Everything Under The Sun: A Dream And A Centre

Some of the children in Chiul, who would benefit from the Centre.

Ever since he was a little boy, Arnulfo Gomez Oxlaj's life has been nothing short of a miracle. On a sad day in Guatemalan history, he was one of 116 children who were thrown into a deep well in the village of Chiul by soldiers, in a horrible act of extermination. He was one of the Mayan peoples, by heritage, and the Mayan peoples were being subjected to genocide at the time. But unexpectedly, Arnulfo survived, the sole survivor, among the children thrown into the well, and he was rescued from the well by a local woman.

Ever since, Mr. Oxlaj has had a dream - to exemplify love and generosity - to reawaken his people, to go beyond hatred, to create a chain of peace among indigenous peoples and the country that had despised them, Guatemala. The disadvantaged, whether indigenous or nonindigenous, would be inspired by hope, working together, to achieve freedom. In 2012 across the seas in the UK, AMOR was founded to bring the dream into reality. Part of the focus would be on education, the type of education that helps people to build their skills and talents.

Part of Mr. Oxlaj's dream is building a school for orphans and other vulnerable children, to be called the Afretlain Centre. The hope is that through raising sufficient funds, building will be able to start this summer. The site was chosen in the village of Chiul, an area that has seen devastation from the war; only one out of every ten children is able to attend school, and many suffer from chronic malnutrition. Despite the signing of peace accords more than 35 years ago, the level of extreme poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition, and discrimination continue to take a toll on the lives of these indigenous youth and adults.

Besides providing a holistic and innovative education, the Afretlain Centre will also provide a centre for preserving the heritage and history of the 22 Mayan ethnicities in the area. From an appreciation of their background, the centre can become a focus of rights, agricultural sustainability, leadership, and support. In a way, it would form the core of preserving the Mayan cultural traditions and peoples, which have continued to be threatened with extinction.

Arnulfo with a child.

The design for the centre has already been completed. It will be two floors high, have 17 classrooms, an art studio, a kitchen, a sports gym, bathroom, and teachers' lounge. In addition, there will be an area for a medical clinic. Around the building will be a vegetable garden and an area for livestock. There is a gofundme page for donors to support the project.