Empower 350 Indigenous Youth in Guatemala

From January to May 2024, we engaged youth to create an organic tree nursery to grow native fruit trees. We prepared leaf fertilizer and vermicompost to nurture the seedlings. One hundred and fifty trees were planted in strategic areas selected by youth to provide food resources for local people and wildlife, protect the soil and rivers from erosion and enhance habitat connectivity. The tree species planted include Maya nut, sapote, sapodilla, nancy, sugar apple, avocado, guama, icre-cream bean, bread fruit, among others. Youth also prepared raised three beds to grow root crops. Ginger, turmeric and galangal were the first species planted to provide medicine and train local people on how to improve their health and treat diseases naturally in the near future.   

During this semester our project region suffered extreme weather conditions, that ranged from heavy rain to high temperatures and severe drought. Unfortunately, this damaged local people´s annual food crops and threatened their subsistence and economy. Implementing locally-suited alternatives to adapt to climate change is increasingly vital for local people´s livelihoods and well-being. Reforestation with native food trees and cultivating medicinal crops are two key climate change mitigation and adaptation measures we are developing with youth leaders to strengthen conservation and support sustainable livelihoods.

The donations received through GlobalGiving allow us expand these climate change adaptation initiatives engaging and empowering more youth leaders to mindfully co-create resilience in indigenous communities from the ancestral rainforests of Alta Verapaz.

We treasure your trust and are deeply grateful for your help to provide hands-on skills and opportunities for Mayan youth to care for nature and support the well-being of nature and their communities with love, commitment and long-term vision.

From July to December 2023, we trained and empowered 15 Mayan youth through five applied trainings on leadership, organic agriculture, and wildlife conservation at the Atz´umak Center and within local communities. These young leaders then shared their new knowledge and skills to benefit their communities by training an additional 60 youth and teachers from local high schools. Together, they put their skills into action and created one organic tree nursery, planted 200 native fruit trees in strategic sites for local people and wildlife, operationalized one organic school garden, planted 100 meters of flower corridors, and built five artisanal nest boxes that protect and enrich habitat for native pollinators.

After the first two training workshops, one of the young leaders, Rafael expressed what the empowerment process has awakened and inspired in him. His message deeply inspires us. Below, we share its translation to English:

“Orcondeco, I have felt your echo in the bottom of my heart,

Echo of light and hope for me and my friends.

My feelings are your feelings; your feelings are my feelings,

Thank you for being a part of me, of my dreams and wishes.

Together we can “Atz´umak”, let´s FLOURISH…”

The donations received through GlobalGiving allow us to train and empower more youth to actively care for their lands, protect Mother Nature, and develop sustainable livelihoods for the well-being of their families and communities across these endangered and biodiversity rich ancestral rainforests.

Thank you for your generous support to create locally suited opportunities for indigenous youth to thrive in their territory. It is life-changing!