What she saw there would change her life. The families living in and next to the dump basically survived off of what they could find there. They made their living on whatever they could unearth and sell amidst the trash, often ate whatever remains they could find, and without any money for an education, they had no prospects of ever being able to lift themselves out of poverty.
That very same week, Hanley founded Camino Seguro, which means “Safe Passage” in English. By going into her savings and having her parents sell her car and computer back in the U.S., Hanley was able to put together enough money to educate 40 children who were living in the Guatemalan City dump.
“We believe every child should have the opportunity to receive an education and to go as far as they are able in school. Our programs are designed so that each child can gain the skills needed to obtain stable jobs, to be self-sufficient and to lead their families out of poverty in a dignified and permanent way,” the program’s goals state. Camino Seguro works to provide the children of families living in and near the dump with an education, nutritional support, medical attention, vocational training programs, and extracurricular activities.
2009 marks the 10th anniversary of the organization’s founding. Tragically, Hanley was killed in an automobile accident in Antigua in 2007 but the work that she began and Camino Seguro have continued on the path that she laid out. Today, over 550 Guatemalan children are being educated by Camino Seguro and receiving assistance through its other programs.
While we were in Guatemala, two groups of Semester at Sea voyagers traveled to Guatemala City on service projects and visited the dump to see the work being done there by Camino Seguro. “It was one of the most inspiring yet horrifying things I’ve ever seen,” said Nancy Abbott. “The people there are in a terrible cycle of poverty that they can’t get out of because they can’t afford education.” Camino Seguro provides the means for these families to pull themselves out of poverty.
During their visit, voyagers were able to speak with the staff of Camino Seguro and meet with some of the families benefitting from their good work. This service project, and the many others that students have participated in over the voyage have really inspired many into action. “I don’t want to just go home and sit down,” said Sarah Shields. When she returns home, she is planning on looking into ways to raise money and awareness for the different causes she has volunteered for while on Semester at Sea. Many students have also said that they would like to return to organizations that touched them to volunteer for lengthier periods of time.
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