Four travelers reflect on an eight-day impact adventure in Guatemala with Somos and Sage International School
Casa Guatemala, the nearly 50-year-old NGO educating Indigenous Q’eqchi’ Mayan children on the banks of the Rio Dulce, welcomed a group of students, parents, and educators from Sage International School in Boise, Idaho this past April. Their itinerary included Mayan ruins at Tikal and Yaxhá, the river town of Rio Dulce, and several days at Casa Guatemala, a long-established NGO serving Indigenous Q’eqchi’ Mayan children on the banks of the Rio Dulce.
On what immersion feels like
For group members, the hours spent at Casa Guatemala stayed with them. “Volunteering at the school made me feel the most immersed in both the culture and the region,” wrote Alanis. “I was able to see what life is like for a lot of people in native communities. I got to see how people lived and the activities they enjoyed, which were very similar to children in the United States. Since we spoke different languages, I had lots of time to practice what I knew. I made lots of friends and am glad to have helped make an impact.”
Vivian noted, “I really got to connect with the kids at Casa Guatemala in a way that I hope benefited everybody including myself.”
On language, learning, and communication
Several travelers mentioned the language barrier as the thing that pushed them hardest and taught them the most.
“Casa Guatemala was memorable for me because it made me uncomfortable with the language barrier but I grew from it,” wrote Aria. “This will benefit me in my life because it helped me step out of my comfort zone.”
Saba reflected, “I was most uncomfortable when trying to interact with kids that I didn’t understand or couldn’t understand me. We got over that barrier by doing things that didn’t need language, such as games or activities that we could gesture to each other and have fun. I felt like this really taught me that you can connect over so many levels other than language.”
Vivian noted, “I learned that actions speak a lot louder than words and you can still have a best friend, even if you have a language barrier.”
On what responsible travel means
One of the recurring themes in the evaluations was an awareness of what it means to be useful in someone else’s community. “I feel like we diverted work from staff that was already stretched thin,” wrote teacher Rebecca Travis of Sage International.
At Casa Guatemala, the classroom renovation project was real. The staff was genuinely stretched. The students contributed something the organization needed. That distinction, between manufactured service activity and genuine contribution, is one Somos builds every program around.
Aria wrote, “I feel like I was able to help Casa Guatemala in a way that was beneficial to them.”
On what comes home with you
The group encountered things that changed how they see their own lives.
“Sitting in the airport, I see many families who have likely spent the week at a nice resort,” wrote Courtney, a parent chaperone. “Having this experience with my daughter and the chance to leave our grain of sand with the impact adventure has added something incredibly special. We hope to have more experiences like this one in the future.”
Saba noted, “I learned a lot about how people can always be so happy even with having so little. Living in a material world seems like such a necessity, but after spending time with so many people, I realized it’s the small things that matter.”
According to Rebecca, who has brought student groups to Guatemala before, “I always love watching my students interact with Guatemalan kids and getting them out of the classroom to learn in the world.”
Casa Guatemala will celebrate 50 years of uninterrupted service next year. Somos connects groups to their initatives in a genuine, meaningful way. The testimonials above suggest it is working.
Interested in bringing a group to Rio Dulce and Casa Guatemala or on another impact adventure? Reach out at team@somos.travel.
