Empower 350 Indigenous Youth in Guatemala

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!