My Nonprofit Reviews

I have now made over 50 trips to Guatemala through HELPS International, and have had the privilege of being part of a medical team, a stove team and many education teams. As a retired teacher, I have zeroed in on the HELPS education division, because that's where my life experience and passion for literacy can have the most benefit for the teachers with whom we work. Teams of American teachers go as consultants to introduce effective practices and encourage the Guatemalan teachers at an elementary school in the highlands. It has been rewarding over the past 15 years to see them stretch themselves and take on new challenges, such as offering a Young Fives class, that has been extremely popular and is not offered in the public school. When asked what I do in Guatemala, the simple answer is that we teach teachers, but our influence is really on the students' lives. Several have gone on to universities; two are now nurses. To help them live meaningful lives in their own beautiful country is all the reward I need. Helping to make this a reality are the behind-the-scenes folks in the HELPS office who provide essential services for all the teams, such as safe and reliable transportation to outlying areas. The HELPS tag line is "the life you change may be your own" and that is so true.