Proyecto Jardín de Amor

Jardín de Amor was founded on June 15th, 2005 by Julio García Reyes, inspired by a petition by a group of mothers who did not have the money to pay for their children’s` educations. The project is located in Santa María de Jesús, 15 minutes by bus from Antigua. Its purpose is to make the children laugh and dream, giving them education, love and good health.

Jardín de Amor is a school where education, recreational activities, and daily snacks are offered to the children of the community. All the kids who enter the school are from poor families. In the future, the program would like to provide the children daily lunches as well, because their parents (poor farmers) cannot provide lunches for their malnourished children.

Through the help of “La Unión”, Jardín de Amor has grown tremendously, currently providing for 80 children ages 4-16, who now have desks and other furniture in their classroom.

As a volunteer, you can help teach classes, play with them, help with their homework and assist with other activities that develop their educations. Jardín de Amor accepts both single-day volunteers and volunteers wishing to work longer. Work shifts are from 8am-12pm and 1:30-4:30pm. To volunteer, only need only beginner-level Spanish, to be keen enough to amuse yourself, and to have lots of love to give to the children.

Sometimes there are construction projects (painting, making reparations, etc.) where the volunteers can help. If you wish to help with these construction projects, please ask us so that we can verify if there is work at the moment for you.

If you wish, donations of learning materials (notebooks, pens, crayons, erasers, others), food or financial assistance for the children are gladly accepted. Because it is supported solely through donations from people like you, Jardín de Amor will gladly accept any donation.