What we do
Project Maltioxinem (mal-tee-osh-ee-nem) or Project Grateful, provides free English classes for girls living in challenging circumstances in villages around Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. These English classes can provide the girls with better job opportunities in the Lake's tourism sector, allowing them to provide a better quality of life for their families or provide them with an income that they can use to continue their academic studies. We also provide high school scholarships for girls in significant economic need but show strong promise and motivation to continue on with their studies and pursue their dreams. In November of 2023 we will have our first 3 graduates and hope to send at least 1 of these amazing young women to university!
|
Scholarships
Did you know that female youth (15-29) are almost 3 times as likely as their male counterparts to be outside the labour force or not continuing on with education (Unicef)? In 2022, we sponsored our first three high school students. Completing high school can be challenging in Guatemala, especially for girls. There are many barriers to attending and completing a full cycle of junior and senior high school, including location, cost and the need to help support the family. Even public high school in rural Guatemala can be cost prohibitive for many girls as all school supplies, books, and uniforms must be paid for by the family. Getting to school in rural areas can also be very challenging and time consuming. In addition, many girls do not complete high school, as they may be needed at home to help support the family with child care or working to provide much needed extra money. Educating girls is a long term investment that will allow our scholarship recipients to not only gain more employment options in the future, but also help their families. |
English Classes
Currently we have girls enrolled in our English classes. Intensive English classes began in the summer of 2018, with two hours of classes Monday through Friday. Now the girls attend a 3 hour class on Saturdays to keep up their progress. It is helping them greatly in their regular school English classes, as English is a mandatory class in elementary and high school. They have been achieving straight A's in English class! To keep the girls motivated and having fun, the classes involve a lot of games, movement activities, songs and conversation. The girls all are getting older now and range in age from 12-15.
|
Food & Water Delivery
Since the onset of the global pandemic in March 2020, we have altered our charity constitution to allow us to provide our families with food and drinking water. Once per month, we deliver large amounts of corn, beans, eggs, water, detergent, and other much needed supplies to help keep our families afloat. Post COVID we have continued to deliver a monthly food supplement to girls and their families that are still participating in our programs. All of the families are in economic need and providing them with a food supplement can reduce the pressure of finding enough income to provide food for their families, if only temporarily.
|
To educate girls is to reduce poverty.
To educate girls is to reduce poverty.
- former UN secretary general Kofi Anan
Where we are
We currently work out of an existing school located in San Pedro La Laguna, Solola, Guatemala. This community of approximately 13,000, is located on the banks of Lake Atitlan, a stunningly beautiful lake surrounded by lush tropical forests and volcanoes. While the scenery is breathtaking, the true beauty of the area is the people. There are several Mayan villages that surround the lake, each with its own distinct culture. Spanish is the common language, and the language taught in public schools, however, the Mayan languages of Tz'utujil and Kaqchikel are often peoples' first languages.
Our Goal
To empower women and girls by giving them a marketable skill
focus on GUatemala
Guatemala is a country of great beauty and vibrant indigenous culture. It also has many social and economic needs. According to the most recent national census, overall poverty rates in San Pedro are approximately 82%, while literacy rates for women in the area are only 56.8% (20 points below the literacy rates for men). Enrollment rates for high school students in San Pedro and the surrounding area are only 22% and the average woman in the area with no schooling has 5 children and 40% of births in the area were to women with no schooling.
focus on women and girls
In Guatemala, 30% of girls are married by 18 and 6% by age 15. Studies show that when women earn an income they reinvest 90% of their income in their families and communities. An educated mother is more than twice as likely to send her child to school, and girls with a high school education are six times less likely to be married as children.