Senderos
Senderos, formerly known as PEG Partners, was founded in 2004 by David LaMotte and Deanna LaMotte. Originally concentrating on literacy and critical thought, Senderos has shifted focus in recent years to also support projects related to arts and cultural preservation, as well as mentoring and tutoring for teens.
Senderos partners with three primary projects in Guatemala, with occasional support for other projects as well. Those three flagship projects include a music program in El Tejar Chimaltenango, a preschool/primary school in Tzanchaj, Atitlán, and a mentoring program for disadvantaged teens, also in El Tejar. You can learn more about those in the Projects section of this website.
Senderos, which means “pathways,” focuses on connecting extraordinary local leaders in Guatemala with resources they need to create positive impact on children in their communities, via education, arts, and mentoring. We place a strong emphasis on long-term relationships, transparency, and mutual respect.
Senderos also handles donations in an unusual way, leaving it to the donor to decide how much of their gift goes to administration costs. We keep those costs to a minimum, with only one part-time employee, and when we gather undesignated donations at events, all of that goes directly to projects. If you would like to support our work, join us on a trip, or get in touch, we look forward to hearing from you.
Let’s Be Neighbors
If we are going to find our way forward together, we have to know each other. We don’t have to agree. In fact, we may actively oppose each other’s goals, especially when the words or actions of some neighbors may hurt other neighbors.
Even as we live in that tension, though, we need to stop dehumanizing each other, and do the hard, essential, sometimes painful and sometimes joyful work of really knowing the people around us. And, yes, we do need to find our way forward together. If we’re not together, it’s not forward.
That’s what I want to say to my neighbors — the people who actually walk and drive past my house. I want them to know that no matter who they are, if their car battery dies, I’ll give them a jump. And when something comes up that is difficult, we can talk about it.
It’s not naive to think you can change the world. It’s naive to think you could possibly be in the world and not change it. Thanks for being a part of a change for the better.
