Roots & Wings International

October 1st was a special day in Guatemala — the celebration of Children’s Day! Although most countries celebrate this special day designed to promote the rights of children in November, Guatemala is one of a few countries that celebrates a month early. The traditional date, November 20th, is the anniversary of the UN General Assembly’s adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of a Child.

There are celebrations in parks and community centers all over the country, with pinatas and games, sweets and cakes, and just about every other festivity you can think of. Beauty queens are crowned, mayors come out with all the pomp of their office to bask in the celebration. There is music and face painting — and most of all, a day of pure fun, where children have a chance to shed their concerns, forget their fears, and enjoy just being children.

You see, the children of Guatemala don’t often get this chance. They are, by and large, born into poverty, and this year especially, have been affected by the great “calamity” (President Colom’s word) that has befallen the nation. The country’s drought has caused severe food shortages, and the prices on what food is available skyrocket daily. Which means that the poverty-stricken families in rural areas are unable to purchase any of it. Instead, they rely on homemade tortillas and whatever can be gathered locally — increasing the problems of malnutrition, especially among the indigenous populations. Currently among the indigenous population, up to 70% of children under the age of 5 are malnourished.

What are the causes of such an extreme calamity? Poverty is the obvious choice. Where there is food, poverty-stricken families cannot afford to buy it. But, beneath that, deeper, are the economic gaps in the country. The poor are at the bottom of the food chain — with no money even for food, they also have no money for education and other necessities to turn around the cycle of poverty they spiral into.

This is where Roots and Wings comes in. Our mission is to educate children in these poor, indigenous areas. With scholarships that take them all the way to college (when most children drop out in their primary school years), Roots and Wings is making a difference. The emergency food aid is important to ease the immediate crisis, but the only way to solve the problem permanently is to put people in a place where they can afford to purchase food. And that’s what education does. Our success stories speak for themselves.

So, how did we celebrate Children’s Day this year? By doing what we do best — working for the education of these indigenous children. Encouraging you to buy coffee that supports our efforts. Asking you to get involved.

And getting involved is easy! It’s as simple as buying a bag of organic coffee. Making a small donation. Even sponsoring a student of your own.

Although Children’s Day has passed in Guatemala, it’s not too late to still make a difference in the life of a child, so that they can have more carefree days filled with balloons, cake, and laughter.