Support Guatemalan Mayan School, K’astajib’äl

Hi there!

Ütz Ipetik, Bienvenidos, Welcome, Bienvenus!

PROJECT AT A GLANCE:

- WHO -

Olga Maracheva and Imanol Balaam Arias Cazaux along with the Mayan community of K’astajib’äl Education Center.

- WHAT -

To support the needs of the K’astajib’äl Intercultural Bilingual Education Center, a Mayan not-for-profit community educational project founded in 1999 with the mission to promote comprehensive education processes based on Mayan Culture from the perspective of an alternative, multicultural, and intercultural approach that fosters students’ physical, artistic, intellectual, spiritual and behavioural potential.

- WHY -

K’astajib’äl’s funding has drastically decreased since the onset of the pandemic, almost forcing the institution to close its doors, and it never recovered since. Meanwhile, the interest from local families to enroll their children at the school has increased in great part due to its unique Mayan-based education model leading to a strong discrepancy between said interest and what the school can currently sustain.

- HOW -

To support K’astajib’äl’s efforts through a fluid, ongoing, heart-driven and accountable approach powered by a loving community-centered crowd-funded campaign.

- WHEN -

Phase 1 (current): we start with an initial ask of $28,000 CAD to account for:

Phase 2: a subsequent second push - following the successful completion of Phase 1 - to progressively account for the rest of K’astajib’äl’s needs.

↓ Get the full scope of the campaign and the school's current needs below (long read) ↓

Maltiox, Gracias, Thank You, Merci in advance for your attention and support!

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT US:

We are Olga Maracheva and Imanol Balaam Arias Cazaux, a loving, multicultural, holistic couple hailing from diverse corners of this beautiful Planet we call Home. Olga is from Eastern European background while I, Imanol, was born in Mexico to a Guatemalan Father and a Basque Mother.

We met over 10 years ago in Canada where we still reside half of the time, while spending the other half between Mexico and Guatemala. We’re both passionate individuals, committed to exploring our understanding of the Worlds (inner and outer), learning about, with and from other cultures, growing inside out in a good way, and serving the Community in our best capacity while cultivating Sacred Relationships along the journey.

Being deeply connected to Guatemala – and its rich indigenous Mayan culture, traditions, and heritage – for all of my life, and together as a couple for the last 10 years, we’ve already been involved in a few projects such as collaborating with Mayan women weavers, promoting a Guatemalan women-led artisans' cooperative as well supporting and walking with a Mayan Grandmother Elder for a few years now.

K’ASTAJIB’ÄL INTERCULTURAL BILINGUAL EDUCATION CENTER:

During our last couple of visits to Guatemala last year (2023), we were introduced by my family to the K’astajib’äl Intercultural Bilingual Education Center located in the city of Chimaltenango, about an hour from the picturesque tourist hotspot of Antigua Guatemala. Like most of the country where more than 50% of the population are of Mayan Indigenous origin, the city – and region – of Chimaltenango is predominantly Mayan, more specifically from the Kaqchikel People.

What has clearly stood out over the course of years was the lack of public or private educational institution in all of the region of Chimaltenango (as in most of the country) that would offer a safe, accessible and quality schooling space for indigenous youth. A place where they can learn how to value their own native heritage while sharing and interacting with other cultures as a way for harmonious coexistence. This is where K’astajib’äl Intercultural Bilingual Education Center comes into play.

K’ASTAJIB’ÄL PROJECT OVERVIEW:

Founded in 1999 the K’astajib’äl Intercultural Bilingual Education Center is a not-for-profit community educational initiative that mainly promotes access to education for Mayan and non-Mayan youth (boys and girls) with limited economic resources, and also for the population in general. You can check their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/marta.matzir.7

103 students-strong to date, K’astajib’äl offers a Bilingual and Intercultural education experience at pre-primary, primary, and middle-school levels. The school promotes learning and social relationship processes based on the Mayan cultural principles, encouraging solidarity, educational quality, and mutual learning through a methodology inspired by 'Learning by Doing'.

This education model allows the rescue of the Kaqchikel language, the inclusion of diversity and an open dialogue between the different cultures living in the region of Chimaltenango. Students are encouraged to discover and appreciate the differences within their own environment while recognizing and valuing the specificities of other cultures.

This implies breaking from the traditional education standards which consequently represents an organizational challenge for the implementation of Mayan-based schooling within a context where educational quality and culture are not valued.

K’ASTAJIB’ÄL MISSION:

To promote comprehensive education processes based on Mayan Culture, Values, and Principles from the perspective of an alternative, multicultural and intercultural approach that develops students’ physical, artistic, intellectual, spiritual, and behavioural potential.

K’ASTAJIB’ÄL VISION:

An alternative educational center that contributes through education to the creation of new relationships of coexistence and mutual respect between cultures, in search of a just and equitable Nation.

K’ASTAJIB’ÄL OBJECTIVES:

K’ASTAJIB’ÄL NEEDS:

The last few years have been particularly rough for the school. Indeed, like most of the world, they suffered tremendously from the pandemic and its financial repercussions which resulted in gradually and markedly losing longtime supporters and backers. In the last two years, they have been barely able to cater to the students that are already enrolled with the school and experienced growing difficulties dealing with the increased interest from local families – and children – desiring to attend their programs.

The need for support has become loud and clear, to levels unseen prior to the pandemic. Given the extent of their already existing structure, influence, recognition, and enrollment numbers, in addition to the healthy aspiration of fulfilling their vision and objectives, the list of actual needs is somewhat exhaustive yet justified.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

We hope to appeal to conscious, heart-driven and inspired individuals in order to garner enough support to facilitate quality education for Mayan children and safe work opportunities for women in a culturally inclusive environment.

As mentioned above, our initial goal for Phase 1 is set at $28,000 CAD to cover in priority:

We strongly encourage minimum donations between $50 CAD and $250 CAD (or more!), when possible. Each contribution will be received with profound gratitude and will serve a great purpose.

That being said, all donations are welcome! We believe in the power of community and acknowledge the impact each gift has towards fulfilling K’astajib’äl’s needs and achieving their vision.

We wholeheartedly hope to be able to complete this first stage and then move to a second approach (Phase 2) that could progressively cover the rest of the school's needs.

Below is a current, almost complete, inventory of K’astajib’äl's needs with funding priorities itemized at the top.

INVENTORY OF NEEDS & COST BREAKDOWN

PHASE 1: Academic Reinforcements – Most Urgent

a. Hire more qualified teachers

There are currently not enough qualified teachers to support the actual student body. K’astajib’äl’s commitment is to hire mainly women teachers, all qualified, from Mayan background, and fluent in their original Kaqchikel language as well as in Spanish.

K’astajib’äl pays their teachers at Guatemala’s minimum wage, including all required social services. The minimum wage salary for one teacher amounts to:

For this first phase of the campaign, our efforts are focused on raising enough funds for two full-time women teachers.

* Eventually, a third full-time teacher would be needed to sustain the academic curriculum

b. Tuition Scholarships for low-income families

One-year full tuition at K’astajib’äl costs $700 CAD per year per student. Sadly, most families cannot afford such an amount for their kids’ education. This campaign aims to support at least 10 students’ full year tuition scholarships amounting to:

* Eventually, we would like to offer scholarships to 10 more students (total of 20 students)

PHASE 2: School Equipment – Quite Needed

a. New School Microbus

To assure a safe transportation for students who live far. The price would range around $25,000CAD depending on its state, size, characteristics, etc.…

b. Daily food for recess/lunch time

The basic meal consists of a fruit and corn drink at $0.86 CAD per student.

A more complete meal would cost around $3.45 CAD per student. Ideally, this phase could cover meals for 25 students over one year (180 school days), amounting to:

c. Marimba (traditional Mayan instrument) for music classes

The cost of a second-hand marimba ranges from $520 CAD and $2,100 CAD depending on its state, age, etc…

d. Looms for traditional Mayan weaving classes

The cost for a second-hand loom ranges between $520 CAD and $1,400 CAD depending on its state, age, etc…

e. Computer equipment for computer room

Though the school already has some computers, about 8 for the whole establishment shared amongst all students, the need for refurbished material is still quite real.

The cost for second-hand computers would range between $520 CAD and $1,400 CAD depending on the quantity, their state, age, etc…

f. Other projects

Agricultural (planting, gardening, and farming) and painting projects as well as other activities such as leadership and communication. The cost of materials for said activities would range around $3,500 CAD.

Full Disclosure: let’s be real, the overall amount for the school's complete list of needs adds up to a total number quite greater than that of the current goal for this fundraiser, which only covers PHASE 1. However, as mentioned prior, our intention is to successfully complete this first stage and then roll-out PHASE 2 with the goal to progressively cover the rest of the school's needs.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

In case of questions and/or further interest in supporting the project – including potential major gift contributions – a lot more detailed information and exhaustive materials are accessible regarding K’astajib’äl Intercultural Bilingual Education Center’s academic approach, educational methodology and the social impact that it has on the community of Chimaltenango and its surroundings. Feel free send us a message through this platform for more information.