Aiken woman helps education efforts in Guatemala

Toni Jerome shares photos of her four children and nine grandchildren with parents and students in Agua Caliente, a small town in western Guatemala. (Photo by Stepfani Romine)

For self-proclaimed lifelong "bookaholic" Toni Jerome, a childhood without a single book seems downright unimaginable.

During a recent trip to Guatemala with her sister-in-law and a group called Cooperative for Education, which sets up sustainable textbook programs in secondary schools there, the lack of books for eager young minds profoundly affected her.

"I can't think of anything better than giving books to children," she said.

Jerome, an Aiken resident, spent 10 days in the Central American country in February on a book delivery tour with CoEd, a nonprofit based dually in Guatemala and Cincinnati, Ohio.

She assisted in inauguration ceremonies at schools, shared photos of her four children and nine grandchildren with the students and even delivered a dedication speech at the Agua Caliente NUFED School in western Guatemala.

"I had no idea I would be standing in front of a group of a couple hundred people," she said, as the shock of the day's events were starting to wear off. "And I found out about it two days ago."

With the aid of a Spanish interpreter, Jerome spoke to the hundreds of students, parents and townsfolk who gathered in the schoolyard for the book ceremony. Standing on a stage blanketed in a thick layer of pine needles laid in honor of the American visitors, she discussed her own love of books and how happy she was to be in Guatemala.

Jerome first learned about CoEd three years ago, after her brother, George MacMaster, a pediatric dentist in Alpharetta, Ga., got involved with CoEd. When soft-spoken MacMaster returned from a tour of Guatemala with the group, he couldn't stop talking about it. Jerome and her sister-in-law, Michele MacMaster, knew they had to get involved, too.

"He just came back from that trip loaded with enthusiasm," said Jerome. "I could not believe the impression it made on him and, besides that, he's a wonderful businessman and he was so impressed by the sustainability nonprofit."

In addition to being struck by the emotions of the children and the experience, Jerome also was impressed by the well-organized tour and the co-founders, brothers Joe and Jeff Berninger, who about 15 years ago left behind bright futures in corporate America to help Guatemala schoolchildren break the cycle of poverty through education.

"Behind that (emotion) has to come good organization and a sensible business plan, and in particular a sustainable program," said Jerome.

CoEd, which has helped more than 92,000 students through its 194 school programs over the years, has 40 employees in the U.S. and Guatemala. Founded in 1996, the group sets up community-based textbook programs that foster cooperation and self-reliance. Students "rent" the textbooks that CoEd provides the schools (for about $1.60 each) and, after five years, schools have enough money in their coffers to expand the program to other grades or subjects, buy new books or even buy computers.

CoEd's initial $5,000 investment helps the schools help themselves, said co-founder Joe Berninger. "The majority of nonprofits just dump supplies and leave. We help the schools and allow them to become self-sufficient."

Though Jerome knew she would learn about CoEd's work in Guatemala, which has the second-lowest literacy rate in the Western Hemisphere, she originally thought she would spend much of her time as a tourist, pursuing her other love: handmade crafts.

"I knew we would be handing out books, but I didn't know about the (inauguration) program" or the quality time with the children, she said.

Jerome, who owned the Aiken art and crafts gallery The Artists' Parlor for 27 years, pictured days wandering through markets in search of the intricate textiles for which the Mayans in Guatemala are known, along with baskets, jewelry and other crafts. She did find some time to shop during a final weekend in Antigua, a bright city that was once Guatemala's colonial capital.

She was pleasantly surprised by the tour's set-up. "Spending time with the children and the actual giving of the books" were the most memorable parts of the trip, she said, and Jerome plans to continue to help CoEd.

She purchased a huipil, an elaborately hand-embroidered Mayan tunic that most girls and women still wear in rural Guatemala. Jerome said she plans to auction the huipil later this year.

For more information on Cooperative for Education, visit www.coeduc.org or call (513) 731-2595.