Hope for a Better Tomorrow

Hope of a Better Tomorrow

 

In the days leading up to All Saints Day (Nov 1) in Cotzal, I was watching some girls fly their kites from the roof of their adobe home. Flying kites is a tradition during this season, and the children of the village get very creative in their designs and technique. I studied as these two young girls worked together to launch their kite into the haze of the day. Other children fashioned kites out of small plastic garbage bags, not deterred from participating in the tradition.

Some children stood and admired the success of others, giving hope that their creation could also reach up to the puffy clouds above town.  I wish I could have effectively captured that reflection of hope. “It is possible, I can do it to.” Puedo Hacerlo!

Later that week, I glanced out the small window of the poorly lit, cramped room I was using for the purpose of having conversations with students and parents about the possibilities of scholarships. The benches outside were lined with hopeful children and parents, stretching the length of the building and around the corner out of sight - willing to wait for hours to have a conversation concerning their educational future. They had seen others attending school, and suddenly they knew “It was possible” for their kids as well.



Elsa's little sister trails behind and looks up at her big sister and knows she too can find success. Hope is born. 

They say that success breeds success. WIND’s work with Colegio Horeb has been very successful. This past year the school swelled to 150 students! As the crowds gathered to watch the sixth graders receive their diplomas, you could feel the pride and encouragement surge though those in attendance present like a current of electricity. Maybe that is what HOPE feels like? I am not sure, but you could feel the goosebumps rise on the back of your neck. That kind of hope is contagious, and you want to immerse yourself in it.

WIND desires to build upon the momentum in Cotzal and at Colegio Horeb in 2016. I watch and see possibilities give rise to hope – a hope that will change the future. The sky is the limit and success is within reach. Together we can turn possibilities into realities.