You’re Making a Difference Here
GUATEMALA
In Guatemala, where over 50% of the population lives below the poverty line, socioeconomic status is one of the biggest barriers to accessing a quality education (World Bank 2013). The average length of schooling for a Guatemalan child is only four years and 24.1% of the population is illiterate (US Aid 2014; World Bank 2014).
Pencils of Promise works with 168 communities in Guatemala to ensure our students overcome these, and other, barriers to accessing a quality education. To date, PoP has impacted over 35,000 students in Guatemala.
QUICHÉ REGION
Quiché is a mountainous region located in northwestern Guatemala. PoP’s base in Quiché is in the city of Nebaj, which is about five hours northeast of our Guatemala headquarters in Xela.
To date, we’ve built over 101 schools in the region and plan to continue to scale our builds, along with teacher training workshops, across Quiché.
Before the PoP School Build
Previously, the preschool and primary school students of Aldea Las Victorias attended classes in three preexisting structures, all in very poor condition. Two of these structures, built by the community, were marked by crumbling brick walls and rusted metal roofs. The third building was a small, dark and dilapidated wooden structure with no windows and a dirt floor. These aging classrooms were not structurally sound and posed great safety risks to the students of Aldea Las Victorias. The lack of formal classroom spaces for preschool and primary school students was hindering student learning and engagement.
Your Impact with the New PoP School
You recognized that these conditions are not conducive to learning and responded by helping PoP and the Aldea Las Victorias community complete construction on a new three-classroom school. Teacher, parents and community members remained actively engaged in the build effort; they ultimately contributed 20% of resources and labor needed to complete construction. This new school building allows all students of Aldea Las Victorias the opportunity to access a safe and engaging learning environment. These students now have access to a new building, as well as to new learning opportunities, helping all students in the community to reach their full potential.