Rotary Clubs in the United States and Guatemala have long supported Ak’ Tenamit, but the spirit of “Service Above Self” was especially evident last January, when 48 volunteers from Rotary District 6440 descended upon the Rio Dulce and accomplished a remarkable amount of good.
That international good will mission brought together volunteers from 11 Rotary Clubs in District 6440, of northern Illinois, who worked hard in the humid, tropical heat for the benefit of the area’s indigenous people. They divided into two teams of 24 each and worked alongside Ak’ Tenamit students on projects to improve their campus.
Using funds they raised themselves, the group built a much-needed library and bunk beds that increased the existing dorm’s capacity by approximately 33%. They also built computer desks for the 25 new computers that they had carried down with them for the school’s computer lab. The volunteers also raised more than $4,000 for the purchase and assembly of 80 water filters, which they helped distribute to families in surrounding Maya villages. Those filters will save lives, since there is a scarcity of potable water in the region, where local children sometimes die from gastrointestinal infections caused by drinking contaminated water.
Together, Rotarians and students build a new library