Common Hope

THE NEED Guatemala remains one of Latin America's poorest nations. Over 50 percent of Guatemalans struggle to earn a living above the poverty level. Educational opportunities in Guatemala are slim. Only 70 percent of children graduate from sixth grade, 32 percent from junior high, and a mere 17 percent from high school. With minimal education, young adults in Guatemala have insufficient training or education to find work that earns a livable wage. Choices for youth are thereby limited, and the cycle of poverty is repeated for another generation.

OUR PROGRAMS Common Hope promotes hope and opportunity in Guatemala by partnering with children and families who want to improve their lives through education, health care, and housing. While education is the heart of our work, we understand that a child's success in school depends on his or her family's health, safety, and stability. For this reason we provide support for a student's family in four integrated program areas.

Our EDUCATION PROGRAM helps students attend primary and secondary school, vocational school, and university. We also have special education, a day care, extracurricular tutoring classes, and emotional support through youth groups.

Our HEALTH CARE PROGRAM includes basic health care and preventive health education, dental care, prenatal education, a pharmacy, nutrition services, lab services, and community health fairs.

Our HOUSING PROGRAM allows affiliated families to earn a house through sweat-equity hours. In addition, families can work to earn a stove, latrine, cement floor, and utilities such as water, drainage, and electricity.

Our FAMILY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM includes counseling, job placement services, AA, Al-Anon and parenting support groups. Through a long-term relationship with a Common Hope social worker, families identify obstacles and goals and create their own unique development plan.

Today over 3,000 students are sponsored through Common Hope and our programs serve over 9,000 people in 18 communities outside of Antigua and Guatemala City. Since 1986, hundreds of students have graduated from high school with the help of our programs. These students are now better equipped to find jobs, help support their families, and create change in their communities.