Our project, Mano a Mano Para el Desarrollo, empowers and supports the children of Tz'utujil Maya weavers in Santiago Atitlan (Guatemala) with a multi-generational and local focus. We aim to create an academic center that provides complete financial assistance for school supplies, personal development workshops, and adequate academic support for the children of Cojolya.
In Santiago Atitlan, educational challenges remain severe. Although school dropout rates have improved in recent years, national statistics reveal that as educational levels rise, the number of children attending school declines. Girls are even more excluded from formal education due to persisting gender norms. We identified three core problems that contribute to high dropout rates of our students: the financial barriers, the lack of indigenous academic mentors, and the lack of academic support.
We seek to increase school enrollment rates for our program's 9 children. While financial support is vital, we understand that a successful program requires a holistic approach. Our approach is multifaceted, and will confront all identified barriers to staying in school by providing vital financial support at the beginning of each school year, informative and interactive personal development tools like computer and internet access at the organization, and a safe and adequate academic mentorship.
The project will help lighten the financial burden of education and provide students with necessary personal and academic support. However, the long-term vision of the project spans generations. We firmly believe that these children have the potential to not only experience social mobility but also give back to their resilient indigenous community. Mano a Mano will thereby be a pillar of the value of education in Santiago Atitlan: a value that will continue to flourish for generations to come.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
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