Empower 350 Indigenous Youth in Guatemala

From June to Octobre 2024, we trained and empowered 30 Maya-Q´eqchi´ youth from Santa Elena 20 de Octubre to protect endangered wildlife in their community. We carried out three participative workshops in the local school about three main subjects: the ecological importance of endangered wildlife and the vital roles each specie plays to maintain ecosystem balance and health; proper use of the wildlife reproduction calendar of our region to guide conservation and responsible hunting of endangered mammals and birds; and how to protect the animals in risk of extinction in our community and region. Large wildlife reproduction calendars and posters of wildlife in risk of extinction were provided as environmental education materials to support the school´s feedback and reinforcement of the topics learned.

Local youth were very interested in knowing more about the interesting lives of wild animals and how they can help to protect them and increase their numbers in their community. They shared their gratitude and appreciation for ORCONDECO´s education and conservation work that has allowed and is allowing many wild animals who had disappeared from their lands to return to feed, live and reproduce in the forests of Atz´umak Reserve and Santa Elena community. They also expressed their joy and awe when seeing howler monkey families with babies live and eat in their lands and near their homes; and watch scarlet macaws, chachalacas and keel billed Toucan rest in high trees and fly over their homes. Their acknowledgement for the positive results of our long-term conservation efforts fills us with motivation, strength and hope to continue empowering them as conservation guardians and allies to care for Mother Nature. Local teachers and youth established agreements to protect and not harm endangered animals and enrich wildlife habitat planting native fruit trees as part of the school commitments and priority activities during 2024-2025.         

Thank you for your generous support to provide high-quality, locally-suited and heart-awakening environmental education for Mayan youth in Alta Verapaz. The donations received through GlobalGiving help us expand our work to train and empower more youth and teachers from priority schools and high-schools to love, reconnect and protect endangered wildlife and its habitat in the rainforests and wetlands of their communities.