Create Books for Children in Guatemala

Please create a booklet that can be given to a kindergarten or first grade student in Guatemala when members of the UIW community  travel there or the founders visit San Antonio and can pick up books. 

To learn about the Pequeños Ángeles de María (Little Angels of Mary) non-profit agency, please visit:  https://littleangelsofmary.org/site/.

To learn about the children and their community, please watch the following short videos:  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olpWkyWBriE  (A Little Bit About Little Angels of Mary)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz5nJ60n-3Q   (Meet Carolina!  Our Preschool Teacher…)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=babtit6xwwE&t=103s  (The Beginning of Little Seeds Preschool)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbWdeTztXK0   (A Day in the Life of a Preschooler)

(If you would like to see more videos, you can check out the Little Angels of Mary YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0NgYDySF0tCSeYbNIG9wTw.)

The children may not have books in their homes or books of their own. Create this with love! 

The learning objectives:

-children learn letters of the alphabet and learn words associated with those letters. 

- children take pride in the indigenous language spoken there. It is valuable to know one's roots and to know more than one language. 

Kaqchikel is the language of the area, but the educational system and books have been in Spanish. Children drop out of school in the challenges. The books we create will all have Kaqchikel and Spanish side by side. 

TWO OPTIONS: Create a hard copy.  Or create a digital book in Book Creator and then download a pdf and print out. Go to  https://bookcreator.com/ and create a FREE Account. 

Hard copy suggestions: Use 4 to 8 pages of plain paper that is 8x11 or 11x14 or 11x17 inches. Keep in mind that 4 pages folded in half makes a 16-page book.   

Fold in half and hold the spin together

• with a pin or punch make two holes. Use thread or small ribbon to tie together or
• sew with a needle and thread
• tape the pages

Browse through the Kaqchikel and Spanish dictionary and resources suggested below.  Find words that would be good for a small child. You will need to get a picture to go with the word.  Maybe animals, vegetables, birds, fruits, objects around a home, family members,  plants, shapes, colors, numbers . . .

See  Cakchiquel Language and the Kaqchikel Mayan Tribe (Kaqchiquel, Cac'chiquel) (native-languages.org)

Carefully get the spelling of the Kaqchikel word and the Spanish translation word. 

Please have at least one picture per page. You can tear those out of old magazines or newspapers or draw or paint or use a combination with collage.  

Maybe search for images with something like Google Images, print and cut out.

It can be a book focused on one letter and giving many words that start with that, for example, 4 pages and each page has a different word that starts with A in Kaqchikel and then the Spanish translation and the picture of that thing.  The next 4 pages words starting with B. . .

Or many random words with translation and pictures.

Or a theme like HAPPY, happy grandparents,  happy dogs, happy girls,  happy chickens. . .

Why not put a message at the end, like  “Made for you by (your name)”   or  “I hope you enjoy this and grow to learn to read and write, (your name)”   

Enjoy this! The Little Angels of Mary, thank you!

There is an ongoing need for books so there is not closing date, but as soon as you finish one, please get it to Sr. Martha Ann Kirk, UIW, 4301 Broadway, Box 77, San Antonio, TX 78209.

Questions: Contact  Sister Martha A. Kirk kirk@uwtx.edu   210-883-5934

After you have completed your book and sent it, register your hours, that is “impact,” on GivePulse. Be sure and write reflections on what you learned. Watch as many of the films about the Little Angels as you can. Then start looking for words in both languages.  The may take about  3 hours, but please indicate if you were spending less or more time.

The children and families will be really grateful for your care for them.  

Consider helping in other ways: 

Become a part of the group NOW working on the "Fun and Fundraising" gathering which will be in October or November 2026.  Write kirk@uiwtx.edu See information on 2025   Guatemala Fun and Fundraiser, Oct. 25, 6 - 8 pm | Home | University of the Incarnate Word

Sell the handicrafts that the women have made. Register https://uiw.givepulse.com/event/408764-Little-Angels-of-Mary-Fair-Trade-Volunteers

Go to Guatemala and work with them in the future. Read about May 2026 Guatemala Solidarity 2026 | Home | University of the Incarnate Word

Go to their website and donate: www.LittleAngelsofMary.org     

Thanks,

Sr. Martha Ann Kirk   kirk@uiwtx.edu  210-883-5934