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Literacy in Guatemala remains low, with an average schooling period of only 2.3 years, and lower for indigenous groups and for girls. The Club Rotario Retalhuleu has established a long-running annual integrated approach to address this need. Initially, local club members identify children at risk and raise awareness of the value of education, and they interview the parents of the student to provide a level of support personalized to that child's needs. The children then receive school supplies and the family receives some economic support quarterly to support that child's educational process and nutritional needs. More specifically, funds would be disbursed as follows: 10% for school supplies, 20% for shoes, 20% for student uniforms and 50% for nutritional support in the form of Chispuditos (https://chispuditos.com/home). Receipts can be provided if needed, and there is no administrative fee or commission charged by the (Retalhuleu) club. In addition, access to an annual dental check-up is facilitated, along with eye and ear screenings to optimize the academic performance and overall well-being of the child. There will be performance monitoring four times per year, reviewing the academic and behavioral performance of the child. Children are encouraged to maintain good academic performance throughout. The project in this Rotary Year 2023-2024 has 30 students for a total budget of $6,000. All figures are in U.S. Dollars. $200 is the amount needed for one student in one year. The Rotary Club of Retalhuleu directly manages the project. Our involvement is primarily financial support, though we do hope to see the project first hand during a visit for a WASH project with that same club early in 2024.
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