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Francisco Coll Educational Centre, Guatemala City, Central America

BACKGROUND

Since 1995, Canadian Presbyterians have been supporting the Francisco Coll School sometime referred to as 'the Dump School'. There are aproximately 900 families living in the 'sanitary landfill', the largest in Central America. Most members of this community make their living by picking through the garbage of the Guatemala City dump looking for materials that can be reused or sold for scrap. There are many health problems associated with this lifestyle: parasites respiratory problems from burning of garbage, eye diseases spread by flies, and malnutrition. The school provides hope for families: a chance for their children to get out of the dump.

UPDATE

A recent letter to The Presbyterian Church in Canada offers good news about the success of students at this Educational Centre:

May the God of Life and Mercy bless all of you and provide for you so that you may continue to bring light and hope to others.
The student body, the teaching staff and the administration of the Francisco Coll Educational Centre thank you for the great solidarity and support with which you have provided us. It is because of your support and help that we are able to exist as an educative community, attending to all 1evels of the process. May God bless you for the love you have shown towards your neighbours through your supportive actions.

One thousand thanks to you all.

Scholarships

Because of special gifts from Presbyterians in Canada, support continues even after students finish Grade 6. Graduates of the 'dump school' are provided with scholarships to attend secondary school. The staff at Francisco Coll monitor these students each month. So long as they maintain good grades they receive the money they need for school. Currently this program is supporting 16 junior high students as well as some at the seni.or high level

In an open letter to our church, teachers pass an the gratitude of the Francisco Coll Community:

We are happy to impart to you the successes of the students of the Francisco Coll Educational centre. We are equally pleased with the progress of those graduates pursuing a high school education. It has also served to stimulate the interest of the grade 6 students, giving them a reason to make an effort to continue their studies. Thank you for your contributiuons which have allowed these students to have such an opportunity.

Continuing support from The Presbyterian Church in Canada helps this school by paying the salaries of two teachers and providing basic teaching resources and educational materials.

Funding for this comes from a few congregations (including St. Andrew's, Kitchener) who have commited to providing regular gifts as an ongoing part of their church's witness, and from Sunday Schools and other groups that continue to send special gifts after they became involved with Francisco Coll School through Something Extra and the learning/Sharing project in 1998.

Picture taken by a group from St. Andrew's Church on their trip to Guatemala in the summer of 1998.

Comments or suggestions are most welcome.