Education for Impoverished Guatemalan Youth

When Karla was a child, she lived in a single-room wooden home without clean water or consistent electricity. Her family shared the space for everything — sleeping, cooking, studying — and had to walk several blocks to collect water by hand. Her environment was unstable and isolating, and Karla, quiet and fearful, struggled with anxiety at school and rarely made friends.

But Karla’s life began to change the day she was affiliated with Common Hope. At the time, she was too shy to speak during her intake, but the organization began walking alongside her with consistent care — providing school supplies, academic tutoring, medical attention, and emotional support. Over time, Karla’s confidence grew. Through workshops focused on self-esteem and identity, she found her voice.

“Thanks to the medical care, emotional support, and self-esteem workshops I received, I came to know myself and say: yo puedo, yo valgo — I can, I am worthy,” Karla shared during a recent interview in one of our Mente Sana mental health clinics.

Karla’s journey was not without challenges. After surviving a natural disaster that displaced her family, she faced the trauma of loss and instability again. She expressed that in her childhood, psychological support was something she wished had been available. Today, it’s part of what drives her: Karla is now in her final year of a psychology degree at the University of San Carlos, and she is completing her clinical practice at the same Foundation that once supported her.

Now, Karla supports other children and youth who struggle with the same emotional burdens she once carried. She is an example of the full-circle impact that holistic health care can have. The Common Hope Health Program — which includes medical and dental care, as well as mental health counseling and workshops — now serves hundreds of families in Antigua and beyond. By integrating health services with education and family support, the program makes it possible for students to not only attend school, but to thrive in all areas of their lives.

In Karla’s words, the support of donors makes all the difference: “To the sponsors and donors — may God bless you, because without even knowing us, you’ve supported our dreams.”

Her story reminds us that health is not just about treating illness — it's about affirming human dignity, nurturing confidence, and opening doors to a future filled with purpose.

Thank you for helping make that future possible.