Life is tough in rural Guatemala – for everyone. Families often live in difficult circumstances with no electricity or clean water. Worse, they lack any way to get out this extreme poverty. Every member of the family is affected by the poverty they live in.

 

But none are more affected than the girls. In families with several kids, girls are the ones most often left behind. Parents cannot afford to give the same to each of their kids. So, if they are able to scrape together enough money to send a kid to school, it is more often a boy.

 

Girls stay behind and help tend the home. Then they get married and spend a lifetime doing the same. This is changing with the times, but slowly.

 

Without outside help, girls in remote areas are destined to continue in poverty – never fulfilling their dreams for a better life.

 

Thanks to our supporters, we were able to do something about this problem. In January 2017 we opened a dorm for female high school students – to help break this vicious cycle that entraps so many bright and talented village girls.

 

 

High Schools are few and far between in Guatemala, and they are located in larger population centers – far away from rural villages.

 

There is no government support for students. No transportation, no housing, no food. Kids are on their own if they want to go to school. So, if a village student wants to go to a high school in town, they need money to pay for transportation, food, and housing – in addition to school expenses. These costs keep most rural students from ever attending high school.

 

Our dorm was built near Livingston, Guatemala – the seat of the local municipality. The dorm is within walking distance of two high schools. We only charge a fee large enough to cover expenses and maintenance necessary to operate the dorm. This is a much lower cost than other options.

 

Staying in our dorm helps save most of the expense involved in going to high school. So, girls from rural villages can now have the opportunity to pursue their dreams.

 

This year, most of the girls staying in the dorm were studying to become teachers. The dorm is pretty rustic, by our standards, but the girls seem to love it. More than anything, they are grateful for the chance to pursue their dreams.