Education & Empowerment for Girls in Guatemala

CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY

Education is a human right, but one that’s impossible to embrace without literacy. The world comes together every year on September 8th to celebrate International Literacy Day. This day recognizes that literacy is fundamental to providing individuals with relevant knowledge, skills, and competencies that transform education and shape a more sustainable and peaceful society.

Approximately 496 million women worldwide cannot read and write - making up 2/3 of the illiterate population. This is especially true in Indigenous communities. Barriers such as geographic isolation, cultural differences, and economic hardships have prevented countless Indigenous girls from attending school. This lack of access perpetuates cycles of poverty and threatens the preservation of their rich cultural heritage.

BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS - PROJECT IMPULSO

The advent of COVID-19 has further impacted girls’ literacy development and has exacerbated the challenges girls in rural Guatemala already face.

To address the learning gap that resulted from the pandemic, MAIA designed Project Impulso. After elementary school and before entering the Impact School, Girl Pioneers complete a yearlong full-time academic preparatory program to reinforce key areas like English, technology, math, reading and language arts, vocal empowerment, and mentorship. In 2023, 36 girls entered Project Impulso.

PRESERVING CULTURAL HERITAGE

At MAIA, we believe in the importance of cultural identity, and education is a tool for preserving and celebrating the rich heritage of Indigenous communities. By integrating the Maya Kaqchikel language and traditional knowledge into the curriculum, we ensure that Girl Pioneers grow up with a strong sense of self and an appreciation for their cultural roots.

EVIDENCE FROM THE MAIA IMPACT SCHOOL

The long-term impacts of investing in girls’ education and literacy are staggering. They gain the skills and knowledge to advocate for their rights, contribute to their communities, and access better economic opportunities. Literacy also gives girls more control over their own futures – including when, whether, and whom they marry.

We are proud to share that MAIA Girl Pioneers surpassed the national and state average scores in the national standardized tests in Language and Math administered to high school graduates. 

Links:

• Organization Website
• Read more about Project Impulso at the MAIA Impact School

At MAIA, we are a team of committed, enthusiastic, and brave women and girls. We are determined to redefine our trajectory and that of our families, to work for our community, and we believe that a profound change is possible so we can live with dignity and equity.

We are honored to represent the people who make up our team, the Girl Pioneers, and their families. We firmly believe that change is possible and that every woman who is part of our educational community is talented, has infinite potential, and can break any status quo. Our strength and hope comes from our own stories.

We are two Indigenous women who come from the same communities as the Girl Pioneers, and we have families that face challenges similar to the families of the Girl Pioneers. Today we are in this position thanks to the entire support network that boosted our talent. We had powerful allies along the way who made our potential and talent flourish.

At MAIA, we believe that education is the base to achieve sustainable change in our communities. Therefore, our objective for 2023 is to guarantee that all Girl Pioneers in our program have the opportunity to have a solid support network around them and a quality education that helps strengthen their abilities and talent and brings them closer to opportunities that other girls and adolescents in their social, economic, and geographical context usually do not have access to.

We want our society and the world to learn more about the stories and capabilities of each of the Girl Pioneers. We want to share their potential, that of the Indigenous population to which we belong, as well as the challenges we face. We want to build alliances and networks where we can play a corresponding role with trust and transparency to create a world with more justice and equity. We want to be a reference showing that it is possible to break the status quo, stereotypes about Indigenous women, and the traditional roles that society has imposed on us

In Guatemala, women represent 51.2% of the population (UN Women, 2014), but we are always presented as victims and not as agents of change and leaders. We are aware that assuming the role of Co-Executive Directors is not an easy task; it requires perseverance, tenacity, and a support network to navigate in a world that is not usually created for us.

Breaking this status quo generates a lot of impact in all dimensions of life; however, we keep in mind that we must never lose our essence as Indigenous women, our values, and our worldview. When leaving our communities, we do not forget our qawinaq (our people), qach’ab’äl (our way of being), qab´anikil chuqa’ qana’oj (our knowledge). Even though we suffer derogatory comments and discrimination for proudly wearing our clothing and speaking our language, we have learned from our families to share what is ours, to live in the community, and highlight our roots. We arm ourselves with strength every day to face violence and discrimination in its different forms, and we raise our voices.

As leaders, we are the reflection of each one of our students. We see in their talent, desire, ideals, and strength, but also the limitations and challenges that we ourselves face. We see with concern and disappointment that things have not progressed much since we were in primary and elementary school, when there were no high schools in our communities, and the opportunity to advance at this level was almost impossible. As citizens of this country, inequality affects us in the deepest way, but it should matter to us equally because the only way to achieve development is to see each other as equals and invest in children and youth.

We dream of seeing more young women graduating from high school, continuing their education in university, having a formal job, deciding for themselves, owning their future, and redefining our history.

Getting to this point is an ambitious process and path. It is not easy, but it is not impossible either. We know that as a community, we can continue advancing towards a society with equity for women and girls, but it requires strength and effort from all of us in the spaces we occupy.

Thank you for being a part of MAIA's Support Network!

A message from MAIA's Co-Executive Directors, Andrea Coché and Lidia Oxí