Day 15 - June 11 - Tuesday - Workshop with teachers at San Lucas Toliman Centro Educativo Pavarotti (Pavarotti Education Center), an initiative of the Rigoberto Menchu Tum foundation. End day back in La Antigua, San Jorge Hotel

This was a day with experienced and GRACE trained facilitators, some of whom have been a part of the program for 6 years. The facilitators were

• Osbaldo - education director of the Rigoberto Menchu Tum Foundation
• Angel - District Director for the Ministry of Education
• Rita - Assistant Director of the Pavarotti Center
• Irving - Middle School principal
• Vilma - Pavarotti Center teacher Kakchiquel and Spanish
• Marina - Pavarotti Center teacher cooking

If I have made a mistake there please let me know. Also my apologies for not having their last names.

There were many high points and many lessons which I have shared with you previously. A high point was a more extensive explanation of 5 very important human rights laws that most do not know about. The attendees (teachers) broke into groups each with a facilitators to discuss the laws. Sharing of ideas after discussion was very energetic. Some in the group seemed uncomfortable to me.

The 5 laws guarantee:
1. A right to family planning
2. Equal right to man and woman within the marriage
A right to protection against :
3. Physical abuse of the child
4. Physical abuse of the wife
5. Sexual abuse of anyone

Obviously I only have these in general terms. but that's the gist of it.
Since the protections are very crucial it was such a huge step to have 50+ teachers/principals/directors  in 3 different workshops have a copy of the laws and a discussion about them.  They'll be a few photos of discussions further down in this post but back to the beginning...

Osbaldo started us off with.... you guessed it ... breathing.
Deep - into your belly.

Massaging pressure points is another way to bring calm upon yourself. Below Genelle shows how you can doing it without others knowing - behind your back.

Later Angel led us through an experience thinking about a tree - gathering energy from our foundation and spreading our new growth toward our goals. Genelle  encouraged us using a line drawing of a coconut with a goal in the middle. The roots representing what we bring to the process - our experience, strengths and talents.  A pineapple takes two years to grow.

The room had started out pretty noisy with 60 people - metal chairs on tile. Every once in a while a teacher would get up to take a phone call. And you know teachers when they are students make side comments and laugh to each other.

Osbaldo led us into relaxation and in few minutes into the exercise all one could only hear was the sound of birds. Calm peace replaced the frenetic energy of arrival.

What if every school day around the world started like that?

Marina, Vilma, Osbaldo and Irving lead the game of Bingo which always  brings laughter as the teacher/students learn terms of reproductive health. Funny when the drawing of the word condom wins you a prize.   The prizes - school supplies  donated by the folks back home were very much appreciated.

Then a teacher would introduce one of the laws, there's be discussion and another teacher would sum up what the group had said. There were many great suggestions as to how to broaden the exposure to these laws.

Below caught looking at the photographer.

We left at 1 pm because
1. It's rainy season and last week we had such a frightening time leaving this beautiful town that is in a valley because of the water.
2. A few years ago Genelle was caught on these same roads when a road washed out.
and 3. Because the facilitators are so experienced they could continue.

So we left for La Antigua.

There are no more workshops for this year.

But  there will be some fun stories and photos so check back.  Later Tikal!!!!!!!!!