2025 TEACH Board Delegation Visit

From July 19 to July 31, 2025 we conducted the annual TEACH board delegation site visit trip.

The delegation was led by the TEACH board president Shari Zamarra, along with fellow board member, Chris Zinner and his family, (Christine, Kai, Mei and Kam), and supported by this year‘s translator, Onelio Mencho.

Over nine days in Guatemala, TEACH’s delegation traveled by boat, truck, and foot — from the Caribbean coast to remote mountain villages — visiting 11 partner schools and programs that your generosity makes possible. We saw firsthand how your support transforms not just classrooms, but entire lives.

In Los Amates, at Sacred Heart Boarding School, Sister Rosa shared, “Our work might look like just one drop in the ocean…but it makes the ocean one drop bigger.” Even as enrollment has declined, she and Sister Erica remain unwavering in their mission to protect and educate each girl in their care. Your donations keep that mission alive.

In Tamagas, at INSPA, leaders like Vilma, Father Abell, and Samuel showed us the power of patience rooted in vision. Here, students like Sylvia — studying to become a doctor so she can return to serve her community — prove that long-term investment yields life-changing results.

In Semuy, high in the mountains, the growth since our last visit was astonishing. Director Victor’s empowered leadership has created more students, more organization, and more pride. He leads with humility, showing his students how to turn dreams into reality — exactly the kind of leadership TEACH donors make possible.

At Maya LaSalle in El Estor, we witnessed how intentional leadership can build community even in a bustling city, giving children a safe, nurturing environment where they feel lucky to belong. In Q’otox’ha, preschoolers danced with pure joy, reminding us that education is about more than academics — it’s about creating moments that make children’s eyes light up.

In La Guanita and Sanabria, we saw the “messiness” of learning. True education involves mistakes, trial, and perseverance. Parents here will do whatever it takes to give their children a chance to learn — even if that means braving rivers, traveling hours each day, or going without other essentials.

In El Naranjal and Kateri, education became the “business of the heart.” Sister Angelina knows each boarding student personally, providing safety, encouragement, and the love that makes real learning possible. In Puerto Barrios, partnerships with orphanages and social programs showed us how collaboration can multiply the reach of your gifts.

We ended our journey at Semilla de Esperanza y Amor near Antigua. Its vision — “We educate with love for a better Guatemala” — perfectly reflects what you, our donors, make possible. Yes, you provide education. But more than that, you create hope — the belief that a brighter future is possible. And you give love — the kind of love that lets a child fall asleep feeling safe, proud, and ready to dream.

This trip reminded us that TEACH’s mission is about more than books and lessons. It’s about safety, community, leadership, joy, resilience, hope, and love. Every $30 monthly sponsorship provides a teacher, a safe space, or the basic resources needed for a child to learn and thrive.

Every drop you give makes the ocean bigger. And together, we are changing lives — one child at a time.