One of the unique and most important parts of the services we provide and the experience you will have involve working with our staff of development professionals in the field. Through their individual experiences working in Guatemala, they each bring a deep understanding of the language, the landscape and the various cultures throughout the country. But what really makes them excellent guides are the personal relationships they have made with locals and the successes and failures that they have each experienced in their work in rural development. See their individual quotes and thoughts about Guatemala and the effects their work there has had on their lives. Without further delay, we proudly present the New Development Experience Team...

Founders

Greg Van Kirk
"When I came to Guatemala as a Peace Corps Volunteer five years ago I never would have imagined that I would still be here now continuing my work in rural economic and educational development. But when I think about it, there is just nothing I would rather be doing with my life and nowhere else I would rather be doing it. Culturally, historically, geographically...you name it....Guatemala is just such an incredibly diverse and compelling place to be. But most importantly, the Guatemalan people are simply amazing to work with. Friendships come easy and generosity is abundant. Development work can be very challenging on the best of days. But having the opportunity to work with these amazing people makes every second worth it. Our goal is that you, as either a traveler or volunteer, can share this life changing experience with us" (To learn more about Greg click here)

George Bucky Glickley
 "I first came to Guatemala as a Peace Corps volunteer in 2001 wanting desperately to expand my horizons and to be a part of a positive change. I had just graduated from college and was really looking for something different to do with myself but wasn't sure how much success I would have living outside of my element. Flash forward six years and now I have a hard time finding where Gringo Bucky starts and Guatemalan Bucky stops. In my time in Guatemala I have smiled, I have cried, I have laughed and have been laughed at, but I have never had to do any of it alone. I have made friendships with people that I probably wouldn't have had the opportunity to interacted with in the States and they have helped me to become a better person because of it. Development work is the perfect combination of opportunity, hard work, adventure, culture, language and personal relationships. Everyday brings a new challenge meaning everyday you have to get more creative." (To learn more about Bucky click here)

Team Members

Ruairi Nolan
“During my time in Guatemala I have been able to carry out programs that have impacted hugely on the lives of individuals and communities. It is a great honor to take part in this, and to see on a daily basis what all of our efforts have achieved. But what is even more exciting is constantly thinking of new and innovative ways to fulfill the great needs that exist in this beautiful but tragic country.”(To learn more about Ruairi click here)


Richard Leo Sawyer
"Development isn´t the easiest field to break into and small business is a particularly competitive area. It´s the classical conundrum of not being
able to obtain a job without experience, and not being able to obtain experience without a job. Volunteering with CES gave me the opportunity to obtain first-hand experience without the need to acquire highbrow references or the hassle of a lengthy application process. It´s a great way to strengthen you resume and improve you professional skills." (To learn more about Richard click here)

Carrie Magnuson
 "Working in international development is one of the hardest jobs I could ever imagine getting right out of college, but even when I have to wake up five in the morning to hop on a rickety old school bus to travel to a community two hours away, I realize how great my job is. I get to help people earn money and teach them how they can support themselves. With CE Solutions, not only am I gaining experience in areas such as health promotion, small business consulting, and webpage design, but I also get to learn about and experience Guatemalan culture from the inside. The people I work with are extremely caring and generous with what little they have and as a result, most of the people I work with feel like a part of my extended family. Every day in Guatemala is a surprise and there are always new challenges to overcome. Living and working here has without a doubt changed the future course of my life." (To learn more about Carrie click here)

Conor Tomas Powell
"I had been to latin america many times before but I never expected that working here in Guatemala would have yielded the fruits that it has.  The work that we do here has been harvested by ideas that are, by nature and experience, derived directly from Guatemalan needs.  This is a completely organic organization and has taught me to listen and react to the complexities of this diverse and economically deprived culture.  The best thing about this work is that its taught me to get to the root of rural Guatemalan necessity and to a point where we can truly add value here.

Andrew Hass
"You'll be hard-pressed to find a country as richly diverse as Guatemala, a place where about 30 languages characterize different, unique micro-regions. The wardrobe, the language, and the customs may change, but the warmth of the Guatemalan people is universal. Built into our model is a belief that, despite these idiosyncrasies throughout the country, the (often-untapped) potential of all Guatemalans is the same. Having read about and having experienced other development projects, I think this belief is something that sets us apart. We rely upon Guatemalans' own desires and needs for self-betterment, and it has paid off tremendously." 

Arathi Ravichandran
"Guatemala is a fascinating country, alive and thriving in its cultural, geographic, and economic diversity. CE Solutions has done an incredible job of working within these constructs to create a viable model which efficiently and effectively addresses real problems of economic and health inequities which plague thousands of Guatemalans today.   Working alongside such a talented group of foreign and local professionals has been personally, culturally, and professionally enriching on the deepest of levels.   I am finally equipped with a concrete understanding of ways in which to attack seemingly insurmountable problems both here in Guatemala as well as on a global scale."

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Ventanitas de Luz

Through a creative marketing strategy created by team CE Solutions, Yoli and Clara Luz, two vision entrepreneurs, have had continued success with their rural sales campaigns. The strategy consists of a visit to local schools with small promotional flyers for upcoming campaigns which the entrepreneurs hand out to local school children. The children, who are often given this type responsibility, then bring the flyers home to their parents, who are in turn informed about the upcoming vision campaigns in their town. This tactic allows the women to effectively market their product without spending days walking door to door. Marketing efficiency is particularly important to the vision entrepreneurs who often have to travel up to two hours by bus on roads that resemble the moon's surface just to offer their services to rural communities.

While implementing this innovative marketing technique the vision entrepreneurs occasionally encountered children who had severe eye problems and no access to, or money to pay for, eye care services. So, in classic CE Solutions style, the entrepreneurs decided to do something to help these unfortunate children.

One of our partner organizations, Visualiza, informed us that they were developing a new program called “ventanitas de luz” (little windows of light) specifically designed to provide rural, at-risk, youth with necessary eye care. The doctors agreed to assign Yoli and Clara a specific date when they could bring the identified children into the clinic…and that was all they needed.

When the team arrived at Yoli's house the morning of the event, we were pleasantly surprised to find four parents already there with their children. They had arrived ten minutes early, which in Guatemala can be considered a small miracle in itself. Imagine our surprise when the contracted bus pulled in, already half-full from the morning's first stop. As we headed into the capital we made three more stops collecting parents and children along the way. When we arrived at the clinic we were seventy-five people in total, including forty-nine children ranging from six to twelve years of age. H-O-M-E-R-U-N.

Each child received a complete eye exam courtesy of the team at Visualiza. More importantly, the doctors took the time to speak with each of the parents and explain to them what measures they could take to prevent future eye problems with their children. Twelve children received free prescription eye glasses while children with lesser problems were given the recommendation from the doctors to buy eye drops or UV protected glasses from Yoli and Clara (the ladies offer these products at a much lower price than the clinic) to prevent future damage.

Of the twelve children that required prescription glasses, several needed prescriptions so thick that they had to use special frames. For these children, most of whom are eleven or twelve years old, this was the first time they had ever visited a doctor. How they had managed to make it so far in school is beyond our ability to understand…but now that is behind them.

Thanks to the hard work and concern of two of our vision entrepreneurs, Yoli and Clara Luz, these children have a better shot at a much brighter future.

 
New Development Experience 2006. Email: info@newdevelopmentexperience.com