Indigenous children in Guatemala will get access to primary schools and extra support.

Education > Primary Education for Mayan Children

Primary Education for Mayan Children

Summary

The project helps indigenous families overcome poverty and discrimination to obtain primary school education for their children. read updates from the field

How Donors Like You Helped

Thanks to donors like you, a total of $3,000 was raised for this project.

More Information About this Project

Project Needs and Beneficiaries

The project targets vulnerable children and families living in extreme poverty. Mostly Mayan, these families face discrimination based on race, poverty and their lack of formal education. 87% of mothers in the project are illiterate and 98% indigenous. The project will aid 20 school-aged children and their families.

Activities

Placement of school-age children in appropriate schools. One day per week of personalized attention for each student, assistance with homework, and counseling. Monitoring of performance and home visits, family counseling as needed.

Funding Information

Total Funding Received to Date: $3,000

Funding Information

This project is now in implementation and no longer available for funding. Received funds will be used to accomplish concrete objectives as indicated in the project's "Activities" section. Updates will be posted under the "Progress Report" tab as they become available.

Donors' contributions and pledges to this project totaled $3,000. The original project funding goal was $3,000.

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).

Resources

Mercy Corps Guatemala (http://www.mercycorpsguatemala.org)

Why this Project is Important

Potential Long Term Impact

Our records show that less than 5% of project participants drop out of school. Over 80% advance to next grade. This gives Mayan children a chance to continue their educations, access better jobs and overcome barriers faced by the illiterate.

Project Message

Many mothers say, before the program they were alone with their fears. Now they have the confidence to demand their rights. Their children finish school breaking the cycle of illiteracy and poverty
- Nelida Maldonado, Coordinator

Who is Running This Project

Contact

Nelida Maldonado,
Program Coordinator
1a Avenida 5-10
Zone 8
Cobán, Alta Verapaz
Guatemala
++502-7951-4241
Email:

Project Sponsor

Mercy Corps

Organization

La Pastoral de la Niñez en Desamparo
1a Avenida, 5-10
Zone 8
Cobán, Alta Verapaz
Guatemala
502-7951-4241

Learn more about La Pastoral de la Niñez en Desamparo and the project team.

Where this Project is Located

Country

This project is located in Guatemala and can also be found under Education.

For more information about Guatemala, read the Human Development Report on Guatemala or the Wikipedia entry for Guatemala.

When this Project was Updated

Last Updated

This project was last updated on September 04, 2007.

Date Added to GlobalGiving

This project was added to the GlobalGiving project catalog on January 26, 2006.

Latest Update from the Field

EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT PROJECT FOR CHILDREN OF SCARCE ECONOMIC RESOURCES

By Michael Szporluk - Project translator, September 04, 2007 05:25 PM

Pastoral de la Niñez (The Pastoral Office for Children) began the Educational Support Project for Children with Scarce Economical Resources on January 8th. It is currently providing attention to 178 children from 10 different marginal areas of Cobán, Alta Verapaz. The children are poor and extremely poor and this project has been their only possibility to get an education. The majority of children come from broken homes that have domestic violence problems and some are victims of ethnic discrimination (98% are Qeq’chis) and they are also discriminated for their precarious economic status.

Through this project, Pastoral de la Niñez en Desamparo has provided tutoring to children who cannot be assisted at home because 87% of the mothers are illiterate, which makes it difficult for them to help their children with homework and other school activities.

Pastoral de la Niñez has the mission to organize, support and monitor alternatives that contribute to the integral development of vulnerable children and youth in the region. They provide training to become organized and promote their rights to new and better opportunities in life. This Pastoral Office is fulfilling the purpose of its creation through this project.

Please click below to read the full update from Guatemala about results and activities so far in 2007 and plans for the rest of the year.

Attachments: