In February 2018, Germaine Broadbent, a Flywire Relationship Manager, went to Guatemala along with several of her Flywire coworkers in an effort to extend Flywire’s corporate social responsibility initiative. During the trip, she and the other FlyMates (Flywire employees), in conjunction with School the World, helped [build a school for a community in need](https://www.flywire.com/currentcy/inside-flywire/school-the-world-guatemala/).
While the new school is already providing opportunities for local students, participating in its construction has had a lasting effect on the FlyMates who were involved in the project—especially Germaine.
In August, she visited Flywire school client LSC Stanton—which has just been renamed [Bayswater College London](https://www.bayswater.ac/london) by it’s new owners James Herbertson and Stephan Roussounis. Each time a student buys a week of English classes from Bayswater College London, his or her tuition also pays for a week of courses for students in need at a school in Brazil. This social-minded approach resonated with Germaine. While she was there, Germaine talked to a group of Bayswater College London students about the benefits of doing charitable work overseas.
While speaking to the students, Germaine reflected on her time in Guatemala. She hopes she was able to inspire some of them to spend some time giving something back, either in their home towns or overseas.
“I went to Guatemala because I wanted to help people and I wanted an adventure for myself. I achieved those things,” Germaine said, “but the perspective I gained from the trip was more powerful than I’d ever anticipated. Now, I find myself reflecting on questions of circumstance, like, ‘How does one find happiness in spite of poverty?’ And ‘Is access to the internet a counterproductive complication in our lives?’”
The school construction project in Guatemala was just the beginning of Flywire’s six-year commitment to our partnership with School the World. Plans for FlyMates to return to Guatemala are already being discussed. Check back soon for more details on Flywire’s work helping communities in need in Guatemala.