Welcome to PAMAMUS
Pamamus is a small farming village just outside the city of Comalapa.
Comalapa is known as the “Florence of Guatemala” because it is home to many artists and writers. It is a colorful and vibrant city surrounded by some of the most beautiful landscapes the country offers.
The entire area is dirt poor.
When I say Pamamus is small, I am referring to the population. It is quite large in area, encompassing many farms across miles of lands. Their primary school offers six grades of one class each.
Many students don’t finish those years because they help in the fields or because their families are crop workers who move around the country to harvest other fields when Pamamus is between yields.
When we held our first Christmas event there, we learned children walked over 5 kilometers to participate. Then we learned some walk that distance every day to get to the school.
SOME OF THE STUDENTS POSE IN FRONT OF THE ADMIN BUILDING OF PAMAMUS SCHOOL
What we do in Pamamus:
We use the primary school as our base. Although it is a public school, prayer and Christianity guide most activities. We can not “give” the school anything, but we assist the teachers when we can.
Our mission in Pamamus is to provide some relief from a hard life, encourage kids to stay in school, and spread the Word. We get there once or twice a quarter. Every visit includes a talk to the kids about something they can relate to in their lives and that we can relate to the Gospel.
We try to reward the children for continuing with their school lessons. Over the years, we provided supplies like water containers, planners, and general school supplies. new boots and sneakers. We surprised the teachers with sneakers, too.
At Christmas, the students received towels and blankets wrapped over new toys. This year, the students will receive sweatshirts.
The children of Pamamus are awesome. They are attentive and receptive to what we preach and are among the most respectful children I’ve seen in Guatemala. They know God loves them.
Their parents have been supportive, as well. Last year, they provided simple food for our Christmas celebration. It is not unusual for them to present gifts of fruit or poultry to us on our visits.
