From the trash heap into the classroom

Hanley Denning spends most of her waking hours caring for and teaching 325 of the world's poorest children.

The children live and work in the central trash dump in Guatemala City. Many are without fathers. Most cannot afford school.

Almost all have been forced since a very early age - sometimes as young as 4 years old - to collect and then refabricate or resell the twisted-metal appliances, soiled clothing, and battered toys that litter the dump.

Ms. Denning's group, Safe Passage, is not unlike scores of other charitable organizations spread throughout Guatemala and Central America.

All have the aim of sustaining and, as best they can, lifting up a group of people who have not found a place in the region's fragile economy, explained Denning who met with the Monitor during a recent fundraising trip to the US. Often, those they seek to help have also been battered by emotional trauma.

But Safe Passage remains unique. For one thing, Denning's care of the children goes beyond basic philanthropy.

Her group pays for children's school tuition, their uniforms, their books. It also offers instruction in reading and writing, and life skills, such as carpentry and sewing.

But Safe Passage also puts into practice Denning's belief that education is pointless without focused care for the emotional well-being of children and even support for their families.

Many of the children she works with - all of whom enter first grade in their first year in the program no matter what their age - are deeply serious. Because they have been called on to work for their families at such a young age, they have often adopted a rigid demeanor better suited to a chief executive than a child.

"Part of what we do is teaching them how to be children again," says Denning.

"That comes from integrating them into a classroom setting helping them establish peers, and giving them the emotional support to adopt a routine."

For many children, that sort of progress comes in very small increments, says Denning.

One example: a boy who two years ago had difficulty staying in school, which is a requirement of the program, more than 15 minutes each day. He was extremely angry, says Denning, and struggled through every moment of class.

Now, the boy is one of the program's strongest students. "We really believe in giving everyone as much of a chance as we can to let them improve their life," says Denning.

Denning's critics say Safe Passage dedicates too much time and too many resources to working with children who are too old for reform, or are so emotionally fragile that they are not teachable.

The group accepts applicants as old as 13.

"Some other orgs might say, 'Well, it's a little late for them,' looking at a 13-year-old, for example. That's a very personal decision for every program director and staff to go through," says Denning. "We don't share that belief. We believe it's never too late for working with a child."

And she is committed to supporting them in their education as far as they want to go - even through college.

The program has been running for about four years, and parents in Guatemala City's brutal Zone Three district are clamoring to gain admission for their children. This fall, Denning expects interest from more than 300 families.

She and her staff will visit the children's homes and evaluate their economic need and their family structure, and the children's desire to participate. They will admit children with the most need and the sincerest desire to learn, says Denning.

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