Education for Impoverished Guatemalan Youth

Common Hope | Familias de Esperanza is a NGO working with more than 14,000 individuals in 27 communities in Guatemala to remove barriers to education and provide the resources needed to achieve better lives.

The beginning of the year at Common Hope is one of the happiest and most important times for our affiliated families, students, and staff members. Here in Guatemala it is also the beginning of the school year. The new school year represents so much for Common Hope families––new goals, pursuing dreams and hopes, and the strong will to move forward.
At Common Hope, we believe that with the right attitude and resources every student will be able to accomplish his or her goals and dreams. That’s why our staff takes great care to work with students and families before the school year starts to know where they’re going to school, what the school’s requirements are, and what supplies and books they will need. We take time to learn what the families’ goals are for the year, both academic and in general.

Even though the public primary school system is “free,” there are still costs associated with going to school. The average family Common Hope works with has scarce resources and often these costs become a barrier to sending their students to school. That’s why we partner with them to provide everything they need to start the year off on the right foot!
Each year, Common Hope hosts School Supply Days, providing supplies, books, and uniforms to more than 3,500 students! From our site in Antigua, we coordinate with 20 local communities, as well as in San Rafael el Arado, San Miguel Milpas Altas, and San Pedro Ayampuc.

This year, Vision Team volunteers from the United States worked alongside Common Hope staff to unload the trucks, unpack boxes, and organize supplies. Our volunteers enjoyed meeting some of the families Common Hope partners with!
School Supply Days are truly a family and community affair; parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, all come to celebrate the start of the new school year and to support their children in their academic endeavors. These days are filled with smiles and gratitude–they are more than just a "notebook pick-up." Rather, it's a day where communities come together to celebrate the value of education in their future and to embrace the hope of a new school year and all of its opportunity.

For Common Hope, the start of the year is all about working with students and families to set goals and prepare for a successful year ahead. But that’s just the beginning! Throughout the entire year, we work closely with students and families to make sure they are having success in school, staying healthy, and making progress towards their goals.