Lopez Islanders Pat Torpie and Nancy Bingham couldn’t believe it when 900 tamales were gobbled up at the April 26 grand opening of the Centro de Capacitación (CECAP), a new vocational center they helped develop in Santa Cruz la Laguna, Guatemala.

“Hundreds of people of all ages came to celebrate this amazing community accomplishment,” says Torpie, who, with Bingham, founded Amigos de Santa Cruz, a non-profit community development organization, in 1998. The completion of the CECAP building is just one of the many achievements Amigos has supported.

Torpie and Bingham spend part of each year in Santa Cruz la Laguan, a remote village of 2500 people on Lake Atitlán. Surrounded by jagged mountains, Santa Cruz is accessible only by foot or boat and is one of the poorest municipalities in all of Guatemala. Over the years, many people from Lopez have visited there, and even more have been involved with Amigos development work. “The support of people on Lopez is vital,” says Torpie. “It takes a larger community to make something like this happen.”

The something that is happening is the opportunity for youth and adults to receive an education and develop marketable skills.

“When Nancy and I decided we’d make Santa Cruz our part-time home, we wanted to be involved in the local community,” Torpie says. The two former teachers started by visiting schools. “What an eye-opening experience that was!” Torpie remembers. “There weren’t enough teachers, classrooms were dark, and they didn’t have any books or supplies.” When teachers requested books for the first-grade class, the two women wrote to family and friends for contributions to photocopy and bind books. “We gave each kid his or her own copy. One of those children is now studying at the university—we gave her her first book!”

Listening and responding to the needs of local people has been a constant in Amigos de Santa Cruz efforts. “We never just came in and said we were going to do a specific thing,” Torpie says. “Instead, we asked what people needed and worked with them to make it happen.” Initial efforts, such as providing books, a nutrition program, and scholarships, dramatically increased school enrollment.

“But now, people need work,” Torpie says. “The vocational center seemed like the logical next step to help improve the economy and create jobs.” The new CECAP is officially partnering with Guatemalan agencies to provide course curriculum and instruction for secondary students and adults in specific vocational programs such as carpentry, welding, sewing, cooking, and restaurant management. “The culinary program may be the first of its kind in Guatemala,” says Torpie. Future plans include a restaurant that will provide first-hand experience as well as generate income to support the classes. Eventually, the center also will house an arts and crafts shop to sell items made at CECAP.

A committee of local people worked for three years to design the building, plan the program, and set policy for building use (it also serves as a community center for public meetings).

Torpie predicts it will take another three years for CECAP to be fully operational and self-supporting. Until then, grants from Rotary and Seattle International Foundation are helping with start-up costs for basic operations, and other fundraising efforts are underway.

From the beginning, Lopez has been one of Amigos’ primary support circles. “This center couldn’t happen without the people who help from afar,” Torpie says. “We are so grateful for the psychological, spiritual, and financial support from the Lopez community.”

Over the years, help from Lopez has come in a variety of forms including hosting house meetings for people to learn about Amigos; donations through automatic monthly payments or planned giving; serving as an ambassador for Amigos; or volunteering long-term to teach English or a skill. Right now, Amigos is seeking funds to hire permanent staff to develop the capacity to provide the programs the community desires. “We’re very small, with very low overhead,” Torpie says. “We do a lot with a little and really rely on contributions.”

To find out more about Amigos, visit www.amigosdesantacruz.org or contact Torpie or Bingham at 468-2057. Contributions can be made on-line or by check payable to Amigos de Santa Cruz and sent to Amigos de Santa Cruz, P.O. Box 148 Lopez Island, WA 98261.