I am just back from my second trip to Guatemala, and am feeling more committed than ever to weaving volunteerism and service into corporate America’s culture. There are so many in need, and I believe that as in all real relationships, the benefits are mutual – we receive as much or more than we give.
This year, it wasn’t just “my” trip. I traveled to Antigua, one of Guatemala’s poorest regions, with a group of 11 others, all of whom not only volunteered but also made donations (along with some of you via Paypal!). Together these donations will send 25 of the brightest, most promising children to school and pay for food and health care. Thank you to the Livecchi Family, the Lim Family, Gold, Jordan, and those who donated online!
Media entrepreneur Joe Livecchi wrote a trip diary and shared the story of a moment that I think is a strong metaphor for the entire experience. After spraining his ankle and having to sit out some of the day’s fun activities, he wrote: “One of the boys I had talked to earlier came over to check on me. He offers me a piece of the candy he retrieved from the piñata to try and ease my pain… That's when it hit me. I had flown thousands of miles to help these kids and I was the one being comforted by an eight-year-old child who has almost nothing.”
Again, we get more than we give. In fellow traveler Max Lyons’ words, “The transformational impact we're seeking to have in the lives of these children is being returned to me just as much, if not more so.”
Joe’s daughter, Sophie, age 12, wrote her own blog. My favorite line from it: “I suddenly just figured out this whole new world of poverty. Nobody on the other side realizes this world. If everyone could get the experience that I got to come here... The other half would be more grateful, and this half could get more help.”
As I wrote on the blog, I went intending to fund 10 children. I finished the trip with a total of 41 names. Together, between my donations, those of everyone on the trip, plus Paypal, we now have enough money to support 25. That means we’re looking for donations to support 16 more. For $200, these kids can go to school and have their basic needs paid for. I mean it when I say no donation is too small: If everyone who reads this email donates just ONE dollar, we’ll more than cover the $3200 we need for those children, and be able to support several more projects in those villages through Cultural Exchange.
Click here to contribute. I will follow up next week and let you know whether we hit the target!
Thanks for reading – and I look forward to some of you coming on a future trip!
P.S. Check out Mark Goulston's Usable Insight mailings at: http://markgoulston.com and sign up at the NEWSLETTER SIGNUP window. I've been a subscriber for several years!
Sophia is the 12-year-old daughter of my friend, Joe Livecchi. She and her family joined us on our service trip during the holidays and it was incredible to see the experience through the eyes of an American child. Here is her blog.
My first day in Guatemala was great!
First we went to a Guatemalan school. The kids were so nice! We were playing soccer and my dad sprained his ankle, and he went to go sit down. All of the children started gathering around him and offered him help.
After I got to know the kids better. They were all so nice! Most people had 5 or 6 siblings in their family. I showed some of the girls my iPod touch, and they were fascinated. Their eyes lit up like stars. They took pictures, looked at my pictures, and played games. They had never seen something so magical like this before. With no electricity and power for these children, they have never seen an electronic device in their whole life.
Afterwards our group put up a piñata, the kids went crazy!! They loved the excitement of the happiness in the air... and the candy! I was so happy seeing them happy. Some kids have never even had candy in their whole life - this was their first time. Some girls went over to my dad and offered him candy, because they felt really bad about his ankle. We gave them pizza and soda.
Next, all of the children lined up, and we handed out plastic toothbrushes. You should have seen the look on their small faces, they were overjoyed.
After the piñata, all of the kids said goodbye to us and said thank you and walked home. I started cleaning up the trash from the candy wrappers and piñata shreds, when the cutest 3-year-old boy came up to me with a handful of trash. Together, we cleaned up the grounds of the school. The best part was, the whole time when he was cleaning up the trash, he did it with a big smile on his face.
As we were leaving the school the little boy waved to me. He was all-alone. I wondered if he had a place to go. I wonder if he had family.
I often go home thinking about all of the flaws in my life. They seem big to me, but really, they are nothing compared to the kids here and still, they are so happy. Why can't I be like them and see life with a positive view all the time when I have everything and they have nothing? I don't even think about a toothbrush, I just receive it. I would never be overjoyed to get a toothbrush, yet they are grateful to receive anything, even if it's small. Now whenever I think about a flaw in my life, I will think about these kids. No parents, so poor, no food... I hope I can become grateful for everything I receive, grateful for my life, and keep an open mind to my problems.
On our second day we visited a really poor community center. We got such an amazing welcome! All 400 people stood around us in a circle shouting "bienevidos". I couldn't believe how many children were there. I got to know a lot of the kids, who were very nice.
There was this one girl who really touched my heart. She told me that she had no mother or father, and she lived with her sister who is my age, but sometimes her grandmother comes over also. Even though she has lost her parents, she has not lost her happiness. She is a beautiful girl who deserves a better life.
Grace, my sister also met a little girl her age named Jocelyn. They didn't understand what they were saying to each other, but they were inseparable. Always holding hands and laughing.
We fed the kids snacks and they were so happy! We ran out at the end because apparently kids who are living on the streets who were starving came in the community center.
Gosh... I suddenly just figured out this whole new world of poverty. Nobody on the other side realizes this world. If everyone could get the experience that I got to come here... The other half would be more grateful, and this half could get more help.
Afterwards we went to visit Jocelyn's home. They didn't let us see most of their house. They showed us their roof and backyard. They had a cute bunny and cat and dog :) They were moving out of their house into a smaller house because Jocelyn did not have a father anymore.
We needed to go, so my parents finally told Jocelyn and her grandmother the big news. My family was paying for Jocelyn's school tuition!! They were very happy! They walked us to our bus and Jocelyn gave me and Grace a gift. She said "remember me by this" hugged us, and started walking back to her house.
I watched her and her grandmother and her sister walk back to their house. I wanted to cry for them. A girl with nothing gave us a gift. She is a beautiful caring girl. Hopefully now she will get an education and experience the world.
Finally we went to a school with 62 kids. When we got in, they told us to line up. All 62 kids came and gave our group hugs! It was too sweet. Afterwards we got a tour of the school and I donated $70 in Guatemala money to help get the school more teachers. I hope that my donation will help them.
If you want to help - like Sophia did - please donate and help us help more kids!
Joe Livecchi, a media entrepreneur, is a friend. Joe's family was an incredible addition to our trip. Here is his account of the experience.
December 26th 2:30am, Jamaica, NY
The alarm clock is especially cruel this morning. I jostle my wife and two young kids (Sophia 12, Grace 8) to wake up for our 5:30am flight en route to our immersive mission trip in Guatemala. On paper, the trip sounds amazing. Daily mission trips to orphanages, schools, shantytowns and impoverished villages where we will put into practice the philosophy of Serve and Grow. Serve others and grow individually and together as a family in the process. Right now, that doesn’t mean much to my family. They are tired, worried about our safety and getting sick abroad.
We have a handful of sustainable growth projects we are hoping to accomplish on the trip. There is also time for some play, nice meals out, and opportunities to mix with the locals. We drop our bags at our hotel Casa Santo Domingo in Antigua. It’s a former monastery converted into a beautiful historically rich hotel. The expansive grounds are dotted with tremendous art, foliage, exotic birds and several stand alone museums. The staff wear traditional Mayan garb and speak little or no English. Massive volcanoes, ancient ruins and centuries old cobblestone streets surround the city of Antigua. Almost instantly we are transported to another time and place.
Our mission group is an eclectic mix of families and individuals. Students. Physicians. Authors. Executives. Children. I'm not sure why but I'm surprised the group is so friendly and warm.
Still sluggish from the travel, we accept an invitation to visit a renowned coffee plantation in Antigua. Our gracious hosts treat us like family and provide us with lunch and show us the process of harvesting beans for coffee. The quality beans will be sold to Starbucks in the U.S. The locals in Guatemala City will sell the lower quality beans for consumption.
Here, there is no minimum wage and coffee pickers work for as little as a few dollars a day. I cant help but wonder what life is like for the women we see balancing 30 or 40 pound sacks of coffee beans on their head as they retreat from the miles of lush green sun dappled fields. Beauty and poverty sitting so close together. This is the story of Guatemala.
Max Lyons is an alumni of the myGreenlight program who was part of my group in Guatemala last week. Max sponsored one year of education and healthcare for Liza (pictured) at a cost of $200. We have several other children we are seeking to sponsor, so please donate here if you or someone you know would like to sponsor a child.
Keith and I met just over a year ago through myGreenlight. After a brief conversation about his prior trips to Guatemala and Cambodia/Thailand, Keith invited me to join a return effort to Guatemala.
Having not met anyone else on the trip, I flew down here with a sense that I was stepping into the unknown. Our group spent the past week partnering with local organizations, working with children, and dreaming about the unlocked potential lying dormant within the lives of these little ones. After the first few days here in Antigua, I discovered two core things through my involvement:
1. Our contributions are catalyzing substantial long-term change: In my time in Guatemala, I was able to see what has transpired since the last visit Keith made. During the previous trip a local couple was discovered who opened up their small house to provide free schooling for kids in their village. Once limited by special restrictions, the couple is now able to provide schooling to over 60 children thanks to recent construction.
In another village, a young boy, who had met Keith two years prior, showed up to greet Keith with a huge smile and a Spanish version of Never Eat Alone. It blew me away to think about how much the previous visit must have meant to this boy for him to purchase the book and show up two years later to see his old friend. The relational and educational components have gained considerable traction here.
2. The transformational impact we're seeking to have in the lives of these children is being returned to me just as much, if not more so: I’ve come to a strong belief that my experiences here will allow me to become much more successful in my career. Two days ago, I met a young boy and his family inside a series of rural slums. This little one had almost no clothes, was covered in dirt, and his sandals had been eaten through completely. His mom has to walk 3 hours roundtrip for work where she makes tortillas and brings home $3 a day in wages.
Encounters like this have helped me grow in humility and gain a different perspective on the value of human beings. This has given me a clearer view of how I want to live my life which will enable me to become a better worker, manager, and leader. Participating in these trips going forward will be vital toward moving me closer to the person I long to become.
The economic gap in Guatemala is striking. Much wealth and MUCH abject poverty. If only we could provide a kickstart to the middle class...
That's what we are doing around Antigua. We are seeking the highest potential kids and funding their educations. Ensuring they have decent nutrition and ideally supportive family environments. Then we are teaching them mastery of basic people skills similar to those we teach at MyGreenlight.com and at Yale University. And most importantly, we are teaching them the criticality of service and giving back, particularly to the communities they came from in Guatemala. Even after a couple of years, we are seeing the seeds of our work grow.
Two years ago we funded private high school education for seven children from the village of El Hato, sending them to the nearby city of Antigua. These kids were chosen based their grades and the support of their parents. In order to show their commitment, the parents, who had very little, had to find some level of funding themselves.
We knew it wouldn't be easy for these kids to adjust to city life and a top school. They didn't even have the appropriate clothes or grooming. We changed that.
I was excited last week to get back to the village and see how our students were doing. We were sad to hear that one boy had died. Two had dropped out of school because the academics and the social pressure were just too much. But four of our kids, and their proud parents, were there with the biggest smiles.
One is on her way to medical school and plans to come back to the village to provide valuable care in a place where medical care is limited to a few visits each year by a medic. Another will be a teacher in the neighboring town, the third an accountant and the fourth boy, Fabio, will be a computer programmer. All four of our success stories are committed to making sure future El Hato students have it better than they did.
While we were in El Hato we selected two additional boys, both in their final year of school, to send to Antigua. Both want to be teachers in their village.
In a short two years, we have created a core group of young, community-engaged men and women. My hope now is to grow this program. With your help we could support an additional 10 in El Hato and expand our assistance to several neighboring villages.
In the short term we can start to reverse the education gap, but beyond that my hope is that the young adults we have helped will begin to help their communities engage in the political system, and will vote for officials who will more deeply fund these communities, growing a stronger middle class. Eventually I would like to see those we have supported become a wealthy elite who will have a strong devotion to the communities they came from.
Two years ago we visited Carlos' school which was running out of funding and couldn't pay the rent or salaries for the teachers. A major problem in Guatemala is the economic disincentive for kids to go to school. Either you can pay for tuition and books from money a family doesn't have, or send your child into the fields to make money for food. Carlos was a rare advocate for an alternative solution. His was the only daycare and school option in this small village, preventing these kids, some as young as 6, from having to go to the coffee fields. But he was running out of money.
However, Carlos had a vision. A vision of sustainability for his school. What if he could create something that he could sell and fund his school? Like any entrepreneur, he had his false starts. A sewing program to make clothes for the kids and also sell them locally. A program where the kids could make jewelry from materials found locally and sell that. None panned out.
Then Carlos came across a soy milk machine. He could make milk, have milk for his kids, sell the extra to local schools, and make enough money to pay teachers with the profits! We had to give the guy credit for trying.
The last piece his venture needed was a refrigeration system to preserve the milk. It seemed like a long shot, but I wanted to reward his philanthropic zeal, so I asked our community for help and one of our followers stepped up with a $500 donation to help complete Carlos' project.
Unfortunately we didn't hear anything from him after that. I knew the communication infrastructure was scarce, so I wasn't offended. But after repeatedly asking others in the community how the soy milk project was doing and not hearing reports, I wrote off my expectations for that particular investment. Oh well, one out of all the projects here, no sweat.
Then last night we threw a "Big Task" dinner for all the project leaders we have been funding and invited a number of the local business leaders and larger NGOs, like the Peace Corps, hoping to advance new relationships and gain some greater collaborative action among these local groups. My desire was to create collaborative support among the non-profit community and to extend and accelerate their network, not only among each other, but up to the larger NGOs and the major money and business leaders in the region.
I walked in and there was Carlos. He had the biggest smile, walked over and gave me a hug. Through translation we discovered that indeed our investment paid off. His soy works are in full force. He now feeds the kids a soy milk snack rich in nutrients and also sells the milk to other school, making enough profit to pay his teachers!
So, the obvious next question for a successful entrepreneur, what's next? What can I fund that would give the highest return?
I got two answers. For $500 I could fund recyclable glass jars, so he could package the product better and save on containers. Done. I funded that. He also said that a $3500 investment would fund higher grade production that would allow him to sell to commercial entities like McDonalds. I said I'd consider it and solicit our community for support and perhaps get back on that one. Anyone interested in investing in this project?
Then I had an idea. I brought Carlos over to a woman who oversees projects for nearly 10 villages. "Lilian, I'd like to purchase $500 worth of soy milk for your kids." The idea of bringing Carlos a new 500 dollar client seemed like a big deal, and perhaps I would seed the idea with Lilian to become an ongoing client of Carlos. She was so shocked and excited. She said, "One of my dreams for the coming year was to find a way to provide a nutritious daily snack for our kids who sometimes eat only a small ration of tortillas." Collaborative action comes to life in Guatemala!
When we started www.BigTask.org and Big Task Weekend, we had the vision of bringing the most powerful companies TOGETHER to collaborate on key social reform and societal issues like health care reform, American wellness, education reform... And now the same principles were playing out for mutual benefit and societal gain in Guatemala! Mission advanced!!
Anyone want to help Carlos up his manufacturing standards for the big commercial projects? Any contribution, I'll match. If we raise half of the $3500 needed for Carlos to get to the next level, I'll contribute the rest!
I heard today that my friend Chet Holmes, who has always been so generous with his time and advice is back in the hospital. Chet's fight with cancer this past year has been an inspiration to me. I saw he and his family for a wonderful and fun dinner with strong spirits the night before he went back into the hospital. My prayers are with him and I hope yours will be too.
Keith
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Subject: He reminded me of you so I funded his education and then another...
Hey Chet, you just changed some lives. Well, your inspiration of me prompted me to step up in your honor. These boys have the guts and courage and persistence of Chet Holmes. Through all you have dealt with this past year you remain an inspiration to me and I send you the gift of my love and admiration and also the knowledge that you have now changed two boys lives forever.
Here's the back story. I met Jose two years ago when we visited his school and he proceeded to follow us around all day in the village and act as our tour guide. Such charisma. We ended the tour back at his home which he was so proud of. It was a one room shack for he and his family with dirt floors but his pride was real and you could tell they kept the room as cleas as a dirt floor allowed. We left him and his family with food supplies to last months.
Well, last year we were originally scheduled to revisit Guatemala and Jose heard that the Americans were coming back. This is a boy who lives many miles from any bookstore but somehow found his way into the city and somehow bought a copy of my book (translated in spanish). He wanted to be able to say he read it and wanted me to sign it. We changed our plans and and ended up visiting Cambodia and Thailand. Then two years after having met Jose, we were visiting a school in another village and Jose found his way to us and when I turned around I saw this slightly older version (now 13) of our young "tour guide" proudly holding a copy of "Nunca Comas Solo." I was blown away.
Again we spent the afternoon with Jose. And if that wasn't enough, one other punctuating great moment. In your honor, I had given Jose the support he said was most important to he and his family and I was telling Jose that I really wanted him to go to school. It's a struggle to get these kids to attend school when their families need the money. Over my shoulder a little boy tapped me and said,"Do you want me to go to school?" I smiled as another little Chet found his way to me. "Yes, I do want you to go to school and I'll even pay for it." He responded, "How about college?" I laughed out loud and said, "Absolutely!" Knowing that my contribution in your honor had just taken an unexpected spike, but so joyful to reward such perseverant behavior in the face of whatever adversity. So Chet, you have changed the lives of these two young men, and may their gratitude and joy spread into your healing process and lift your already inspiring spirit.
At Santa Tomas Milpas Altas, we arrived to a small village of kids. Many were without families, while a few had moms. We shared snacks and played games, so that we could identify a few who stood out to support. We also had the help of the local organizer who has tracked these kids and their family situations since they were born.
A number of these kids would leave that morning with different lives. Our commitment of only $200 a child would fund their education, health care, and basic needs. (If you’d like to join us, you can make a donation of any size at www.KeithFerrazzi.com/about/charity.)
I looked around that yard at the kids and wondered what they were thinking. One of my earliest memories as a little boy was coming out of church and having a wealthy couple stop us to talk to my mom. This was a time when my dad was unemployed and we were eating what we called "welfare cheese" given to us by the government. Dad was too proud to take welfare or food stamps, but food he would accept.
As this couple chatted with my mother, I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but they kept looking in my direction and smiling, so I guessed they were talking about me. I was conscious that they could or maybe wanted to help us. So as my mom spoke to them I smiled and consciously tried to be cute and well behaved.
As I walked into this group of kids, I wondered how many were conscious of these moments having some level of importance to their future, and how that was being reflected in their behavior. It was hard not to cry.
Soon enough, we identified the 10 we would help – a combination of our interactions with the kids and the recommendation of our host. One boy led a group of us in a game he created. Another had such charisma. He saw our host walking around pointing out kids and came right up to us and said, "If you are picking out good kids, pick me!" He got into the pack right away. I told the boy what my Dad used to say – "Never be afraid to ask, the worst anyone can say is no" – and congratulated him on his instincts. Here is the picture of our 10.
As we took down the names of the 10, another 5-10 gathered round, sensing that they were about to be passed over and wanting so badly to be noticed. I asked the host to take their names and pictures as well, in hopes that we may be able to raise the money to sponsor them, too.
What happened next really broke me. A mom came up with her tiny daughter and tugged on my shirt.
"Can my daughter be included?" she asked.
All I could think about was my Dad and how that was exactly what he would have done for me – what he did do for me, time and time again. He put himself out there, fearlessly and shamelessly, asking for help for his son.
I immediately added her child’s name to our list. But before I turned around, six other mothers were there (see the picture). Needless to say, I got their names too – we are looking to raise money to support their children.
Even with all these additions, we still only selected about a third of the 80 or more kids who were there for snacks and games.
It’s heartbreaking, but we can only walk one step at a time. Two hundred dollars a child.
culture. There are so many in need, and I believe that as in all real relationships, the benefits are mutual – we receive as much or more than we give.
1. Our contributions are catalyzing substantial long-term change: In my time in Guatemala, I was able to see what has transpired since the last visit Keith made. During the previous trip a local couple was discovered who opened up their small house to provide free schooling for kids in their village. Once limited by special restrictions, the couple is now able to provide schooling to over 60 children thanks to recent construction.
2. The transformational impact we're seeking to have in the lives of these children is being returned to me just as much, if not more so: I’ve come to a strong belief that my experiences here will allow me to become much more successful in my career. Two days ago, I met a young boy and his family inside a series of rural slums. This little one had almost no clothes, was covered in dirt, and his sandals had been eaten through completely. His mom has to walk 3 hours roundtrip for work where she makes tortillas and brings home $3 a day in wages.
