Support literacy and learning for 1,900 Maya youth

Did you know that every single one of the 30 Mayan languages still spoken today is endangered? Ixil, the primary language spoken in Chajul, is one of these. While the community has a rich oral storytelling tradition, Ixil literature has been nearly non-existent until now. The language didn’t even have a written alphabet until the 1980s, and many adults are illiterate due to lack of educational opportunity during the 36-year Guatemalan Civil War.

To work against this trend, Limitless Horizons Ixil is publishing one of the first-ever bilingual Ixil-Spanish books! We are partnering with a Chajulense archeologist and linguist to create this book with 15 traditional Ixil stories, collected through interviews with community elders. And we are very proud to announce that our scholars will be the book’s illustrators! This first-of-its-kind collection will soon be available in our Saber Sin Límites (Limitless Knowledge) Community Library, and we can’t wait to share it with our young readers at our weekly story hours!

In addition to creating Ixil literature, our community library and literacy activities open the world of reading to youth in the community for the first time. We offer access to nearly 9,000 books, weekly story hours, tutoring, book clubs, and science and art activities.

Thanks to your support, Chajul is seeing its first generation of educated young leaders with a love for reading. Community elders are grateful that youth today have opportunities for education that weren't available when they were young. Don't just take it from us! Check out our new video to hear what community members think of the library. Thank you for making literacy in Chajul possible!