You’re Making a Difference Here
WHY 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 190 communities in Guatemala to ensure our students overcome these, and other, barriers to accessing a quality education. Currently, PoP is impacting over 37,000 students in Guatemala.
BOCA COSTA REGION
The region of Boca Costa, located southeast of PoP’s Guatemala headquarters in Xela, is home to a more tropical climate than any of the other regions in Guatemala in which we work. PoP expanded to Boca Costa in early 2012, with our regional office located in Santo Tomás La Unión.
To date, we’ve built 116 schools in the region and have also provided our teacher training and educational programming to many PoP schools in the region.
Before a PoP School Build
Previously, many of the Aldea Morazan classrooms were informal and lacked basic safety precautions. One of the classrooms had 26 fifth grade students in one room made out of bamboo walls and dirt floors. Another classroom was originally a director’s office and was being used as a first grade classroom, housing 24 students. Roofs in one of the classroom buildings was in poor condition and leaked water throughout the winter months. The condition of these informal classrooms posed a hazard to student safety and wellbeing, as well as to engagement and learning.
Your Impact with a New PoP School
You’ve recognized that these conditions are not conducive to learning and have responded by helping PoP and the Aldea Morazan community complete construction on two new classrooms and seven bathrooms that will help to benefit all 457 students. Community members, parents and teachers were in full support, contributing up to 20 percent of the build. Your support has helped to make this school build possible, creating a safe and strong structural foundation that now fosters an environment of educational growth and promise for the students of Aldea Morazan.
