Empower Maya Youth in a Post-Genocide Community

At Limitless Horizons Ixil, we believe strongly in the power of education as the key to a better future. However, while schooling itself is imperative, getting young people in the classroom is only the beginning. Amelia’s story highlights this.

Amelia graduated from middle school this year and is preparing for high school. In Guatemala, high school is a time of specialized study, where students select their “major” and apply to programs accordingly. Because of this, Amelia had to decide on her area of study for the following year. All of her friends were planning to apply to teaching courses, one of the most common areas of study for high school girls. However, although she wasn’t interested in teaching and didn’t feel this was the best path for her, she didn’t know that there were other options. This discouraged her; in fact, she even considered dropping out altogether, since she didn’t know that other majors even existed. Thankfully, our local staff team intervened.

Assistant Director Zuli talked with Amelia about the benefits of continuing her education, explaining that teaching wasn’t the only option, and that Chajul needs a variety of professions. They discussed her strongest subjects and passions and what she enjoyed doing in and out of school. Through this conversation, she discovered that she had a passion for languages, exceling in her Ixil, Spanish, and English courses. After careful consideration, Amelia decided to study bilingual administration, a specialization that will allow her good job prospects in the future. She also now has dreams of continuing on to university to study international affairs.

Amelia isn’t the only one in Chajul in this predicament. With few professional role models, youth are often not aware of the options available to them. With your support, we can continue working with these young scholars, helping them to forge their own paths and follow their dreams, providing a better future for their families and their community. Your generous donations are creating this opportuntity. Thank you for being a part of this transformation in Chajul -- we sincerely couldn’t do it without you.