Capgemini Guatemala gives disadvantaged school children a better start in life

Among the many challenges faced in Guatemala, such as poverty, hunger and inequality, education is a big one. In low-income rural areas there is often a lack of classroom supplies and no adequate classroom furniture, which prevents many children from attending school.

About five years ago, Capgemini Guatemala set up a project to improve primary schools in the Ciudad Quetzal Community of Guatemala City, with the help of United Way Guatemala (a non-profit organization looking to improve the lives of people).

Through its Building a Better Future initiative, Capgemini Guatemala has benefitted over 2,500 children through the building and renovation of four schools. Please allow statistical cookies to see this Youtube embed

A promise fulfilled towards a happier future

Despite the global pandemic, the Guatemala team renovated the infrastructure of a fourth school, as the final stage of the project. The team equipped classrooms with modern technology and built a mobile computer laboratory – benefitting 396 children in the Ciudad Queztal Community.

Prior to the renovation, the conditions at the school were inadequate, and children didn’t have a conducive environment to study. As the leader of this initiative, I was very motivated to provide a better environment for these children to give them a better start in life. Now the school stands with proper roofing, decent classrooms and painted blue – coincidentally Capgemini’s brand color.

Angel David Orozco Ramirez, a fifth-grade student, remarked: “Before, with the classroom made of metallic sheets, I used to feel very hot and when it rained, we couldn’t hear what the teacher was saying because of the noise, and sometimes the water would leak inside, and we would slip and fall.”

The opening ceremony was held on September 20, 2021, in the company of the school authorities, and lots of happy students and teachers. It gives me personal satisfaction that the initiative truly promises a better future for this community.

“Science Fair” – an exciting online learning experience

As a part of the project, a volunteering activity “Science Fair” was held with 70 volunteers and 200 students from the schools in Ciudad Quetzal Community, who joined together in a virtual environment to learn about the basics of electricity. The main objective of the activity was to encourage children’s interest in science and technology.

Among the activities, the participants had to build a circuit using copper tape, LED lights, and coin batteries – in both series and parallel configurations. They then had to identify and explain the different elements of an electrical circuit. After having successfully built the basic circuits, the volunteers and students had to create a magic wand made up of a basic circuit and switch. The wand would light up when the switch was pressed.

The magic continues with a new project for 2022

Following the success of Building a Better Future, it is with great pride that I’m pleased to present a new project for 2021–2022 that aims to create a sustainable community through impacting the pillars of education and health of whole families.

In our new Building a Sustainable Community initiative, we will continue to work with United Way seeking to assess and improve the areas of health and education in rural, low-income, vulnerable communities, to positively impact the lives of children up to age 12 and their families. It is our ambition to impact the pillars of education and health of whole families with this initiative.

To find out more about Capgemini Guatemala’s Building a Better Future initiative reach out to: eduardo.castillo@capgemini.com

Eduardo Castillo is an accomplished leader with over 15 years of experience in business process outsourcing and networking in the US, Canada, and Latin America. His strengths include a strong focus on revenue and cost management, P&L accountability, business development, and strategic planning built around the relationship between operations, financial objectives, and clients’ requirements.