Our partnership with MAIA

Guatemala has the highest level of gender inequity in the Western Hemisphere. During a crisis, girls and women experience the greatest negative impact due to economic pressure, stress, and uncertainty. The pressure to pull daughters out of school was more intense than ever during the Pandemic. Globally, 20 million girls were predicted to not return to school after the pandemic, a devastating statistic considering fewer than 20 percent of indigenous girls in Guatemala were graduating from high school prior to the pandemic. However, girls hold a unique power to lead inclusive and transformational change that will uplift rural communities and enable them to respond to crisis in a timely and sustainable way. It is when their future is at the greatest risk, that young women need the support of their families, mentors, and the global community to ensure nothing stands in the way of their education and ambitious goals.

One Day’s Wages partnered with MAIA to assist in delivering a holistic and strengths-based mentorship program virtually amidst the rising of COVID-19. Local MAIA mentors adapted their curriculum and themes in order to meet the needs of the Girl Pioneers (MAIA students). The subjects included in their curriculum were based around time management, goal-setting, independent study skills, personal hygiene, reproductive health, trauma mitigation, vocal empowerment, and communication skills for responding to conflict. In addition, virtual group mentorship classes and one-on-one sessions with the students and their families were provided. As families faced increased economic hardship, food insecurity, and overall health impacts due to COVID-19, this programming was an essential support system for these girls and their families. The mentorship program works in tandem with academic development in order to keep girls in school and advancing toward their academic goals.