rest of the way to the school.

At the Coll school, we learned the background of how their schooling system works from the school’s program director. Thankfully, we learned that this system which we will soon help is greatly endeavoring to help those who need it the most. At places like the Coll school, the teachers and administrators are striving to assist those who live in the worst of conditions, those who need the education and the support the most.  It is an incredibly selfless and difficult mission, but they talked about their efforts with passion and intensity.  Their stories inspired the whole group to anticipate this service to a level beyond our imagination.

Once we experienced the school, we moved on to stop two: a cemetery overlooking the Guatemala City garbage dump. Instead of going into the dump itself, we stood atop a cliff overlooking the dump because entering the dump would be too unsafe. Just a month before this trip there was a massive landslide, leaving around 30 dead or missing. Just watching this made us realize how harsh the conditions others are living in. Men and women from Zone 3 trudge into the dump every day, working long hours (upwards of 12 hours!) sifting through the trash of the city.  This, probably more than anything else, affected us the most up to this point. It was an extremely tragic sight. We gloomily stacked back into the bus and made our way to lunch at the retreat house with these ideas and concepts on our minds.

When we were finished eating and relaxing for an hour or so, we once again climbed into our bus and made our way to the central park.  There we learned about the history of the Guatemalan civil war and discussed many architectural structures. After visiting the city center and touring through a market, we walked through the large city cathedral and learned a little about its construction and history.  After a long, emotional day touring the city, we made our way home, ate dinner, and settled into a night of discussion and Mafia. 

The time is now 10:48 p.m. The power has gone out once already because of the thunderstorm earlier in the day, and I would guess it’s going to happen again pretty soon. Now is the time for sleep to prepare for a new day tomorrow.

Written by Milano Markho