A few short months ago, I embarked on a journey that I can now say has altered the course of my life. As one of 27 Canadians selected for the International Youth Internship Program (IYIP), funded by Global Affairs Canada, I am currently volunteering in Rabinal, Guatemala with Breaking the Silence at the Fundación Nueva Esperanza, a secondary school for youth whose families were deeply impacted by the violence of the Guatemalan internal armed conflict (IAC) and Maya genocide.

Before arriving, I knew very little about the 36 year conflict that ended in 1996. During this period, Guatemalan state forces committed genocide against the Maya people, who today make up over 43% of the population. More than 200,000 people were killed or disappeared, hundreds of communities were destroyed, and 83% of the victims were Maya.

During the bloodiest years of the conflict, military forces carried out a massacre in Rio Negro, a small community not far from where I’m interning. In response to push back against the Chixoy dam, a project that would forcibly displace the entire community without consent, 70 defenseless Maya Achi women and 107 children were massacred on March 13, 1982.

One of the 17 survivors, Jesús Tecú Osorio, won the Reebok human rights award in 1999 for his work towards justice and reparations. He went on to found the school that I've been working at, known as the CECBI (Centro Educativo Comunitario Bilingüe Intercultural). Many of the students have grandparents and relatives who were killed in the massacre.

At the CECBI, historical memory is at the heart of education and plays a key role in healing and the ongoing struggle for justice. Students take courses ranging from Maya Achi language to computer science to sustainable agriculture, all designed to build skills supporting youth in municipal leadership and community development roles. Through mediums such as art, workshops, and fieldtrips, students have the opportunity to explore their history and connect with their culture.

So what’s my role? Working with the solidarity organization Breaking the Silence, I support the Fundación Nueva Esperanza however I’m needed. Most of my work involves teaching English and enhancing the English curriculum. It has been an incredibly rewarding mutual learning experience, where I get to exchange language and culture with 107 bright-eyed curious students. Recently, I’ve also been supporting the FNE expand its online presence. Stay tuned for their updated website in both English and Spanish, as well as a platform to accept donations, as they currently rely on localized small-scale donors!

Although my internship is funded by GAC, it lasts only four months, and time has flown by. In my time here, I have formed deep connections with the community and have been deeply moved by their strength and resilience in the face of enduring pain and injustice. For this reason, I am hoping to return to Rabinal in February 2026 as a volunteer to continue supporting the fundación and the youth. As this work is unpaid, returning would mean covering my own cost of living.

My dream is to stay for the full school year (Feb-Oct), giving me the chance to support students from the very beginning and work on longer-term projects with them, such as cooking classes, calisthenics, and a video exchange with students in Canada. To make this possible, I’ll be fundraising over the next two months. I will be selling coffee supported by Café Justicia, a maritimes based organization promoting a “solidarity trade” model by selling organic fair-trade coffee grown by Mayan cooperatives in Guatemala, with all profits returned to communities in support of development and social justice work.

This is also why I’m sharing this (very) long overview; to ask for your support! Any donations will go directly towards my cost of living while in Guatemala (around $1,000/month, for rent, utilities, and food). The more funds I gather, the longer I can stay (up to 10 months), and anything left over will be donated to the fundación. With your help, I would have the opportunity to continue supporting the New Hope Foundation, the youth in Rabinal I’ve come to love, community development, and the ongoing struggle for justice.

If you want to hear a bit more about my time here, check out my post Breaking the Silence's blog!