Education and Literacy
Education equals empowerment. Education is the single most vital element in combating poverty and promoting human rights.
Here's what Esperanza de Guatemala is doing in this area:
The Scholarship Program
Esperanza administers the Esperanza-CPC Scholarship program, a co-mission with Cary Presbyterian. The program was initiated in 2017 for the 2018 school year. In Guatemala, the school year runs from mid-January to the end of October.
Scholarships are offered for both local and private schools. Students and their families commit to good grades and strong attendance. Scholarships includes registration fees, books and other supplies, monthly tuition, uniforms, transportation, other fees, and replacement cost of the student’s contribution to the family income.
Eighteen students were served in the first year enabling their 2018 school expenses to be covered in full. In 2019 twenty-two students received scholarships, in 2020 twenty-seven did so, in 2021 twenty-one students benefited, and in 2022, there are thirty-one students! 2023 has forty students, including 10 in university!
The scholarship program is governed locally by community members in the village. The Nimasac Community Scholarship Committee makes scholarship recommendations based on an application process and provides regular on-going support to each student and their family. Families and students attend monthly meetings where they talk about challenges, share their school experiences, and report their compliance with the scholarship program.
You can be a sponsor! For more info, please contact us. To donate now,
and use the Scholarship category. Thank you!
Supporting the Local School
Esperanza has provided requested resources for the local primary school which is very under-resourced. We've contributed consumables, such as copy paper and classroom supplies, as well as permanent resources, such as classroom whiteboards and books.
In the fall of 2022, we provided two complete computer workstations and two printers each to the separate morning and afternoon elementary school in Nimasac. These are the first computers that the school has had.
During 2022, Nimasac opened its first middle school for two classes and will continue to expand.
Computer Center
The computer center was created to support the scholarship students as well as to offer computer/internet access to the community. The area's first high speed digital internet was installed. It currently has two machines and a printer.
Community Library
The community library opened in 2019 (sharing space with the community computer lab) with shelving and a beginning inventory of children’s books. Lending policies and procedures were adopted.
Currently due to COVID 19, the library continues to be closed. Esperanza remains committed to pursuing further expansion of the library when appropriate and safe to do so.
The Importance of Literacy and Education
Literacy is a step toward moving individuals out of poverty.
Being able to read and write creates a path toward improving all
social domains of living.
Literacy gives people the opportunity to develop skills needed to care for themselves, their families, and their community.
Literacy improves health outcomes. Healthy people are necessary for a healthy economy. In Guatemala over half of its people live in poverty.
Literacy rates for girls are lower than that of boys. Study after study shows that when women are educated, there are raised expectations for
all children in the family. Self-esteem is improved, family income
increases, and communities thrive.