To bring education equality to Tzu'tujil Mayans

In 2012, Aldea Maya started the middle school in Chuk Muk Guatemala. Prior to this, very few students continued past grade 6 and the possibilty of escaping adject poverty was minimal. However even with a middle school in their village the students were unable to afford their school supplies. For 13 years Aldea Maya has been supplying school supplies to every student who is not sponsored. We then work diligently to find sponsors for the non sponsored students to allow them the possibilty of high school as well as university or trade school. This program has been amazingly successful and has helped hundreds of students to complete middle school. In addition, we have a learning centre in the village which is the location for the middle school computer classes and operate a free internet, computer and printing service to anyone in the village.

Not only is this education opportunity important, but it has a second equally important benefit in that it drastically lowers the rates of teenage pregnancies and marriages. The students in middle school are engaged and busy.

We are very pleased that early graduates from the Chuk Muk middle school have gone on to teach or be administrators in the surrounding schools. These local mentors show that through hard work one can change lifes trajectory for the better.

Educational adventures outside the classroom help to keep students motivated. We often take students into our organic garden to teach about biology, ecology and the environment. However, in November, we decided to go farther afield and take a group of middle school students on a trip across the lake to the village of San Juan La Laguna. 

The village of San Juan La Laguna is unique in that it is super clean, has many thriving artistic groups and self governs very well. The students travelled by boat and then spent the rest of the days being drenched in knowledge. Our first stop was at one of the art cooperatives where the student learned about different painting methods for a master painter. 

The second stop was at a organic cotton, natural dying and weaving cooperative. The students were amazed by the skill needed to card and spin cotton. They then learned how to naturally dye cotton and use a banana stalk to set the dye.

The third stop was at a chocolate making facility and the students learned all about turning a cocoa bean into yummy chocolate. The samples were very much appreciated.

Finally we went to an organic garden where a woman's cooperative produced shampoos, soaps and many lotions. 

This field trip is really important as it shows the students what a successful village looks like and opens their eyes to possible careers in the future.