Can you imagine… running through the ruins of Tikal, along a road under the Peten’s blazing tropical sun, then slogging through heavy downpours under jungle canopy, on a 725 km run from the jungle to the beach? (that wouldn’t be me that’s for sure). Huddled in the back of a pick-up truck Fotokids students Adrian, Julio and Omar, got up at 3 am and finished near midnight, documenting the run of internationally recognized Guatemalan athlete, Daniela Andrade, in her effort to bring attention to water conservation. Numerous sponsors, including the national Ministry of Tourism, supported the event.

The staff had prepared 2 teams to document the run; the 3 boys photographing Daniela from the jungle to Cobán where the 4 girls Emely, Magda, (our) Daniela and Jennifer took over the last leg joining Ms. Andrade on her final stretch to the beach. The kids spent the previous weeks practicing sports photography at soccer matches, the Guatemalan Paralympics and a 21 km. marathon. Juan Ixbalán and Chonita Rabinal, both teachers from Santiago Atitlán, accompanied the students. For all of the teens it was their first time away from home, and that in itself was a learning experience and an exciting one.

You know, people often ask me, what happens to the kids who don’t stick out the entire eight years in Fotokids? What if they only stay in the program for say, 3 or 4 years?

An answer to that question might be German Gomez who was with us for 4 years, from 6th through what would be ninth grade. He then left, saying he wanted to dedicate full time to his formal education. We don’t have a big attrition rate, but this is by far the most common reason kids leave the project.

This is a kid who still lives in Tierra Nueva, an incredibly violent and dangerous neighborhood. His house was constructed on a narrow dirt alley. Using the existing walls of the two neighboring houses, his single mom with 4 kids, threw a tin roof over the top to make it their home.

I could go on here about all the opportunities German availed himself of, but to cut to the chase, this year after being awarded a 5-year university full scholarship, he is graduating with a degree in journalism. The in-person university classes he attends are 40 kms away from his house, which necessitates bus transport that can take anywhere from 4 to 8 hours (Traffic is horrible here in Guatemala). He is working part-time every day, at a newspaper and is applying for grad school in Navarre, Spain, to complete a masters in governance of private and public organizations.

German spoke to the collected group of 100 or so young Fotokids giving as an example, his younger self preference for photographing markets and how the merchants had dubbed him “the kid with the camera”. At that time the small point and shoot camera was bigger than his hand. He wanted to preserve for posterity his image of the markets he said, and one of the portraits he photographed was of a woman vendor with her basket of tomatoes, lettuces and vegetables. Years later a man came up to him and said, “We buried my mother-in-law with the photo you took of her. Yours was the only photo we ever had of her.”.

Not to drag on, but the next three speakers were Ericka Argueta, who told the kids to follow their passion and do the best work they could because you never knew who was going to see it. She received her degree in design and started posting her work on social media. “They came to me,” she told them- They, being one of the best ad agencies in Guatemala and in just under 4 years she has risen to Art Director Junior.

Valeria Avilés followed and talked about how she has shown her painting in exhibitions in Italy, Belgium, and Portugal, along with a solo exhibit at the Artifact Gallery in Manhattan. But she seemed most enthused about how she has started her own nonprofit, creating books and animations on Mayan flora and fauna which are then distributed to schools. She is on the faculty of Landivar University.

Both Valeria and Ericka were part of our Save Girls program for just 3 years and then received Fotokids university scholarships during which they served an additional year as teachers’ assistants. Both have accomplished quite a bit for being 27 years old.

Abdías Perez spoke last, and he is the chief photographer for the presidency of Guatemala and has 5 photographers working under him. Need I say more?

Enough, but I was so happy for them really, they had opportunities, and they took the risks, followed their passions and they ran with it. All were very goal oriented. And I must say, we do work on goals and nurturing dreams. And of course, that’s where you have come in, by supporting the kids through the scholarship program, so congratulations to you. I know that you know… it does work.

Fundraiser – And to bring you up to date – December 3rd this year is Giving Tuesday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving! So, save that date. Since we have just two 24-hour online fundraisers per year, we depend on donations to start our new school year in 2025.

How You Can Help

Want to participate in changing a life? We need scholarships. Costs have risen here, as everywhere in the world, but for $1200 you can keep a kid in school a year and/or for another $1200 you can give them a concurrent Fotokids vocational scholarship.

Kids get jobs with their transferable Fotokids skills in photography, design, video, web design and writing, critical thinking and self-confidence and, not to mention, the immeasurable gift of their desire to “give back”.

What does the Fotokids vocational scholarship pay for: sponsorship for OUR Fotokids programs, as these are not covered by the student’s educational scholarships. The fee of $1200 for the vocational sponsorship pays for teacher salaries, computers, software, cameras, (lunches are taken care of by a generous supporter), renting school buses, excursions, events, insurance, utilities, security guards, any legal fees, exhibits, building maintenance etc. We put as top priority the educational scholarships and each year we pretty much scrape by with Fotokids program support. That’s why we need your help, especially this year.

Fundraiser – And to bring you up to date – December 3rd this year is Giving Tuesday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving! So, save that date. Since we have just two 24-hour online fundraisers per year, we depend on donations to start our new school year in 2025.

How You Can Help

Want to participate in changing a life? We need scholarships. Costs have risen here, as everywhere in the world, but for $1200 you can keep a kid in school a year and/or for another $1200 you can give them a concurrent Fotokids vocational scholarship.

Kids get jobs with their transferable Fotokids skills in photography, design, video, web design and writing, critical thinking and self-confidence and, not to mention, the immeasurable gift of their desire to “give back”.What does the Fotokids vocational scholarship pay for: sponsorship for OUR Fotokids programs, as these are not covered by the student’s educational scholarships. The fee of $1200 for the vocational sponsorship pays for teacher salaries, computers, software, cameras, (lunches are taken care of by a generous supporter), renting school buses, excursions, events, insurance, utilities, security guards, any legal fees, exhibits, building maintenance etc. We put as top priority the educational scholarships and each year we pretty much scrape by with Fotokids program support. That’s why we need your help, especially this year.

And now if you have read through this longish newsletter, here is the most interesting section! Yes, the Kids’ photos of festivals, famous people, 3 Frida’s, and a way to find a lost dog!