Day 7: San Andrés Itzapa
Our Photo Journal for Day 7
Our final department, Chimaltenango, prepped for our arrival for days! Students were excited to show off the hats they made, and we were excited to see them!
Recreating a journey
We told the students the journey our book took to get to San Andrés Itzapa – the flight to Guatemala, the ride up to the town and finally a special delivery to the school. Imagine our surprise when we saw that story come to life at the start of the celebration.
The students had made a paper airplane, with the perfect pocket for Millie to slide into for the first leg of her trip. Then The book was handed off to a student who tucked it into his satchel and hopped on his bike, bringing the book to the stage for all to see.
From Classrooms to courtyards – amazing hats were everywhere!
In anticipation of this special event, students made custom hats with some of their favorite book characters. Each one unique, these hats were truly amazing.
Looking out into a sea of hats
The view from the stage was spectacular. Over 100 students wearing their hats. Wow! This is a day we will always remember.
But the fun didn’t stop there
Students then brought Millie and Mark, our book characters to life on the page, coloring them with care. Posters lined a long table, where students shared paint and markers to make each page unique and beautiful.
And Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better…
The teachers brought out the Millie piñata. Wow, that really got the kids going. She was a glorious sight… but she didn’t last long, the students made sure of that.
A pinning Ceremony
Each student got their pin for being part of the one millionth book celebration. Each pin featured our Millie character, just a small memento to remember how much fun we had together on this special day.
And That’s A wrap
The teachers made custom puzzles of the book covers for the students to assemble, adding a fun challenge to the event.
Did you know?
Many of the students at today’s celebration were wearing their school uniforms. Uniforms are common throughout Guatemala. Boys wear trousers with a polo shirt, while girls wear pleated skirts with their polo shirts.
In Guatemala piñatas are a tradition. These decorative containers are filled with candy, toys and more. Children take turns swinging at the piñata. Each hit gets them one step closer to breaking the exterior and letting the goodies fly free for all to enjoy.
Wait! There’s more…
We hope you enjoyed this recap of day 7, but there is so much more to explore… seven more days of celebration to be specific! Check out another stop on the tour…
We’re thrilled to have delivered one million books, but we are nowhere near done!
One million books is amazing, but we have some other amazing milestones on the horizon – and we need your help to reach them. Child Aid is funded by grants and the generous donations by people like you. Help us reach our next milestone by donating today.
