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11 October 2011
La Esperanza Celebrates 190 Years of Guatemalan Independence
Independence Day was celebrated here at the school with two weeks of exciting activities. There were impressive performances by the children in singing, recital and group dance competitions, high emotions in the football championship finals and a beautiful display of Guatemalan culture in folkloric performances and creative artwork. All of the children had a great time and there were heart-warming displays of school spirit.
One of the most exciting events was the Señorita (Miss) and Niña (Little Miss) La Esperanza competition which coincided with the national elections here in Guatemala and was intended to teach the children a little about the voting process, as well as being fun for all!
It was wonderful to see so much confidence the children had with the support and encouragement from their peers. Congratulations to Fatima in Class 1A who won the title of ‘Niña La Esperanza’ and Leyda in Class 3 of the Secondary School who was crowned ‘Señorita La Esperanza’.
''The most poignant moment of all the celebrations for me was after the formal dance when the father of the newly crowned Señorita Esperanza walked out to embrace her and share the floor alone for a few moments. It was clear to see how proud he was of her.''- Dan Burgess
The Independence Day celebrations culminated in an imaginative display of Guatemalan tradition. The children in the school wore beautiful, traditional Guatemalan dress and performed folkloric dances with their classmates
It was amazing to be able to share this experience with the children in the school and to see how much pride they have in their school and country. Seeing such confidence in children from the most difficult of backgrounds and the support and encouragement their classmates gave them was genuinely heart-warming.
To read more the about the Independence Day activities here in the school click here.
