safe passage: camino seguro

Between languages and latitudes, between extreme poverty and extraordinary achievement, there is Safe Passage.

A top-rated charity working in Guatemala City since 1999, Safe Passage brings hope, education, and opportunity to the children and families making their lives around the City’s garbage dump. Professional educators and passionate volunteers make their way to Guatemala to make a difference through Safe Passage. You can, too.

covid-19 around the world

Like students in the United States, students at Camino Seguro in Guatemala City have been taking precautions against COVID-19 to stop the spread and keep people safe.

volunteer success story

EVERY DAY IS AN EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE: MEET VOLUNTEER MARIA

Posted on July 7, 2017

Trip diary: You Would Never Know

You would never know by looking at the student’s faces and actions that their lives were any different from any other Guatemalan school age kid. You would never know that the schools you are visiting might not have been possible without the  efforts of one young woman almost 20 years ago. You can never know if or how the seeds you sow will grow into a life giving opportunity for others. 

In this case, we do know… Camino Seguro or Safe Passage is what has developed from the initial vision of one and the efforts of many. I have visited Guatemala many times, yet I had never visited this part of the city where one of the largest dumps in Central America is found. Here is where the dump is located, here is where the people live and work, and here is where they now go to school. I knew about those who worked there, I had viewed youtube videos, I heard there was a school there; in reality I knew nothing. 

In visiting, I learned about the founder Hanley Denning, the young woman from Rhode Island who couldn’t turn her back on what she saw. In a few short years before her death at 37 she inspired others to continue her work. I saw 3 beautiful schools filled with students engaged in their school community; smiling, proud and respectful. I saw teachers and staff; committed and happy to be a part of this community which was changing lives for Guatemala's future. Adults also attend classes to learn new employment skills or basic education that they previously had no access to; this is an  investment in an entire community.

Camino Seguro may not change the economic reality for the parents of the students, but it provides hope for their children. The parents who work in the dump do so now knowing that their children will have other opportunities; through education the next generation will have the ability to live fuller healthier lives. 

Take some time to visit Camino Seguro’s website, watch a youtube video, plan a visit or a volunteer experience. You will never know how you might be affected unless you take the first step. (Northeast United States Maryknoll Regional Coordinator: Santa Orlando)

volunteer opportunities

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic all trips across the world are currently put on pause. If you are interested in visiting the Camino Seguro school in Guatemala please contact us below: