Nuevos Horizontes

On Thursday night about 10 of us from Celas Maya attended a benefit dinner for Nuevos Horizontes, the only domestic abuse shelter in Guatemala and only one of two in all of Central America. From what we have been told by the current coordinators of Nuevos Horizontes (New Horizons) is this shelter was the first of its kind in Central America and another has recently opened elsewhere. The shelter supports women and child who have been battered by their husbands and fathers. These individuals come from within Xela and throughout Guatemala. It is an extreme decision for them to come to the shelter, as leaving their husbands means leaving their families completely. When a woman marries in Guatemala she becomes a member of her husband´s family.

Ria (my housemate in the Gutierrez home) came to Guatemala to volunteer at Nuevos Horizontes. She studied at Celas Maya for the first two weeks in the morning and volunteered in the afternoon. For this reason, I became aware of this shelter almost immediately upon my arrival in Xela. I am not exactly sure how many women and children the shelter supports, but I do know through Ria that some of the women and children cannot leave the shelter at all because their husbands/fathers are searching for them. Other women are able to have jobs in the community and the school-aged children attend part days (as is the practice here) nearby. The youngest children stay in the shelter all day, every day (or practically), and it is with these children that Ria volunteers. At home Ria is a kindergarten teacher, so she is well-versed in the type of activities valuable for these young children.

At the benefit we enjoyed an authentic, traditional meal of Guatemala consisting of a special chicken dish (not for the vegetarians), corn on the cob, rice, a salad made of beets, beans, and onions, and tamalis. For dessert we enjoyed a sampler of Bab´s Home Bakery products (an American-style bakery in Xela where the benefit was hosted), consisting of brownies, chocolate chip cookies, banana break, peanut butter cookies, and chocolate cupcakes all cut into small pieces. The brownies are addictive, so it is best to avoid Bab´s as much as possible. I have done so successfully, but some of my fellow students are there daily. Some people really enjoy the banana bread, but my sister´s is significantly better!

There was also a silent auction to raise additional funds. The benefit itself cost 40 quetzales, which is approximately 5 or 6 U.S. dollars. Not very many people bid on the silent auction items, so Celas Maya students were able to walk away with most of them at bargain prices. I won 5 hours of even cheaper internet and 2 desserts and coffees at a local cafe. Score on both! It was wonderful to have so many Celas Maya students represent at the event. Most of us spend 40 quetzales on food or drinks elsewhere, so this was a great opportunity to spend it more purposefully.

You can view photos from the benefit in my slideshow of Celas Maya Week 2 and one slide provides an overview of Nuevos Horizontes.