Indigenous Education in Guatemala

 Kachiquel is the native Mayan language in an around the Colonial city of Antigua Guatemala where we are
doing most of our work. Although Spanish is the main language, Kachiquel is still quite common, and in
places like the vast vegetable and fruit market in Antigua, many other Mayan dialects are openly spoken.
Here, in the words of the grandmothers, moms and teenagers, are perspectives on how our educational
 and sponsorship programs are currently helping them to discover and express their own potential.


I want to express my thanks to you Dianne [IHF volunteer] and to all of you at Integral Heart for sponsoring my two daughters Evelyn and Jacklyn and also my son Wilson. I am very happy to have the help for their education and for the monthly food baskets

(While on our visit, she showed us how they take the grains of corn off the cobs so it can be ground into corn flour for tortillas.)

-  Dona Maria Catalina in San Andreas Itzapa.

Well, I want to thank you for… I want to thank you for everything that you are giving us. Above all, I want to thank God for having given us the opportunity to keep on studying. And I thank Mick and Debora and everybody else who is supporting us, without them we would not be able to continue studying. Just that.

-  Miquel Angel Chiguichon, Jocotenango.

Good morning! My name is Sara Lopez de Flores. My children are beneficiaries of the project, first of all Sarita, Sara Lopez Flores, she is studying. She has been attending the Scheel Center for three years now. As a mother, I feel very happy and very grateful, and most of all blessed by God because I never thought that a help of this sort would come to present itself in this place. It is very nice because they help the kids and the parents. 
In my case, I have the support of sponsors, my daughter has a sponsor, she has helped me immensely, my daughter, and all of my family. And I, well, am very grateful, first of all to God and to all of you who have helped the people here. And I also want to say thank you, you know, not only on my behalf but on behalf of all the families of this community, because…, even though the ones who turn out to be not grateful are very few, but…. I give thanks to God, and to all of you, well, in the name of the whole community. And me, well, I have seen a lot of cases here, a lot of abuse in the community, and a lot of things that I would like to talk about, but the only thing that I would really ask you for is psychological assistance for the children, for both children and parents. It would be a great help, you know, in order to change this place. God bless you and thank you very much.
-  Sara Lopez de Flores, Vista Hermosa, Guatemala.

I like being with this project a lot. Most of all, it is very important for the country, because we are preparing ourselves to be able
to overcome our challenges and also to take our families on a
better path. Guatemala needs this, because it is a country that
has many opportunities, but that we, at times, miss out on. 
This is why it is important to work and collaborate with people like the ones from this association just as well as they collaborate with you. So I am grateful and well, I do not have
a problem with any of the people from this organization, because it is like a gift for my life,
so that I can make the most of what I have to do in order to live a happy future life with
the right kind of attitude and a lot of respect.
 -  Juan Carlos Roldan Méndez, Jocotenago, Guatemala.

First of all I thank God for the support that you gave me and for the support that you are giving us and….. may your foundation grow and may God always bless you. And thank you for the help you are giving me and for all your love and affection….. [intermission – Me: “What could be improved?” – Jessica: I do not know! Now I know, I would like you to give me the opportunity to talk to my sponsors and to get to know them. That is all and my name is Jessica!  (here is the audio, it is cute!)
-  Jessica Pérez Lopez, Las Victorias, Guatemala.

Good day, I just want to thank you for everything you’ve done to help. My name is Shirley Aquino. I want to thank you with all my heart for everything you’ve helped me with and my family. You’ve helped us a lot, God bless you. You are a great association, keep up the good work!  Thanks to you I have been able to carry on studying and to progress little by little, same with my family’s economic situation. Thank you, God bless you very much!

-  Shirley Aquino, San Cristobal.  

Thank God that you have supported me so much, like I said before, I thank you very much for helping me… before, there used to be nobody who helped me, so thank goodness that you’ve helped me with Jimena, Grecia, and Luis Gilberto. You gave me the bed, the table, everything you gave me has helped so much.

-  Julia Zamora, San Mateo.
Grandmother of these three.

I thank you for this opportunity that you are giving us. Because you know, thank God, by way of the project and Seño Lys I have two kids with stipends; one in ninth and one in seventh grade. And the little ones, one in second and one in third grade, they are also receiving their groceries now. And well, I’m very thankful for the shoes they were given, too, because they did need them.

What I wanted to improve still is, well, my home. Because with the weather being as it is right now it won’t be adequate for much longer, so yes I need to improve my home. That’s the only thing. I have often thought of building another house or changing the roof and, well, I haven’t had the opportunity to do it but I hope to God that one day I will have the opportunity to do it.

-  Anabela Rodriguez, mom of Mynor & Brenda, San Mateo.  


Well, it’s like this, I feel happy and also a little nervous, because it’s only a few days until school starts. I am very glad about the help that you are providing me with. Thank you. May God bless you and always keep you safe. Well, and… I don’t have words to describe the happiness I have inside of me knowing that you’re helping me to really get going and… thanks a bunch.

Felipe Haroldo Ixcoy.



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