Elementary Education - Improving Village Schools

When Ak’ Tenamit launched its education program in 1992, the average village school was a thatched roof and a dirt floor with logs to sit on instead of desks and they lacked such basic supplies such as pencils, notebooks and chalk. Teachers were often absent, or ill prepared and many children dropped out after second, or third grade. We consequently did everything possible to improve those schools:

Foreign volunteers trained teachers and helped villagers improve, or build new schools
We organized sister schools in the United States that donated supplies ranging from pens to backpacks.
Rotary clubs, churches and other organizations built, or funded the construction of new schools, or donated desks and other supplies.
The result is that a record number of children now complete sixth grade and enter high school.
Our We Must Educate the Girls program has resulted in a remarkable increase in the number of girls completing elementary school.
We’ve also gotten environmental and health education into the local curriculum.

“Ten years ago, nobody in my village graduated from high school. We now have 20 graduates and 40 young people studying at Ak’ Tenamit, and you can see the change in the community.” -- -Jorge Bolom, Ak’ Tenamit operations manager

Please get your school, church, or club to donate funds for improving a village school.