Horizons of Friendship – Canada

Safe Passage "Camino Seguro"



In the Spring of 2004 after visiting the Safe Passage project at the Guatemala City dump, Richard and Susan formed an educational partnership with director and founder, the late Hanley Denning, offering to setup a play-based activity-centered pilot project. Based on the success of this program Oneness contracted to raise funds, construct furniture, and train the teachers and set-up the new six room early intervention program. Teams completed construction of the furniture and lofts in November 2006.

In the new year of 2011, Richard was hired to be the Executive Director of Camino Seguro/Safe Passage, which combines his passion for the poor of Guatemala, and his many years’ expertise as an education administrator.

Acceso International

Acceso International has been assisting our school projects since the beginning. In the spring of 2005 they were responsible for obtaining a sizable grant which covered much of the cost associated with setting up the daycare center at the Guatemala City dump. Nine members of Acceso International joining as members of the third team that came down to build furniture for the classrooms.

Algonquin College ... Early Childhood Education

In the fall of 2000 a link was established between Algonquin College in Pembroke and the mission in Guatemala. Donna Winacott, coordinator of the Early Childhood Education department, actually introduced Guatemala into the college curriculum. Students were required to do a group presentation for the class, on some aspect of the country, followed up by planning developmentally and culturally appropriate activities, using what little materials would be available to the Guatemalan people.

The students then made a number of learning games and shipped them to Guatemala. These "work jobs" are at the core of the "learning through play" philosophy at the preschool.

For several years Algonquin students have been fundraising, and sending supplies and work-jobs to Guatemala. When Susan won the Premier's Award in 2003, she was able to use the bursary money to bring two early childhood education students to Guatemala to complete the practice teaching component of their course. One student was a young man in his early 20s, and the other was a grandmother of four. For them, it was a life-changing event and both of them plan to return one day to Guatemala.