Another round of books!!!

Hi everyone,
The wonderful Angelica Hurtarte purchased another round of books yesterday with the money we raised last fall.  This time it's all story books for kids, and she was able to get 420 of them!  Check out the pictures below.  See any familiar titles?

So excited that the kids will get to enjoy the magic of these stories.  And we'll keep you posted on further developments!

We couldn't have done it without your help, thanks so much!!!!

Look at all those different stories!!!!

Hopefully the kids will have a blast reading!

Library Project Hiatus

Hello again everyone!
Due to time constraints at the end of a busy year, we have decided to donate our additional $660 to la Escuela Pacaja for more books.  We transferred the money a few weeks ago, and when the kids return from their break, Angelica will buy another round of materials.
In 2012, we will migrate toward the physical library phase of our project, please stay tuned for our exciting new developments!

Happy holidays!
Erin, Liz, Stephane, and Zhitong

WE STILL CAN DO IT!

Okay. We all have been very busy these past few months. But we still have a library to build and we need your help.We have raised about $660 so far and we need another $4,440 so we can build the library for the students at la escuela pacaja.
We still believe we can make it. Soon we'll have a t-shirt for sell for about $25 (and up) and all the money will go in building the Library. Stephane also commited to shave his head if we can raise $5,000 by October 16th :).
Photos you can purchase are still available on Etsy and again, all the money will go to the studenst in Guatemala.
Pretty sure there will be more initiatives from our group in the months to come so stay tuned and dont forget to follow us on facebook and to let us know of any creative idea you have to help us raise enough money so we can build the library.

Thank you
Stephane

Thanks so much to everyone for donating!

With your help, we can make this happen!

New Library Project

Hello everyone!
We took a few weeks off to organize our ideas for the La Escuela Pacaja library project, and we're excited to start raising money during the summer!
As always, you can donate any amount directly to our PayPal account (see link on the right side of the page).
We have also started an Etsy shop, where you can purchase prints of some of our favorite photographs, taken during our stay in Xela.
The link to the shop is http://www.etsy.com/shop/escuelapacaja, please check it out and share it with your friends!  We will donate 100% of the Etsy shop proceeds.
This summer Liz, Erin, and Zhitong will try to organize a fundraiser somewhere in the Northeast, so please stay tuned for more information!
Stephane and his sons, on the other side of the country, will be embarking on some entrepreneurship for Pacaja -- we'll keep you updated as the boys begin their summer vacations.

Remember, no amount is too little, and if you cannot donate, please promote our cause to your friends and family.  The literacy rate in Guatemala is dismal -with a new library, we can make a real difference in the lives of these children!

New Project Underway!

Hello everyone,
After Liz returned from Guatemala a few weeks ago, she said that the principal of Pacaja would like a library built on the roof of the school.  Currently Pacaja has no formal library, and it would be great if the kids had a designated spot to read. We've decided to team up with Kindred and help make that come true!  Kindred will provide the labor through their awesome volunteers, and we'll help cover the cost of materials.

Currently we are estimating total costs to be $4000 -- while we're thinking of new ways to raise money, we'll still depend on direct donations from generous people like you!

Please help us help these kids get their library by clicking on the Paypal button on the side of the blog.  No amount is too little!

Also, if you're interested an amazing cultural experience (that benefits others), please consider KindredVolunteer for your next vacation.  Angelica + crew will take great care of you, trust us!

View from the roof at Pacaja, overlooking the courtyard.  This is where the library will be!

Fourth Grade Fundraiser

Erin just got back to us with the results of the Fourth grade fundraiser, and the picture below is one of the cutest things ever!  Many of the students in the class have family in Guatemala, so helping Pacaja is something close to their hearts. It's also great to see that they've raised $700 for other wonderful causes as well =)

The kids in the class are also penpals with the kids at Pacaja, and have prepared a first round of letters to be sent to similarly-aged children in Xela.  Hopefully the exchange will be enlightening for both sets of students!