GRADUATION SUITS

Graduation Suits --In Guatemala, they’re not the solemn black togas you might be imagining. Guatemala has a really, neat practical tradition requiring that each high school graduate participate in a seminar-like project or internship. The graduating students must buy a very expensive suit to wear to their classes for the whole year, as well as to this seminar project and presentation. This is their required uniform, and they will be punished if they don’t wear it. This punishment can be that some students will lose points or some schools will not even let the students into the building if they still have not purchased the suit after a certain date.

We have been asking students’ sponsors to help with an extra donation for these suits, as the students come to us asking individually. But some sponsors are not able to help and as a result some students’ families are even taking out a loan to buy the suit which will cause a lot of hardship for them.

The price varies per school, but is about $167 for pant suit on average, or $190 if a graduating student wears the traditional dress option. This suit will then be able to be used when they are working after graduation.

We would like to pool a fund from generous donors to help the families if their sponsors cannot afford this extra expense. In Guatemala, this expense is really an intimidating obstacle to getting your diploma. We know you all value education, and can help these kids overcome this last hurdle.