Vuelta Grande is a community located approximately 25 minutes from Antigua, Guatemala. It has a population of 1,200 people, all of whom are indigenous. The people of Vuelta Grande live on the crops they are able to cultivate, and from the sales of their products at the market in Antigua. Furthermore, they do not have access to public transportation and have limited electricity and water.
The purpose and goal of Escuela Vuelta Grande is to provide primary education to all children. Currently, there are about 150 children at the school (ages 4 to 15 years old) all of whom live in extreme poverty.
The Escuela Taller Nino Obrero project is a Guatemalan, non-governmental organization. It was founded on March 14th, 1993 by Carlos Toledo and it is located in Antigua.
The purpose of the program is to provide education, nutrition and recreation to children who come from families with little means. The goal of the program is to instill good hygiene, good habits, and to keep youth away from the dangers of the streets.
The Escuela Taller Niño Obrero supplies an alternative to life on the streets for at risk children. Children of poor families normally are not able to attend school due to lack of funds and instead need to work in order to help their families with money for food and rent.
The PRODESENH project came to being due to a dream of Judith Lopez, a professor, in 1999. The project is located in San Mateo Milpas Altas, which is located 30 minutes by bus from Antigua.
The purpose of the project is to assist all orphan children from the village of San Mateo Milpas Altas with school supplies, uniforms and shoes during elementary school. The program also works to assist and support students with their studies (mathematics, science, Spanish, etc.).
Additionally, the program provides psychological support to mothers and fathers of children who have lost a parent. The program works to support children with coping with the death of a parent in order to prevent setbacks in school and also support the well being of the child in order to prevent other issues or problems later on in life.
The program “The Little Ones” was founded on June 5th, 2006 by Juan Pablo Romero Fuentes (the current general director). The program is supported by young Guatemalan educators and professionals who assist with the positive formation and change of the youth of Guatemala. The program also receives economical assistance from Rising Minds. “The Little Ones” is located in Jocotenango, which is located 10 minutes by bus from Antigua.
The aim and goal of “The Little Ones” is to form positive and productive leaders of the community, the society and the country. The project educates and supports boys, girls and youth from poor families, who excel academically, have an adventures spirit, positive and perseverant, and bright character. Additionally, they assist to integrate families with adaptation problems into the community.
Guatemala has a population of approximately 13 million, of which 100,000 could be infected with HIV virus. Ten Guatemalans die every day from AIDS.
In 1962, Father Francis O’Leary founded Hospice International in Pakistan for the sick and terminally ill. In 1989, he started the same type of organization in Guatemala; which was originally located in Guatemala City for six years, then moved to San Lucas Sacatepéquez, and which is now located in Santa Lucia Milpas Altas Sacatepéquez (since November 2006).
Since its beginning, the philosophy of the Hospice Association is to provide love and care to people who are facing their last days of life. They also receive medicine, food and clothing, which are provided for free, as well as spiritual and psychological support. It is important to the organization to provide a home for people where they do not feel discriminated against. The hospice also operates a separate program, which visits about 125 families in their homes. Many of these patients come to the hospice when they are very ill, and later return to their homes when they feel better.
This project was founded in May 2007 by the Municipality of Jocotenango’s Department of Social Work (Departamento de Obras Sociales de la Municipalidad de Jocotenango (DOSMJ)). Apoyo a la Juventud is located in the local Government building, which is located 10 minutes by bus from Antigua. The aim and goal of the project is to keep the kids away from the streets and away from drugs, as well as teaching the youth positive things.
Presently, there are 10 to 15 young people (between the ages of 16 and 20 years old) from families with little means who arrive on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. The number of group varies, due to the amount of the homework the youth receive at their school. The majority of the youth study Bachillerato de Turismo (Degree in Tourism) in this school, which is the only one in the Department of Sacatepéquez that offers this career.
