Hola, Soy Maura

As this is my first post, I thought I would introduce myself a bit. I am (pending thesis :( ) finished with my Master’s in Economics from UConn, and have been working on MEOG right from the very beginning.

(This is me -- overlooking Antigua)

The idea, as you know, came from Justin’s experiences last summer in Guatemala, and the impetus to put the idea into action came one night following a particularly frustrating discussion concerning the disconnect between academia and grassroots level development. Being the young idealists and entrepreneurs that we are, Justin and I were motivated to action. Its grown a lot since we first discussed it, and we hope you will get excited about it too, much like we did that first night.

Amidst the frenzy of finishing our Master's coursework on time, Justin and I have worked the past few months (with the help of many) to develop and flesh out the ideas and mission of this project. The idea started in Guatemala, and that is where we have returned to put our work into action.

Coming to Guatemala without a return ticket home means the length of our stay here is pretty up in the air. Our tentative plan is to stay for the next three months (or until our money runs out :))but are ready to stay as long as it takes to get this site up and running. This is my first time in Guatemala, Justin's second, and we are both quickly adjusting to life in Guatemala.

So far this process has been both exciting and difficult, with a number of inevitable setbacks but also some hard-earned progress, and with hopefully many more adventures to come. I hope you will continue to be interested in our project, and maybe even get involved yourself. Check back here for updates on our progress, and feel free to post comments or ask questions.

Cheers,

Maura