Make it Real Foundation

Our last day of the trip, we visited the ruins of Iximche. Built In the 15th century, we could see a number of temples, palaces, thrones and ball courts (where a ball player is sacrificed at the end of the game). We moved through the ruins to a place at the back of the site, where we participated in a Mayan ceremony and had a local shaman purify each of us. It was a remarkable experience.

Our group was presented with a number of visual and musical performances by Centro Mayo. Among them was this outstanding performance by a lovely young woman who was deaf, who learned to play an electric keyboard along with the musical director. I came away truly inspired that she could master the rhythm and the notes of the music so well - with no hearing - and that she was very appreciative of the chance to show us her skill.

Centro Maya is a strong GoPhil partner that provides needed services to the disabled in Guatemala. They are the only organization in the country to perform this central task. Indigenous Mayan children are among the most marginalized of all groups, oftentimes being left in a single room, stigmatized by their disability. Through Centro Maya’s music and dance therapies, along with their speech, nutrition and occupational programs, these children can realize their full potential in a community.

Aula Magica -or Magical Classroom - is a GoPhil partner that educates pre-school children in the rural areas. In these regions, the kids speak their native Mayan language (over 20 different languages) rather than Spanish which is taught in the schools; so the children literally cannot speak the language when they show up. Consequently, over 27% of first graders fail or drop out of school. Aula Magica’s mission is to prepare these young children to be successful in first grade and beyond, by teaching them Spanish and a curriculum especially adapted for rural application. This includes the use of the teachers’ homes as classrooms and the use of natural and recycled materials.