My name is Carminia Pérez, 6th grade teacher at Escuela Cantón Belén in Palmar, Quetzaltenango. Firstly, I want to express my deepest gratitude to TINFA and its donors for the technology and training it has provided to our school.
When César Puac first came to our school and initiated the TINFA training, I was excited and ready for the challenge, having already worked with him earlier at Escuela Lotificación San Marcos. (San Marcos graduated from the TINFA program in 2017). There, I had learned how that school had raised revenue to keep their program going after their two years of TINFA support. I am always looking for ways to improve conditions at my school through grants and projects, and even before we had started with the TINFA program, we were already working as a team and to find the money that would allow the program to be self-sustaining
Ever grateful to César for his patience through the training, I began working with the equipment provided by TINFA, using video, PowerPoint presentations, web resources, and other tools in the classroom for teaching natural science, mathematics, language arts, and other areas in the curriculum.
At the beginning of last year, I had 51 students, and the room which had the computer and monitor wasn’t set up for a class so large. I had to keep reshuffling the kids so everyone had a chance to see what was on the monitor. It was a logistical challenge, but the technology made it easier by holding everyone’s attention.
TINFA had also provided equipment which could be moved between classrooms. When it was my turn to use the equipment in my classroom (a laptop computer with a projector), I was helped by my excellent team of 51 students who I then arranged in a semicircle so that they could all see the screen. Everything went smoothly, and it was one of the best experiences of my professional life.
It has always been a challenge to make my classes energetic and fun, to keep all my students actively engaged. Now, with the help of the technology, nearly all my students are participating in every lesson and activity. Moreover, 48 of my 51 students are continuing their basic education into middle school. Two will be repeating the year, and only one has left school.
I am pleased with these results and know that all our work and dedication is worth the effort. I am especially proud of one of my students, Alison, who is going to share her experiences in a video conference with TINFA donors and volunteers at the organization’s upcoming fund raiser.
During the pandemic, I’ve visited the homes of some of my students, helping to answer questions about the workbooks we’ve been distributing. This has been very good as it has allowed me, and all my colleagues, a privileged view into the personal lives or our students, and to appreciate the level of poverty under which they often live.
Again, I appreciate all the training and equipment provided by TINFA, and all the people who, through their donations, have made it possible. My students are gaining knowledge in diverse areas of the curriculum. With your help, we are changing the lives of each of them as they continue with their studies. Thank you.