The Gift of Education for Youth in Guatemala

Each year, Yabal Guatemala gives at least 8 scholarships to middle and high school students from the communities of Pacutama and Chuicutama in Guatemala. These are children of women weavers that we support through our textile social enterprise.

These are two small indigenous communities, with about 50 families each, from the area of Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan. The main language spoken is k'iche'. The area is very poor, without easy access to business centers or jobs, or farmland. The communities have primary schools up to 6th grade, but to continue studying, students have to travel to other communities and cities. The costs of school supplies, registration fees, transportation, and monthly school fees make education difficult for families to pay for.

Yabal often asks our women weavers what their hopes are for the future and almost all of them reply that their biggest goal is for their children to have an education, something that they themselves did not have. Education opens the door to better opportunities and a better economic future for youth from these communities. Unfortunately, there are many road-blocks towards achieving that dream. We seek to change that cycle and make dreams come true for these families!

We are asking for your help to provide scholarships for 8 youth for the coming school year, starting in February 2023. If we are able to fundraise more than $1200, we will be providing scholarships for more youth. In 2021 we were able to raise enough funds to provide scholarships for 21 students! These scholarships were used to pay for internet access for all the students doing remote learning during the pandemic. We would love to be able to offer the same this year with your support.

We are looking to fundraise $150 per student, for a total of $1200. Thank you for your support and please help us spread the word!

Hear from Francisca Tzaput, one of 2021's recipients:

https://youtu.be/b8OqX5FBDlI