Why Guatemala?
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Board Member Ana with children of the village.
Guatemala is the poorest country in Central America and has the largest population.
All About Guatemala and Nimasac
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Located in Central America, Guatemala is bordered by Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and Belize. The population of Guatemala, currently about 18 million people, continues to grow at nearly 3% annually. At the current rate, the nation’s population will more than double in 25 years.
There are 25 sociolinguistic groups that make up Guatemala’s diverse population (Mayan, Spanish, Xinca and Garífuna). The first language of most residents of Nimasac (the village we work with) is Ki’che' (also spelled Quiché,) a Mayan language.
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Guatemalan income distribution is very unequal. More than half of its people live in poverty. According to the United States Agency for International Development, “Most of Guatemala’s poor are rural indigenous people of Mayan descent who have a long history of discrimination and exclusion from full economic, political and social participation. The rural indigenous were the most seriously affected by the 36-year armed conflict (1960-1996) that claimed more lives than the conflicts in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Chile, and Argentina combined.”
Quetzaltenango, also known by its indigenous name Xela (pronounced Shay-la), is the second largest city in Guatemala. Xela is located in a mountain valley in the southwestern highlands, at an elevation of 7,655 feet (2,330 meters) above sea level. The year round temperatures average 70-80°F (21°C) during the daytime and 45° F (7° C) at night. Xela's population is more than 350,000 people, and more than 60% of them are indigenous.
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Travel by bus a little more than an hour up the mountain from Xela, and you arrive in Nimasac. Nimasac is a village of roughly 12,500 people whose main occupation is farming, with some residents also involved in weaving and candle making. Poverty is prevalent, but the spirit of the people in Nimasac is rich. This is where Esperanza’s work takes shape.
In 2015, the average family income of Nimasac families was approximately $1,200 per year but in 2023, it had risen to $2400/yr. In the Western Highlands of Guatemala, the poverty rate reaches 76%, and extreme poverty is at 27%. The chronic malnutrition rate for children under five is 67%.
Housing in Nimasac varies. Most homes are multi-generational. It is very common to see unfinished homes as they are usually built by the families themselves as resources allow. Most homes have packed dirt floors, wood stoves for cooking and basic electricity. Running water came to the village in early 2020, and Esperanza helped by providing home water meters. The availability of clean water is limited. Contamination makes the local water sources dangerous. Our Water Project continued in 2022-2024 by providing education and home based water filtration systems (Ecofiltros, a Guatemalan product) to more than 300 families.
Limited access to food is not unusual. The diet primarily consists of corn, and malnutrition is common. Half of all children under five are chronically malnourished, the worst level of malnutrition in the Western Hemisphere.
Although public school is free in Guatemala, the cost of a school uniform, shoes, backpack, books, school supplies, and transportation, etc. is more than most families can afford. As in most of rural Guatemala, education is considered compulsory through 6th grade though some children drop out earlier because they are needed at home. Some students are fortunate to attend school through 8th grade; even fewer can attend high school.
Nimasac has an elementary school with two distinct sessions of an enrollment of 500 students each, and another elementary school on the outskirts of the town. In Guatemala, school sessions are for a half day. Until recently, there was no middle or high school in Nimasac. However, in 2021, the citizens of the community petitioned the public school district to create a middle school, using an abandoned public building with one classroom for 7th grade and an office. An 8th grade and a 9th grade were added in 2022 and 2023, successively. According to the teachers and the principal, this was in direct response to the many children in the community who wished to receive a scholarship from Esperanza de Guatemala and continue their education.
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While the school buildings in Nimasac have been in disrepair, a 2023 renovation of the larger of two buildings was recently finished. Despite the challenges, the teachers are dedicated to teaching their students and welcome training and support.
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There is one health clinic in the village. Five years ago it was sparsely staffed and woefully deplete of resources. However, since the pandemic, the clinic has recently been operating several days a week with better equipment and staffing, a good sign. Esperanza has provided supplies to the clinic on occasion.
To learn more about Guatemala and the Xela area, visit these websites:
https://www.state.gov/countries-areas/guatemala/
https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/guatemala
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/guatemala/