I have probably thought about this trip almost every day since I found out that I was going to Guatemala, so I have decided to start a count down! We will be headed out in 52 days! It seems like far from now but I'm sure time will fly by.
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to attend recent pre-trip meetings due to prior engagements but I'm looking forward to the December 4th meeting! I have been trying to learn more about poverty in Guatemala on my own and came across this interesting article: http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/country/home/tags/guatemala
That article discusses the link between agriculture and poverty in Guatemala, which is strongly related to our trip! Farmers in Guatemala face many challenges relating to degradation of natural resources, rough terrain, and over-exploitation of land and water resources.
The article also mentions the high rates of poverty "[i]n the ‘poverty belt' of the western plateau and the northern region, comprising the departments of Huehuetenango and Quiché (north-western region); San Marcos, Quetzaltenango, Sololá and Totonicapán (south-western region); and Alta Verapaz and Baja Verapaz (northern region)." I'm wondering what areas we will be spending time in and if they correspond to any of the areas mentioned in the article.
I have never been to a developing country and am really looking forward to the culture shock that I will experience on this trip and am sure that I will be strongly affected even upon my return!
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