Contributed by Emily Smith in Stories from the Field. Photos contributed by Linnae Gomez. Throughout the Vision Trip to Guatemala, our team met parents, young adults, and leaders who are fighting for a future. They believe that someday, in their communities, there will be joy, plenty, and fullness of life. On the final day of the Vision Trip, we saw that future. Expectation and excitement whirred through the air with the sound of instruments. The buildings’ yard swirled with families, some chatting in groups, some hurrying their children to the right classroom. I walked up the slope toward the buildings, following Ana, a leader in World Vision Guatemala. As we neared them, Ana turned and smiled. “This is our jewel,” she said. That bright Saturday, we were visiting El Centro de Desarrollo Artístico Integral (The Integral Artistic Development Center), or CDAI for short. Families from surrounding communities gather there every weekend for its world-renowned children’s music program. The program was the brainchild of a World Vision Guatemala employee and is now a transformational approach to music education. The concept involves complete harmony among World Vision, the community, and its families. World Vision provides a “library” of instruments that children can check out year by year. Community musicians and teachers volunteer their time on the weekends to lead classes, from music stimulation for infants all the way to an acclaimed orchestra for teenagers. Children practice relentlessly throughout the week for their weekend sessions. And parents attend classes with them so that they can assist their children at home. The center serves 350 families, and while the Child Ambassador team visited, we got to meet one of those families — a mom Bianca, and her two children, Natalie and Samuel. Living Music
On the weekends they receive coaching on how to play the notes, and they take home their instruments to practice. Natalie’s incessant practice has made her a confident, skilled performer, and she dreams of one day pursuing a music career.
Behind Natalie and Samuel’s love of music is their mother, Bianca. This dedicated mom not only brings her kids to classes faithfully, but she has also undertaken to learn both the piano and the violin. And she is learning them both at a higher level than her children so that she’ll be able to help them pursue their passions. When asked what her dreams were for her children, she said that she didn’t want them to live her dreams, she wanted them to live theirs. Dreaming Together Bianca’s story is reflected in the rest of the 350 families served by CDAI; every single one has a parent or guardian involved. Parents learn instruments with their children, and when their children graduate into the teenage orchestra, they attend performances and provide encouragement. Bianca says that the program has made her family more united, and CDAI staff said she is not alone. They said that as parents and children participate in the program together, their relationships visibly grow. As we met families and observed classes, we could see it, too. Children were confident and happy and secure. Parents were immersed in the beautiful moments they were sharing with their children. The benefits extend even beyond the family. The community itself is growing closer as families get to know one another through the program. Children strive to do well in school so that they can meet the academic requirement to participate. Some young adults who graduate from the program give back by becoming CDAI instructors themselves. One such instructor, a young woman named Ysabel, is pioneering a new CDAI branch in another community so that even more students can benefit.
Seeing On the bus that day, as I reviewed my notes to write this series, I asked our World Vision host, Rodrigo, if he had anything that he wanted included in the articles. Our team had the privilege that week of spending each day with Rodrigo, seeing his gentle kindness and his true valuing of each person he encountered.
The hope of CDAI and the lives of the many people we met throughout this trip illustrated Rodrigo’s words. From Maximiliana’s fortitude to Fabiola’s courage, from Don Pedro’s brilliance to Bianca’s dedication — these people’s lives are the beauty of their country. Friends, as I close out this series, I ask you walk forward seeing through their eyes, through the eyes of the people creating Guatemala’s future. Let your heart be captivated by their heritage, amazed by their perseverance, and inspired to join their mission. Wherever you are, help others see their beauty and invite people to join their cause — until one day, all of Guatemala reaches fullness of life, and the sound of its living music echoes throughout the world.
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AuthorsGreater Together is a collaborative blog written by volunteer Child Ambassadors for World Vision. Categories
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