Has it never happened to you that you feel your life has no meaning?

Well, it has for me; before I had the privilege of being a Scout, I was a person searching for identity, trying to fit in with everyone and no one at the same time. Many times, we pretend to be someone we're not so that more people will approach us and we can feel the attention we need, without even thinking about the consequences.

Surely, I would be doing nothing with my life right now, following the system's protocol of being born, growing, surviving, and dying. Here's the catch: giving myself the chance to experience what often terrifies and overwhelms us… it gave me life, the courage to face my fears, and the ability to take a step forward on the path that was opening up for me.

Who would have thought I was looking for food when I discovered what would give meaning to my life? I had never felt so important, and the best part is that at no point did I have to change to feel accepted. But in this little place, life smiles at me in a better way. Hearing everyone say my name makes me feel like I truly exist; I don't know if it's just my imagination.

But I can certainly say that I lived much more in these 3 years than in the rest of my life. Meeting foreigners and having the opportunity to interact with them is so exciting!

But more than that, I met incredible people who leave you speechless with all their anecdotes, and the experiences they share with you are fascinating. Likewise, being alongside your friends while climbing a mountain, standing on the top of a volcano, or running a marathon – the possibilities are endless. You could be out selling cookies to raise funds to buy food for stray dogs, or you could have a Mayan ring toss competition, and in both situations, it will be great because you're doing it with people who see the world the same way you do. That's sensational.

Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! But it doesn't all end there. Now that they've given me everything I needed to be happy, I'm in debt. That's why every time I have the opportunity to serve, nothing stops me from giving my best. In every activity, in every new project, in every proposal, giving my best is paramount. Without a doubt, I love this, I love it here. Protejo Mi Comunidad changed my life, gave me opportunities for growth, gifted me an identity, and now, thanks to what it gave me, there's no place where it's not evident that I am the best version of myself.

There is no honor in feeling superior to others, only in being better than my previous self.

José Tepaz, Scout from Group #26 of Protejo Mi Comunidad

The Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance, MSPAS, has opened a new COVID-19 vaccination center in Boca del Monte, Municipality of Villa Canales. It is located on the premises of the Protejo Mi Comunidad hub.

The vaccination center is open to the public from Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 15:00 and Saturdays from 08:00 to 12:00, in order to serve the residents of Boca del Monte, a village located in Villa Canales, close to the capital city, with over 80,000 inhabitants.

In addition to complying with all protocols and biosafety measures for the prevention of COVID-19, this vaccination center has pedestrian access and a separate vehicular access exclusively for the elderly, waiting areas, reception, registration, digitization, vaccination, basic observation, and post-vaccine recovery.

The team of volunteers from Protejo mi Comunidad is actively collaborating in guiding and assisting visitors.

The requirements to be vaccinated at the vaccination center located on the Protejo mi Comunidad premises in Boca del Monte (BDM) are: to be registered on the Government of Guatemala portal vacuna.gob.gt, meet the requirements indicated on the portal, and present yourself at the vaccination center with your DPI (National Identification Document) in hand.

We invite all residents of Villa Canales to join the Protejo Mi Comunidad volunteer team, in order to serve the people who visit the vaccination center.

For contact and more information, please communicate via protejomicomunidad.com, email: vacuna@protejomicomunidad.com or on the fanpage https://www.facebook.com/protejomicomunidad/.

Together working for the health of our community!