Empower Mayans With Casey

Hi, it's Casey! Thank you for visiting my GoFundMe page. I am raising money to return to Guatemala next year to continue working with the Mam Mayan indigenous community of San Martín Sacatepéquez for six months from February to July 2019.

I am currently living in Xela (pronounced Shay-la), Guatemala with a host family, studying Spanish with a private tutor and on my own, and working in San Martín (located 45 minutes outside of Xela) as a self-funded volunteer with the Xela-Aid Institute. I am an integral part of the team, making a huge difference, and need to come back next year to further our mission and bring our shared planet one step closer to peace and prosperity.

My Host Family


The Cause

Xela-Aid's mission is to empower Mayan families to break the cycle of poverty and prosper.

Some of our many projects include:

Pure drinking water program
Literacy classes for women
Scholarship program to keep kids, teens, and young adults out of the field and in the classroom
Physical health care
Mental health care
Computer classes
English classes
Leadership program for teens
Women's weaving association
Art programs for kids
Micro-finance for small start-ups

Art With the Kids

Xela-Aid is doing things right! Every project is based in community collaboration and balances receiving support with giving back. This organization along with every single person involved in our efforts is creating opportunity, sparking hope for a better future, and changing thousands of lives.

Watch this video for more context and to learn the story of one of Xela-Aid’s community leaders. 


The Stats

Xela-Aid's programs serve about 6,000 people each year. During our more than two decades of operation, these programs have increased the number of girls studying from just 4% to more than 50%, and increased the number of years our students remain in school from just four years (age 6-10) to 12 years (age 6-18). We’ve graduated more than 300 children from high school in a region where no high school graduation of an indigenous child was recorded prior to Xela AID’s arrival!

Why Me

I started working with Xela-Aid in October 2018 and every day fall more in love with this incredible organization. Our projects encompass everything I am passionate about and more. This includes women's empowerment, sustainable development, migration and immigration, foreign language, equal opportunity, environmental awareness, and cross-cultural understanding.

Women Weavers/Artists

I am an integral part of the Xela-Aid team. I am the only foreign staff member on Xela-Aid's team in Guatemala. I am currently teaching sexual abuse prevention, organizing English classes for local university students (taught by Spanish language students and travelers in Xela), supporting our extracurricular programs for local kids, and translating between English and Spanish to enhance cultural exchange between the community and groups from the U.S. on our service trips.

Translating an Inaugural Ceremony for New Bathrooms and Water Purification System

In 2019 I will continue this work plus become the liaison between Xela-Aid and volunteer travelers in Xela. This will allow me to expand the English language program, increase cultural exchange/awareness, and increase hands-on help for all of our projects. I will also create a program to unite and empower the Mam women and girls through artistic expression, including dance, writing, and meditation workshops.


Why You

I am asking YOU to invest with me in this cause financially because I have the time, motivation, and skill set, but my  savings are running out.

By supporting my work, you will be directly and exponentially supporting the incredible mission of Xela-AID and the Mam Mayan indigenous community of San Martín. You will be joining the fight for a more beautiful and peaceful future for our world.

Local Drummer and Model

View from the summit of Volcano Santa Maria

Thank you so much for your support. I immensely appreciate your donation of any amount. Namaste. The Divine in me bows to the Divine in you.


The Costs

I have estimated that I will need for a period of six months or 24 weeks:

$70 per week for housing and meals which will go directly to my host family
$10 per week for travel to and from San Martín
$20 per week to continue Spanish classes with my tutor so as to excel in all aspects of my project and as a team member at Xela-Aid
$400 for travel to and from Xela at the start and end of my project
$200 for various project materials

View from Xela-Aid Institute featuring Gladys


Further Info

Please check out the Xela-AID Facebook   and Xela-AID Website  for detailed information and more photos/videos.



Contact Me

If you would like to talk to me personally about my work or have any questions at all please contact me directly or comment below.

Email: [email redacted]

Phone number: [phone redacted] (Call or message me on Whatsapp or send me iMessages)

Facebook: Casey Rothberg (Call or message me through Facebook Messenger, stay updated with what I'm doing)

Mayan Graffiti

THANK YOU!!!

Please help me spread the word by sharing this page on Facebook or copying the link and sending it to your network of family and friends.