Free Education for All Children in Guatemala
In Guatemala, education is divided into Pre-Primaria (párvulos and kindergarten), Primaria (Primary school 1st to 6th grade), Secundaria (Secundary school, 3 years known as Básico), and Diversificado (3 years of High School). For the last several years, children who went to middle school and high school had to pay for tuition to go to school and many families simply could not afford it. The current Guatemalan government has made it possible for free education for all children. Globally Minded Works is thrilled for such a move as many more children will have access to education.
Ongoing needs for most of the rural schools in Guatemala include: books, supplies, furniture, computers, and even buildings. With donations from people like you, Globally Minded Works aims to fill this gap.
Not all schools are fully paid for by the government. Some still require parents to pay for tuition, books, and school uniforms. In such cases, in the communities we work, we may provide scholarships so children can go to school.
Join our efforts to support education and other
charitable projects in Guatemala by donating to our work.
Thank you for your kind donation to support the Mayan children in Guatemala.
The Question of Guatemalan Adoptions
In 2007, nearly 5,000 Guatemalan babies were adopted by Americans. In recent months, however, Guatemalan adoptions have come under enormous scrutiny due to allegations of child-trafficking. As a result, Guatemala signed the Hague Convention on January 1, 2008, in order to "clean up" their adoption procedures and protect the rights of children and their parents. The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption (HCICA) was launched in the Netherlands in 1993, as part of an initiative to standardize adoption laws amongst participating nations. On April 1, 2008, the US will sign the Hague Convention and, if Guatemala has not reformed their adoption system by then, the US will no longer approve of Guatemalan adoptions.
Child adoptions have become a major business in Guatemala, averaging $30,000 for each adoption. In addition, it is highly unregulated, thus the concern for child-trafficking and allegations of child abductions and selling.
According to an editorial in the LA Times, The Adoption Quandry by Elizabeth Larsen, there is much concern over the ethics of Guatemalan adoptions:
The larger ethical issue has been the role of buscadoras, recruiters hired by Guatemalan adoption lawyers to search for pregnant women willing to relinquish babies, in some cases offering them money. As the demand for babies has grown, so has the power of the buscadoras; to connect a lawyer to a pregnant mother, they demand up to $8,000. Meanwhile, Guatemalan children who have no living parents, who aren't infants or who have special needs constitute only a tiny fraction of completed adoptions.
Guatemalan adoptions have come under question with these types of corruption and activities in mind. In order to protect the rights of children and their parents, the Hague Convention stipulates that child adoption abide by the following processes:
- Family preservation - It is considered best for the child to remain with their own family.
- Extended family adoptions - Every attempt should be made to keep the children within the extended family, if staying with biological family is impossible.
- Adoption within Guatemala - Inter-country adoption is the next preferred step in the adoption process.
- International adoption - Foreign adoptions are considered a last resort.
One of the primary goals of Globally Minded Works, is to provide sponsorships for children so they can go to school, providing economic support to families so their child(ren) can go to school. We believe that Guatemalan children should remain with their families as well, and not be given to adoption, unless absolutely imperative and necessary for the welfare of the child. We hope that our sponsorship program will help to keep families intact, while empowering children through learning.
What do you think?
Support Development in Guatemala
Education is fundamental to empowering the poor in Guatemala, as well as other countries around this small globe. In time, we will post stories and information about the villages and schools we support on our website, through the kind and generous donations of people like you. Once we obtain our tax exemption status, we will seek donors and invite them to get to know their sponsored student, teacher and community in Guatemala. We won't twist arms about it, as we know people are busy, but at least the option and opportunity is available for donors to get more involved.
Clean drinking water and fuel efficient stoves are two other initiatives we seek to provide for the Mayan families around Lake Atitlan. We are looking for partners to make this a reality, including donors and in-kind donations. Clean water is a necessity for all people yet many around these communities can't afford clean water. Many have to walk long distances to get bottled water, if they can afford it, while many continue to drink water that is polluted and toxic. As a result, many have intestinal and stomach problems. Fuel efficient stoves are warranted as the traditional open fires cause serious respiratory problems as well as require a large amount of wood. Please consider helping us with these initiatives and projects.
We have trusted partners and volunteers on the ground to help us support schools and communities. In addition, we work with the local leaders to support our initiatives, knowing that their buy-in is critical to our success in each community.
We incorporated Globally Minded Works in April 2007 and are waiting for our official 501c3 tax exemption approval from the IRS. Meanwhile, will you consider placing our banner on your website and promoting our work on your blog or website? Tell you friends, colleagues, and church about Globally Minded Works and consider joining us as we impact the lives of children and communities in Guatemala.
The Gift of Books
I grew up devouring books, thanks to my Mom who encouraged me to read. Through the black and white pages of books, I'd move from my world to anywhere; I'd morph into the main characters through the persuasive words in books. Yes, reading was my escape. Thankfully, this insatiable love for reading and learning has never dissipated.
It is my love for learning that compels me to also help others learn. Indeed, every child should have the opportunity to learn how to read and write. Yet, around the world, especially in the developing world, illiteracy is staggering. There are hundreds of organizations helping children learn through the gift of books. Here are three fabulous organizations making a world of difference, helping schools and communities learn through reading and education:
Room to Read: They build libraries, schools and computer labs in the developing world. John Wood, the founder, wrote an inspiring autobiography called Leaving Microsoft to Change the World - I highly recommend it.
Cooperative for Education: This Ohio nonprofit was formed by two brothers committed to providing books to rural schools in Guatemala.
Child Aid: They partner with PROBIGUA, a Guatemalan nonprofit, to build libraries and computer centers in Guatemala.
Please find ways to get involved. give, go, pray, share, and read more.