Escuela Oficial Urbana No. 29, José Miguel Vasconcelos

Guatemala City, Guatemala

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School details

Student population

210 primary, 65 pre-primary students

Grades

Kindergarten 1, pre-primary, first to sixth grades

Year founded

1878

About the school’s needs

Zone 10 in Guatemala City is known for its urban development. It has many new hotels, shops, and restaurants. Yet as more of these buildings are constructed, the community faces forced evictions and must move to unsafe areas. Their new homes, located in ravines and in the vicinity of a cemetery, have hazardous living conditions.

This relocation has forced families to adapt to hostile environments. Mothers and fathers struggle to find work. Children stay in school late while their parents work jobs that are informal or on the streets. Many young people do not get enough food; 50% of the students at Escuela Oficial Urbana No. 29, José Miguel Vasconcelos suffer from malnutrition.

This harsh reality affects not only Zone 10 but its surrounding communities, creating a network of social problems.

By sponsoring Escuela Oficial Urbana No. 29, José Miguel Vasconcelos, you will be providing essential resources to its students. Your sponsorship means everything from physical structures (a perimeter wall, better kitchen facilities) to educational initiatives across reading, writing, communications, and more.

Help give the children of José Miguel Vasconcelos the future they deserve.

Start sponsoring this school today

We’ll reach out with next steps. Thank you for your support!

What your sponsorship does at this school

Reconstruction of the perimeter wall
Construction of a kitchen
Construction and revitalization of the library
Extracurricular programs, including Art, Discovery, Soccer, Glee, English, and Robotics
Food support for breakfasts or snacks
Reading reinforcement processes
Emotional and mental health support for parents, to help them cope with daily pressures and challenges
Community cafés: spaces where parents can receive tools and resources for understanding and addressing the needs of their children
Access to education and vocational training opportunities for parents, to increase their job prospects

Photos of the school

Meet the students

Juan José

“I’m Juan José, and I’m 15 years old. My dream is to become a doctor so I can save lives, cure diseases, and help those who need it.

I like to spend my free time with my mother, helping her with housework. I also like reading books.

The challenges that young people in my community face are addictions: to alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. I would like my community to be safer and more beautiful. I would also like for people to be more attentive and help each other more.”

—Juan José, 15

Danyelli

“I’m Danyelli. I’m 11. My dream is to become a police officer.

In my free time, I enjoy playing with my cousin, sharing laughs, and indulging in my passion for painting and drawing. I particularly love sketching houses and cars.

I believe that young people in my community need more opportunities for education and work. My dream is that we stop being the victims of stigma, and that everyone has access to spaces with better conditions for studying. That will give us the chance to learn.

I envision my school having all the necessary resources for a complete education. I dream of an environment where we all get along, without fighting, and where we can share experiences and knowledge. I would like for the school to be a welcoming and enriching place for all students.”

—Danyelli, 11

Meet the principal

“I am Sara, the principal of Escuela Oficial Urbana No. 29, José Miguel Vasconcelos. Our foremost challenge at the school is effectively addressing bullying and ensuring the comprehensive protection of children within the establishment and throughout the teaching and learning process.

In our broader community, the primary challenge lies in increasing and maintaining the school population, with students arriving from diverse areas such as San José Pinula, Santa Catarina Pinula, El Pueblito, and Mixco, given the accessibility of our location in Zone 10.

The daily challenges faced by our students range from financial constraints for transportation to food insecurity, with 50% experiencing some degree of malnutrition as they arrive without breakfast and snacks. For the community, the school stands as a secure haven in a residential area where students can develop their skills.

Our greatest hope and aspiration as a school is to provide all essential services and enhance our facilities, including the implementation and improvement of the kitchen and library. In the last few years, we have grappled with the challenge of a section of the wall collapsing, which happened three years ago because of a lack of maintenance. Although no students were present during the incident due to COVID-19 restrictions at the time, the situation persists. The fallen section has been repaired, but the need for more extensive maintenance or even a complete reconstruction of the wall remains an unresolved challenge.”

–Principal Sara Elena Morales