Empower a Girl in Guatemala: Education after COVID

Retalhuleu has a low Human Development Index due to the vulnerable conditions in which its inhabitants live, especially in rural areas. According to the National Institute of Statistics, it is estimated that in 2013 the department had 318,319 inhabitants, of which 17.49% were in general illiteracy in population aged 15 years and older; in men it was 15.18% and women 19.58%, which is why with the donations received we are helping to change these education statistics.

Your donation has been vital for the girls to continue studying, as opportunities in this area are precarious because jobs are scarce; most of the inhabitants work as day laborers on sugar cane farms, animal care, fishing and tropical fruit farms. The road to access the supported communities is dirt and sometimes asphalt, the communities have basic services like: water from wells, electricity and small businesses of articles of daily consumption. The needs in the community are: drinking water, Internet services, technology in the classrooms and improvement in the physical conditions of educational centers, since the lack of this causes them to emigrate to the central zone of the department, so school expenses will increase.

At the community level, the young women who received scholarships during these 3 years of support have had a social projection, which is well seen by the community, since the activities carried out have been: garbage collection, cleaning of the school, collection of food for the elders of the community and ornamentation in educational centers.

This month highlights the dynamism, solidarity, responsibility and community projection of Candy, who at fourteen was orphaned. She lives with her grandparents in the village of Ajaxa, studies the second year of high school and her passion is to help, since every morning before going to school she contributes to the cleanliness of the house, supports her grandparents in the planting, cutting and drying of corn, in addition to help her younger brother in his school work. Her village neighbors are looking to her for help guiding children on issues they don’t understand.

One of her hopes is to be able to continue studying the diversified cycle, and she also tells us that she wants to study a career that is related to numbers. Her classmates comment on how supportive Candy is, she likes to participate, give her opinion and help. Her teachers see her as an example to follow despite the difficult circumstances she has had to overcome.

With your donation, Candy’s story has changed, thank you for believing in the dream of each of the young girls.