Hikes & Kites: School Vacation at the FSC (Part I)

Text and photos by Elizabeth Barnes (unless otherwise noted)

If you were to visit the Family Support Center on a typical weekday morning between February and October, you'd find only the children too young to attend school (ages 2 to a just-turned-5). Schools in Guatemala usually run January to October, and most offer classes in the morning. Our school-age participants join us around 1 p.m. for lunch and stay the rest of the day.

Since mid-October, when the older participants started their long vacations, the FSC has been busy with everyone all day long. We take advantage of the extra time with all the kids to host a ton of special activities—academic support, outdoor excursions, crafts projects, sports, and more. Our new director Shaaron Hurtado has implemented some new ideas, but we've also observed all our annual traditions.

This post and two follow-ups will highlight vacation activities which Pop Wuj Spanish School students (and the Student Coordinator!) have joined in the last five weeks.

First up: hiking!

Katrina plays customer at an imaginary restaurant run by Emmanuel, Ximena, Yadira, and Daniel. She and fellow Pop Wuj Medical Spanish Program student Lucy joined the FSC crew on October 20 for one of two hikes. The older FSC participants were all off playing soccer and too blurry to photograph! 

The FSC teachers took the kids on a second hike on the morning November 3. One advantage of the Llanos del Pinal location is being surrounded by breathtaking mountains! (Photo by Shaaron Hurtado)

The group heads back from the October 20 hike. Despite having the shortest legs, the little ones never seem to complain about being tired like the older ones do!

Next up: kites! You see them all over Guatemala around Day of the Dead on November 1. We held our flying day on October 27 after a week of kite construction at the FSC.

FSC teacher Santos launches a kite. Yosvin, Samuel, and Moisés figure out their own.

Arturo proved to be one of the FSC's most skilled kite flyers.

Andrea (who recently turned 3) had very little luck with getting her kite off the ground, but not for lack of support from Katrina! They both had fun anyway.

Another one of our older boys, Manuel, is also an adept kite flyer.

He kept his kite aloft despite cows, trees, and a host of other obstacles!

Most children at the FSC have attended the project for years, which means we get to watch them grow up. Annual events like kite flying highlight those changes.

Here's Evelyn (age 6) with her kite in 2012....

Evelyn (age 9) with her kite in 2015....

and Evelyn (age 10) with her kite in 2016! 

Better said that these activities highlight how kids stay exactly the same! Evelyn still loves kites.

Keep an eye out next week for Foundation Todos Juntos newsletter and another post on Halloween. To our U.S. readers, have a wonderful Thanksgiving! At Pop Wuj we are grateful for everyone involved in our projects, from participating families to the students, volunteers, and donors who make our work possible.

Let's Go Fly a Kite

Text by Albizael Del Valle. Photos by Elizabeth Barnes. 

Since all the students who are part of the Family Support Center are now enjoying school vacation, it's time for them to indulge in creative/fun activities. 

Eduardo and Oscar walk with Amy to the park

Last week the children put their free time to use by building barriletes (kites). The barriletes were decorated and shaped as the students pleased, using their favorite colors and designs to be displayed as the kites glided through the sky. 

Finishing touches to the kites

Since the Family Support Center students are divided by age/grade, every kite was built in their groups. However the older groups made group kites. The older elementary school group taught by Santos made an average size kite that surprised everyone with how well it flew and how high it went. Gustavo's middle and high school group made a colossal kite measuring around 8 feet across. This kite did not go very high and only flew for minutes at a time but it was a thrill (and good exercise) to get this kite off the ground. 

Massive kite taking flight 

Going to the park and flying kites was a fun for everyone, from the little kids, who ran as their kites chased them only one foot behind, to the adults and educators who spectated and helped some of the children with their kites.

Gustavo, the teacher responsible for the massive kite, and his son Emanuel

Carmelina helping kids with their kites

Heading back to the project after flying the kites

Vacation at the Family Support Center!

The last month at the Family Support Center has been focused on preparing the children and youth for the end of the school year exams. This has meant a lot of reading, homework help, and working on multiplication tables. School is now out for most of the FSC participants and we have a lot to look forward to during vacation.

To kick off the end of the school year, we hosted a Halloween party on Friday, October 31st. In the week leading up to the fiesta we began making kites at the FSC as a way to celebrate the festivities surrounding Day of the Dead and All Saint's Day. Throughout the holiday weekend, families throughout Central America gathered in cemeteries to honor the dead. The kites, or barriletes, are thought to carry messages up to the spirits in heaven.

Intense kite making

We also have some big plans for our little garden at the Family Support Center! The other week we all spent some time outside weeding. With hands and tools we have begun to dig out the weeds that have sprung up among our remaining onions and chard during the rainy season. We're thinking about planting another round of fast-growing radishes as well.

Weeding the chard

Post-weeding chard

Since the produce from the garden is used to supplement food costs at the Family Support Center, we plan to take full advantage of the remaining wet soil from the rainy season in order to plant and harvest even more vegetables!


We also started teaching classes in Math, English, and K'iche', so that FSC participants are able to brush up on their skills during vacation. Amy, Adam, Lily, and Emma teach math and English classes, while Santos teaches K'iche'.

Emma's math class

Emma's math class

Amy's attempt at an outdoor math class

Other fun activities that we will be continuing from last year include Olympics, water games, and hikes around the valley! Stay tuned!