More than 1,700 Students in Guatemala Receive New Desks for Their Classrooms

Nineteen public education institutions in the communities of Santa María Cahabón and Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, located more than 300 km (about 186 miles) from Guatemala City, now have school furniture for the 2023 school year.

The furniture, donated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, will benefit 1,750 students and 70 teachers who resumed face-to-face classes this year, following restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic. The donation included:

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• 886 desks
• 140 small chairs
• 70 two-person tables
• 70 chair-type desks
• 70 chairs
• 20 blackboards

The delivery of the donation took place at the Juan Veliz Juárez Mixed Urban Official School on Friday, April 21, 2023. Representatives of the Guatemalan Ministry of Education, directors, teachers, representatives of Parent Organizations (OPF) and leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ participated in the event.

“We hope that this furniture is a blessing for the children and that it supports their educational formation so that they can have a better future,” said Oswaldo Ico, a local Latter-day Saint leader.

The directors of the educational centers were grateful to the Church of Jesus Christ for the donation and said it will be a great help to the students and teachers.

Mynor Torres, representative of the Ministry of Education, thanked the Church for the donation, adding that this is the fourth time the schools of Cahabón have been recipients of the organization’s generosity. He also highlighted how grateful he was that their request was fulfilled within about two months.

Latter-day Saints believe that education is a divine endeavor that helps build communities. The Church provides many self-reliance and educational resources to any who desire it, as all are children of God.

This story was originally published on Spanish Newsroom.