Rural orphans or poor youth will receive a Maya Ixil scholarship for Ak Tenamit Vocational Boarding School or the Public Evening middle school in Chajul, Guatemala. Students are committed to help transform their home community through long term solutions to poverty through income generation, and cultural preservation. Each scholar will participate in enrichment workshops to gain practical, marketable skills. Leadership training will enable the youth to share their expanded skills.
Today only 11% of youth in Chajul, Guatemala graduate from high school. The Chajul Maya Ixil want an education, a job that allows them to feed their children, stay in the Maya culture, and lead economic development of the community. Limited access to education continues the cycle of poverty.80% of the people live in deep poverty. Rural schools end at grade 6. Families need a choice for a scholarship to local education beyond grade 6 or the vocational boarding school Ak Tenamit. .
Scholarships to both Ak Tenamit Vocational Boarding School and the local public evening school enriched with vocational job skills training, give orphans, girls and youth from poor families access to tutoring for academic gaps, contribute through work study and internships and bring new income sources for their family. Attending the local public evening school allows youth to live at home and help with farming or work in the home. Girl Empowerment workshops will be provided at both sites
Scholarships at Ak Tenam Vocational Boarding School or the Chajul Public Evening School and Maya Ixil Enrichment workshops enable impoverished families and orphans in Chajul that value education a pathway to a sustainable economic future in their beloved town and Maya culture. They will learn how to establish economic enterprises for community development. Each graduate will do work study and career internships to gain practical, marketable skills. Youth will bring hope for their futures.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
