Service Learning in Guatemala: A Reflection on Our 9-Day Journey
Date posted on August 25, 2025
Planting Seeds International is a long-time Diocesan development partner. They have built a progressive network of community-led projects across Guatemala that focus on providing access to high-quality, early childhood education. They operate in deeply underserved areas, such as Zone 3, a community surrounding and working within the Guatemala City landfill. Their play-based methodology promotes love of the whole child, built on the belief that “every child should have the right to learn how to play” (Madeli, PSI Founder). The organization’s core beliefs exemplify their integral approach to development:
Core Beliefs
- Every child deserves the right to a high-quality education, and children learn through play.
- Parents need to be supported as the primary educators of their children.
- Sustainable change is ONLY created when community members are involved and in charge of their own development.
PSI now has over 10 early childhood education centres, a fully operational community centre in Zone 3, and work with numerous partners to coordinate and amplify their collective impact. Their work in building access to primary education, community-owned and operated spaces, and supporting parents has had a significant impact on the outcomes of youth, families, and communities.
PSI offers a limited number of dual-exchange programs each year, allowing the opportunity for international groups to visit and learn about their work. This provides an important opportunity for community members, staff, and youth to meet groups from outside Guatemala, and educate them on their communities, programs, and culture. Likewise, groups from around the world are able to have an immersive learning experience and build their understanding of sustainable development practices.
A delegation from the Diocese of Hamilton recently participated in this dual-exchange program, visiting Guatemala in early July 2025. Learn more about this transformative experience through this series.
Blog written by: Christina Mines
This trip was profoundly meaningful to me. It widened my understanding of global solidarity and what it truly means to build a community dedicated to listening to the cries of the poor. More than anything, it helped me become more fully human — deepening my sense of empathy and teaching me new ways of living the love of Christ in everyday life.
Introduction
From July 4–12, 2025, I had the privilege of joining a service-learning delegation to Guatemala with a group of nine Catholic educators and pastoral ministry leaders from the Diocese of Hamilton. Our journey took us through Guatemala City, Antigua Guatemala, San Lucas, and San Martín Tioxya — regions rich in culture, resilience, and faith.
This trip was profoundly meaningful to me. It widened my understanding of global solidarity and what it truly means to build a community dedicated to listening to the cries of the poor. More than anything, it helped me become more fully human — deepening my sense of empathy and teaching me new ways of living the love of Christ in everyday life.
Our Mission & Purpose
Our mission was not to “help,” but to accompany — to listen, to learn, and to be present with the communities we visited. We went as pilgrims, not tourists, called to humility and relationship.
Through direct encounters, service experiences, and daily reflection, we aimed to:
- Build authentic relationships across cultures.
- Deepen our understanding of social justice rooted in Catholic Social Teaching and community-led development.
- Reflect on the ways we are called to respond — spiritually, personally, and communally — to injustice, poverty, and hope.
We returned home not just with stories, but with new commitments, open hearts, and a deeper sense of mission.
Days 1-3
Click here to continue reading reflections from their 9-day journey.