Mayan Families

Mayan Families works to advance education, nutrition & health and economic development, through community-led initiatives which build on existing resources and knowledge in the Lake Atitlán region of Guatemala. Our strategic goals are to increase quality of education, reduce the risk of chronic malnutrition, and improve economic well-being in the communities where we work.

All of our work is based on the following:
*Promote Mayan traditions, culture and language, using ancestral techniques and knowledge.
*Focus on developing expertise and capacity in specific themes and objectives, based on community needs and strengths.
*Center community benefit, promoting independence, self-sufficiency and internal solutions.
*Seek to make the most of and fully utilize the organization’s existing resources -infrastructure, staff, funding - and existing skills and resources in communities. Interconnect our three pillars of work, strengthening one another to achieve a truly holistic development.

Our Education programs aim to complement and strengthen the educational systems around Lake Atitlán to provide increased quality educational opportunities to students of all ages focused on advances in three key areas:
1) Preschool Nutrition Centers which provide quality early education in rural communities, promoting bilingual education through learning Spanish while preserving and valuing Mayan languages, and preventing and treating malnutrition in children under 5 years of age.

2) Community Learning Communities which provide face-to-face tutoring to students who are struggling, which involves training and support from older students, encouraging leadership development and community participation.

3) A Scholarship Program which provides support Indigenous students who lack the resources necessary to complete their studies and offers better opportunities of access a quality education.

Our Nutrition & Health programs generate access to nutritional and medical services with cultural relevance, reducing the impact of child malnutrition and improving the quality of life of vulnerable populations in the rural communities around Lake Atitlán, focused on three major programs:
1) Community Health Programs which strengthens local governance systems to create access and availability to vital community services, working in the areas of water and sanitation, affordable food, nutrition education and support for the elderly.
2) Medical/Nutritional Services provide preventative and culturally appropriate medical care to pregnant women, children under 5 years of age and the elderly, through mobile health & nutrition clinics, sexual and reproductive health, and promoting traditional Mayan medicine at the community level.
3) Creciendo Sano, our flagship malnutrition prevention and treatment program seeks to reduce the risk of chronic malnutrition through health services and comprehensive nutritional education, treatment of child malnutrition, and pre-and post-natal care.

Our Economic Development programs aim to advance professional and economic growth, promote local knowledge and techniques and increase opportunities for income-generation for  families and communities through an Artisan Program and technical trade school.

We are effective and capable because we are led by our values and a strong Indigenous Leadership Team with subject matter expertise and abilities in our pillar of work. We couple strong local expertise with an eye on International trends, data, and research to assure that our programs align culturally-relevant and locally-driven solutions with proven methods.

Our values drive our work and decision making:
Cooperation – We work as a kind, effective and supportive team in collaboration with our communities.
Integrity – We act honestly and ethically, thereby earning the trust and confidence of both communities and supporters.
Transparency – Our processes and use of resources are reasonable, justified and clearly communicated.
Respect – We treat all people kindly and fairly, with dignity and empathy.
Humility – We recognize our role as facilitators, centering and valuing local expertise. We evolve based on constant learning and self-improvement.
Accountability – We thoughtfully and responsibly manage our resources to ensure both efficient use and intentional impact.
Reciprocity – We believe in dignified, equitable relationships with our community, fostering agency, active participation and service to others.

Our values are at the core of everything we do. We believe that all of our work is necessarily and infinitely strengthened by being:
1. Led by local Indigenous staff.
2. Oriented towards community-led solutions by listening to community voices.
3. Focused on long-term, holistic and sustainable programs.

Since 2005, Mayan Families has sought innovative approaches to empower communities through consistent and reliable support. This holistic methodology seeks to fulfill locally identified needs through culturally sensitive practices, and to provide access to high quality services based on the strength and dignity of the community that we serve. Through our experience, both good and bad, we have learned to partner effectively with local communities to create change together, based on their inherent strengths and knowledge. We currently manage 4 highly-effective preschools, support 1200 students to complete their education, train university students as tutors and mentors for younger students, provide culturally-relevant medical nutritional care to hundreds of families, and provide over 40 artisans with access to markets and sales to help sustain their families.