ODW + LIMITLESS HORIZONS

Project #288 | Education for Maya Ixil Girls

Our Partnership with Limitless Horizons lxil

Chajul was at the center of the Guatemalan Civil War – which contributed to extreme poverty and inequalities among indigenous communities – yet maintains its rich Maya Ixil traditions and language.  Due to its remote location, there are limited educational and professional development opportunities for youth.  Less than a quarter of students in Chajul graduate from middle school and only 4% graduate from high school. Girls face additional obstacles that prohibit them from attending school, especially in settings where the teachers are primarily men.  The pandemic only led to further learning losses.  

One Day’s Wages partnered with Limitless Horizons Ixil to provide high-quality education for Maya lxil youth in a supportive, girl-centered school environment.  Through our partnership, 72 Maya Ixil youth (⅔ of whom are girls) received a full year of education at Colegio Horizontes; 33 incoming students participated in a intensive preparatory program prior to enrolling in 7th grade; and 14 local staff will further develop their teaching skills to offer holistic education. Through these efforts, 83% of students achieved their targeted learning outcomes by the end of the school year, and the school attendance rate was an impressive 99%.  Among 7th and 8th graders, 90% demonstrated socio-emotional development, evidenced by increased feelings of resilience and agency over their futures!

Our Collective Impact

MAYA IXIL YOUTH RECEIVED AN EMPOWERING AND HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION

MAYA IXIL TEACHERS GREW IN THEIR CAPACITY TO OFFER HOLISTIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS

PARENTS LEARNED TO SUPPORT AND ADVOCATE FOR THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION

Meet Juana

“One of the things that most excites me about studying at Colegio Horizontes is the teaching style, which is much better than at my elementary school. Teachers give lots of examples in class and help you understand subjects. Since starting at Colegio Horizontes, I feel like I have learned more about myself and my abilities.

 

Mentorship classes have helped me to understand my mind and body more thoroughly. In class, we talk about how to manage different situations and about topics like puberty. I feel like classes open my mind to lots of new topics. Mentorship sessions help me to manage my emotions, like talking to a psychologist. For example, if my parents have a fight, I will talk to my mentor and tell her everything that’s happening to me and my mentor gives me feedback and advice.

 

My proudest accomplishment is that I have consistently been on the honor roll! My goals for this year are to be more responsible, be innovative in completing assignments, and continue to make the honor roll each quarter.”

Thank you for making this possible!

If you want to support future projects like this you can make a donation to our Children’s Education fund below.

                 

 

One Day’s Wages exists to alleviate extreme poverty by investing in, amplifying, and coming alongside locally led organizations in underserved communities.

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