Empower Maya Youth in a Post-Genocide Community

Soon-to-be 8th grader, Joselina, is on her way to becoming the first in her family with a high school degree, a monumental achievement in a community where most girls don't even make it to middle school. She comes from a single-parent household where her mom, María, didn’t have the opportunity to go to school, never learning to read, write, or speak Spanish. They live in a shared house with ten other family members, including Joselina’s grandparents and cousins. María works hard to support her family, selling her handmade weavings and growing and selling tomatoes. On weekends and school vacations, Joselina makes her own beautiful artisan items and helps with her mom’s sales.

Converting challenges into opportunities

In January, when Joselina and her 23 classmates ( girls) began with Colegio Horizontes, she struggled tremendously to express herself in both her native Ixil and in Spanish. After a year of being immersed in a high-quality, safe, supportive learning environment with dynamic, interactive classes, Joselina has found her voice. She is empowered and confident and expresses herself freely, seeing herself as an equal to her male classmates: she and her peers represent the positive impact that a high-quality, girl-focused education can have.


Every problem has a solution

Joselina loves learning and being in school all day (compared to 4.5 hours in local schools). While she has excelled in all her classes, her favorite subjects are math and art. She loves “learning new strategies and different techniques to solve problems.” Math is one of the most difficult subjects for Chajul’s students, with just 1% of high school graduates passing the national exam. To break down barriers, our teachers plan and lead engaging classes so that students learn to think critically and understand the subject more easily. As a result, Joselina and her peers are learning to truly love it!


Hands in the dirt, head in the sun

Joselina particularly enjoys hands-on lessons in the school garden, where vegetables and fruits are grown and then used in nutritious school meals. With environmentally friendly practices incorporated into the curriculum, such as gardening and learning about the solar panels used to power the school (which allow learning to go uninterrupted by frequent community-wide power outages), Colegio Horizontes is an example of environmentally sustainable practices for students and their community.


Dreams for the future

Joselina’s dream is to become the first in her family to graduate from college to become a nurse for Chajul so that she can help her fellow community members. Her mom, María, is excited for her daughter to provide medical services in Chajul, where there are few bilingual (Spanish-Ixil) female providers. She has always dreamed of a better future for her children, one with professional work opportunities that can lead to a life outside of poverty.

“The big changes Colegio Horizontes is making in Chajul is providing opportunities for women, opening doors so they can achieve their dreams.” – María.


Looking ahead to 2023

2022 was a year filled with milestones and accomplishments far beyond what we could have ever imagined, and it was all thanks to supporters like you. With the 2022 school year recently coming to a close, the entire Limitless Horizons Ixil team thanks you for joining us to expand and deepen high-quality and holistic education in Chajul!