Empower a Girl in Guatemala: Education after COVID

An empty chair in a classroom may seem like a small thing. To us, it can be the first sign that a girl needs support.

Behind an absence, there can be many reasons: financial difficulties, family problems, academic challenges, lack of motivation, or circumstances that make continuing school increasingly difficult.

That is why, in the “Scholarships for Girls” subprogram, our work goes far beyond providing financial support. We closely accompany each scholarship recipient’s academic progress because we believe that identifying a challenge early can make the difference between dropping out of school and finding a reason to continue.

Ongoing follow-up allows us to understand how our scholarship recipients are progressing, talk with them, connect with their families, and identify situations that could put their continued education at risk. When we encounter a challenge, our team seeks to understand what is happening and what kind of support each girl needs.

Sometimes, additional academic support may be necessary. At other times, it may mean talking with parents, making a home visit, providing guidance, or simply listening to a girl who needs to know that someone believes in her.

To help prevent school dropout, we carry out actions such as school monitoring, follow-up visits, personalized tutoring, and educational and personal development activities, while also involving parents and families.

Tutoring allows us to address academic difficulties more closely, while visits and school monitoring help us understand situations that are not always visible inside the classroom.
We also strengthen families because we know that behind every girl who continues her education, there must be a support network encouraging her to keep moving forward.

Each of these actions has the same purpose: to act before a challenge becomes an empty chair. Will you help us?