BRINGING AWARENESS
Why Guatemala?
There is only one other known, dedicated Deaf School in Guatemala. It’s 7 hours from the location of the Love God Love People Deaf School. It is typical for the culture to consider the Deaf as an inconvenience, and not give them the same opportunities. Currently, only 4 out 10 Deaf people in Guatemala know any type of sign language. As of 2020 Guatemala has recognized the official Sign Language known as “Lengua de Señas de Guatemala” as the national language for the Deaf community There is estimated over a 1,000,000 Deaf in Guatemala today.
Love God Love People is making a lasting impact on the Deaf children of this generation. This non-profit has funded the start-up of a training center/school in Rio Dulce. We are showing them the unconditional love of God, providing a safe environment, giving them a language, a chance to learn, and the life skills needed to thrive in Guatemala.
Our Story
In 2022, 6 students & 1 Deaf Guatemalan teacher met for “school” in what could be described as a storage unit, with no other ventilation other than the unit’s door and a fan. This year, Love God Love People has been able to rent a building to hold the school in. The building was repaired to safely hold class, and we were able to provide the basic school supplies. Love God Love People was able to give these kids a portion of what they needed to thrive, many more projects need to happen, to provide a safe, loving, learning environment.
Our Vision
As God provides, we will purchase land and a building (or start construction). Not only a school for these students to attend, but a center for Deaf education for the Guatemalan people. This campus will include classrooms, a kitchen, meeting rooms, staff housing, short term male/female dormitories, along with visitor quarters and the needed support facilities.
With an entire campus, we will be able to give hope to unreached, disadvantaged people. We want the center to be able to serve the Deaf community practically with things such as gardening, baking, cooking, carpentry, and other critical life skills. Eventually this will become a training center for all things LSG. We will train Deaf children and adults, while training other willing hearing persons in LSG (with the hope they will go on to be translators for the Deaf community.