School Material Giveaway | Chumila, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala | February 18, 2026

What began with a fundraising effort that started in April of 2025 came to fruition on February 18, 2026, when Dear Future delivered school materials to 62 students in the aldea of Chumila, a remote community in the Alta Verapaz region of north-central Guatemala.

https://earth.google.com/earth/d/1nCmaNfteEdg6ZUkyn35woqPU1Bl3Zi8B?usp=sharing

This initiative marked a significant milestone for the organization and for its Guatemalan partner, Florece Esperanza, a grassroots effort currently navigating the lengthy and costly process of becoming a registered local nonprofit. In the interim, Florece Esperanza is operating as an extension of Dear Future on the ground, allowing the collaboration to move forward without delay.

The team: Brenda, Ediberta and Walter (Left to right)

Chumila sits approximately four hours from Cobán, the more central city of Alta Verapaz, a distance that speaks volumes about the isolation many rural Guatemalan communities face; and Chumila lays closer to the border with Mexico than the capital Guatemala city.

The school serving the aldea operates across six primary grade levels, and does so with a single teacher. That stark reality is part of what drives the collaboration between Dear Future and Florece Esperanza, and why the work extends beyond a one-time delivery. Walter Flores, representing Dear Future, traveled from Portland, Oregon to join Brenda Sucup, Florece Esperanza's organizer, and Ediberta Gonzalez for the giveaway, a joint effort reflecting the shared commitment of both organizations to the community.

The journey to Chumila required a 4x4 vehicle and tested both the equipment and the resolve of the team. Road conditions presented a series of challenges, but Walter and Brenda

A pencil and a notebook can really fill a child with joy!

pressed on, ultimately reaching the community and placing basic school supplies directly into the hands of 62 students. The return trip proved equally demanding, and the team arrived back with a few bumps and bruises, but safe.

The material delivery is only one piece of a broader effort. Florece Esperanza has also been working alongside Fernanda Chivalán, Florece's education expert to develop curriculums and educational support designed to strengthen the capacity of local mothers who are taking an active role in teaching their children

foundational kindergarten-level skills.

Looking ahead, Dear Future and Florece Esperanza plan to fundraise to support the school itself with desks and dry erase boards, addressing some of the

most basic infrastructure needs that remain unmet in communities like Chumila.

The difficulties of reaching this aldea only underscore the reality faced by the families there. For Dear Future and Florece Esperanza, this delivery was not just a giveaway, it was a proof of commitment, and a foundation for the work still ahead; which includes proving a successful system to support parents and students psychologically and educationally. We would like to extend our appreciation to all the individuals that donated for this mission including South Valley Community Church, Katrina Morshead, Soumaya Shaw, Ann and Larry Rudd, Janine Peak, and Dear Journey Tourism; who made this project a reality.