Educating Indigenous Girls
Key to Long-Term Improvement
As is common in traditional societies, women in Guatemala’s indigenous communities are oppressed. Most girls drop out of school after two or three years in order to help their mothers at home. Most marry and become pregnant as teenagers, are often ill equipped to raise children, and have little knowledge of the world outside their village.

Studies show that educating girls leads to a decrease in teenage pregnancies and early childhood mortality, and an increase in household incomes and social stability. Consequently, Ak’ Tenamit implements a program created by the United Nations called We Must Educate the Girls. This program has already had a major impact on our area. Project representatives try to speak to every parent in every village to encourage them to let their daughters receive the basic right to education, as they work to create community networks in support of education. At the Moran Center, female students receive extra academic assistance and Spanish classes, and participate in self-esteem workshops and drama exercises that encourage them to continue their education and become active in their communities. Those girls in turn act as advocates in their villages, encouraging younger girls to study hard and stay in school.

Since Ak’ Tenamit launched the program in 1994, the number of girls finishing primary school in the villages has risen dramatically, and for the first time ever in our area, indigenous girls are completing secondary school in growing numbers. Please consider donating to this extraordinary program.

Education: Overview | Elementary Education | Secondary Education | Educating Girls