Empower a Girl in Guatemala: Education after COVID

Using reading as the means for girls to learn about other cultures, different customs and “dream with their eyes open”, is our challenge to guarantee their schooling. Grandparents and some historians say that chuchitos is the dish used to share special moments in family or community.

Many girls who are not in the educational system are involved in the elaboration of chuchitos, in order to obtain an economic income to help their families, either as workers or with a small sale of their own. Chuchitos, a dish that is part of Guatemalan gastronomy, is prepared by wrapping the main ingredient, corn, a product that is grown in most rural areas of Guatemala and is a fundamental part of family meals, with tuza (leaves that cover the corn after it dries).

That is why FUNDAP believes it is essential to contribute to the integral development of scholarship girls by implementing activities such as the ‘Reading Club’, which aims to form the habit of reading, improve reading comprehension, expand vocabulary and, above all, enhance the creativity of the girls.

Some of our former scholarship holders formed a group called ‘Academic Tutors’, they are in charge of this accompaniment. Their mission is to carry out didactic activities with the support of mini-libraries, which were formed with the book donation campaign that took place this year, all with the aim of achieving the attention and permanence of our scholarship girls in the Reading Club.

Helping these girls with their education will make their future different; they will be an example of the improvement in their families and community. It is time to help them by contributing financially to our fundraising. Thank you infinitely.

Life should be a continuous education, something that in Guatemala we take very much into account: our goal is always to train new generations in different areas of life. First of all, it is important to know the traditions we have, as in gastronomy, where we elaborate dishes and drinks that are known throughout the country. One of them is the Atol de maíz quebrantado, a traditional drink made with criollo corn (corn grown in the highlands of Guatemala). So, it is broken on a grinding stone, ginger, súchil, and water, made in clay jars, moved with a grinder, and cooked in wood stoves, to be drunk preferably hot and without sugar.

This typical drink is usually elaborated by several mothers, with the main goal of selling it in communal markets, or also in an ambulant way, offering it in streets and homes. With this, they seek to obtain an economic income so that their children have access to education and cover the expenses required by the educational establishment, such as the purchase of school supplies and uniforms.

On many occasions, sales are not high enough to obtain the necessary income, and that is why it is so important to support the Scholarship Project for Girls and finance their education.

The achievements of these young girls and the project speak for themselves, demonstrating that with support, goals can be achieved:

• 90% of girls are already enrolled in the 2022 school cycle.
• The project expands its geographic coverage in Guatemala: scholarships will be provided in the Department of Huehuetenango.
• School supplies were delivered to girls in vulnerable situations to motivate them to continue their studies.
• Boards of Directors have been formed to follow up on the search for opportunities for the scholarship girls and thus develop their potential within and outside the community.

And the great news is that thanks to your donation, 142 girls have been selected to continue their high school education.
Thanks to your contribution we continue to provide study opportunities to change the history of each one of the girls.

The Q’umarkaj archaeological site is located in Quiché, department of Guatemala. It is characterized by having in its center a stone sundial that marks the four cardinal points, and because pieces of great value carved in jade and gold were found. But in addition, and no less important, it is said that in that area the maidens were women with an outstanding apprenticeship.

Currently however, and especially in the rural area of the department, women’s education has lagged behind. Only 5 out of 10 children attend school, despite the fact that Quiché has more than 1 million inhabitants and more than 360,000 people of school age, 59% of whom have access to education.

In the Scholarships for Girls Program, we are convinced that supporting women’s education is an important way to break the cycle of poverty and essentially support them in their extracurricular education. With all this, we would ensure that the percentage of girls with access to schools would increase. And the fact is that the compromise between the technician and the parents is vital for the child, who is the main agent, to remain in school.

Finally, we wanted to add that we are very happy to start the 2022 school year and, thanks to your contribution and collaboration, school supply kits were delivered. This is a great way to motivate the scholarship girls and young women, hoping that this new year will be full of challenges, successes, and many satisfactions in their school education.

The city of Iximche, in the indigenous Mayan language means “corn tree”, its located in Tecpan, it was the first capital of Guatemala, or the cradle of the Kaqchikel Maya kingdom. During the late postclassic period, the Maya civilization suffered migration of its important cities, giving rise to new generations from which emerged the Quiches, Kaqchikeles, Tzutujiles and Mames people. Each ethnic group settled in new territories in order to create their empire and form of government, with a social structure suited to their needs.

The city was built in plazas dividing it in different living spaces according to the Maya cosmovision: in Plaza “A” the Maya ball game field was located as well as the Palace of the Governors. Its construction structure consists of 13 squares positioned in the shape of a cross that, when joined together, integrate 20 corners; these numbers are related to the sacred calendar.

The priests were concentrated in Plaza “B” and, in the ceremonial center, the spiritual rites and Mayan ceremonies took place, as well as the celebration of the investiture of the new governors. In the imposing monuments of the ruins of Iximche, Plaza “C” stood out. It was one of the most important, since it was the area of concentration and preparation to receive wisdom: in other words, we could say that it was the area of learning.

At that time, teaching and learning already existed, but nowadays many children still do not have access to a quality education that allows them to discover their abilities and skills, being the most vulnerable the rural communities; it is estimated that the greatest risk of school dropout prevails in girls and young women.

Links:

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If we could describe in one word what 2021 has meant for the Scholarships for Girls Program, it would be Solidarity, a simple word, but one that transforms thoughts and feelings. This solidarity made our young scholarship recipients feel accompanied in the midst of this health crisis.

We are about to finish the year, and we want to thank you for your support, for believing in our work as a project, and above all for believing in the potential of our scholarship girls.

Many people need a little support to dare to do more, to fight for their dreams and achieve their goals. This is the case of the scholarship recipients, who were able to complete their High-school, thanks to your collaboration and trust.

Thanks to you, we were able to make this year a reality of service and solidarity, and we are sure that what has been built in the lives of each of the girls is a clear example of improving the quality of life, they have the ability to see and feel the needs of others, and their generosity in giving a relevant response, they also show their solidarity in their daily lives.

Having demonstrated ingenuity, creativity, teamwork, commitment to implement actions of service to their family, their fellow students, and their community, the girls are convinced that all these actions are part of their “life project”, that acting well and responsibly will open the doors to continue their professional and personal training.

With your support, we will continue our struggle to be better people every day, and to promote opportunities for personal and professional growth in each of the scholarship girls, and to contribute so that the families have their own growth in communication, honesty and love.

Links:

• Lee el report en espanol