the sienna project
Building Schools in Guatemala

Martin Lavanhar, Unitarian Society of Ridgewood (NJ), accepting the award from the Rev. Tracy Sprowls-Jenks
Martin Lavanhar accepting
the Winifred Latimer Norman
Award For Extraordinary Commitment and Service
in the Area of Social and Racial
Justice from the New York Metro
Distinct of the UUA, May 2009 on
behalf of himself and his son
and partner, Derek Lavanhar
map showing where we work .
Building Schools in the
highlands of Guatemala.

Attending school translates into opportunity.

The Sienna Project is building schools in small indigenous mountain villages (cantons) in the Highlands of Guatemala, where there may not be enough classrooms or no classrooms at all. The national government pays teacher salaries, but does not provide funds for school buildings. In many indigenous villages children never go to school.

This project is intended as a living memorial to Sienna Lavanhar, the daughter of the Reverend Marlin and Anitra Lavanhar of All Souls in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Sienna died suddenly and unexpectedly three days after her third birthday.

Our first school building was erected in Agua Viva, Guatemala during February 2007. With your help we hope to build at least one school each year through 2011. More»
school finished
Completed school in Agua Viva being inspected by the locals
old and new school
The contrast between the new school and the old in Aqua Viva. With the addition
of the new school, the number of students attending has more the doubled.
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