Back to NewsIn 1992, Kay Sweeney, a Presentation Associate, went to Guatemala to volunteer with Sister Tonia Orland, a San Francisco Presentation Sister, who had started a religious community for Guatemalan indigenous women. Kay was struck by the natural beauty of the country and the beauty of the fabric woven by the indigenous women. However, she saw a problem – these women and their families were living very limited lives.
Kay learned that many had not attended school and did not speak Spanish, the national language. They longed for an education to learn new things and to earn money to provide a better life for themselves and their families.
The opportunity to help presented itself when a teacher at the convent talked with her about her dream of attending the university. It was clear that Kay could provide the very little support that would make that possible. Not wanting to play the rich North American patron, she told the young woman that her church in the United States had a scholarship fund and gave her the information to apply. Of course, she received the scholarship and she was able to get her university degree. From this beginning, the Kateri Tekakwitha Mission Fund was born.
Little by little, Kay’s friends and family joined her and the fund has grown and been able to provide scholarships for junior high and high school for more than 70 young women. Carmela Paz, the first young woman who received a scholarship, leads the program in Guatemala. She is assisted by Rosa Garcia and Candelaria Sut. An organic gardening project, microcredit program, and intern program to help the graduates get work experience and secure their first job have all been added over the years. The fund is still small, but is providing a way for the people it serves to change their lives.
Presentation Associate Kay Sweeney also received an $1,000 Easter Egg Grant for the Guatemalan Writing Project for Indigenous Women. The Easter Egg Grants are funded by donations to the Sisters of the Presentation Annual Easter Appeal.