Help the kids to finish school

After-School Elementary Tutoring Program

Sixty percent of the Guatemalan population does not graduate from elementary school, and rural communities suffer from up to 70% illiteracy. In the highlands of Guatemala, where the population is mainly indigenous, these statistics are a reality that affects the daily life and indeed the future of nearly every family.

Our After-School Elementary Tutoring Program helps children aged 5 to 11 to finish school. Our tutoring center, in the village of Pasac in Nahualá, Sololá, about 3 ½ hours from Guatemala City, serves 118 children. The center is open every weekday, and each student comes in twice weekly to work with tutors in their native language K'iche' and in Spanish. During their tutoring sessions, the children work on a variety of subjects, including technology and computers, math, communications, and language. They also receive extra help in environmental education and art.

Though our students share the same indigenous culture, their educational goals and career aspirations are varied. Meet four of our elementary school students below:

Carlos Emilio Suy Sac

Carlos, an elementary school student, has been participating in the After-School Tutoring Program since 2009. His father, Diego, is a day laborer and his mother, Juana, works in housekeeping, which provides their family with an income of about $2.50USD per day. Carlos Emilio is one of five children in his family - and the first to be enrolled in school. He hopes to become a teacher.


Cristina Manuela Pascuala Guarchaj López

Cristina is from the village of Pasac in Nahualá, Sololá, Guatemala. She attends school at the Escuela Oficial Rural Mixta Caserío Pasac. Cristina is also the first child in her family to attend school. Her father, Francisco, is a subsistence farmer and her mother, Pascuala, takes care of her and her sister. Their family income is approximately $55USD per month. She dreams of becoming a doctor one day.


Elsa Sulma Chovón Ecoquij

Elsa is an elementary school student who wants to continue her education in the hopes of becoming a doctor. Her father works as a day laborer and her mother works in housekeeping, which provides an income of less than $2USD per day to their 6-children family. Despite the economic difficulties, Elsa Sulma is the fifth child in her family to be enrolled in school.


Cristobal Mauricio Rajpop Marroquín

Cristobal is one of two children in his family. His father is deceased, and his mother works in housekeeping to provide for her children, earning an average income of less than $2USD per day. At the tutoring center, Cristobal Mauricio receives help in his coursework, in both Spanish and his native K'iche. He hopes to be able to remain in school and one day realize his dream of becoming a police officer.

Sponsor a student today

The average family income in this region is only $2 per day, posing a challenge to cover even the most basic necessities, and a child's education must often be sacrificed. For many of those who are able to attend elementary school, doing well and remaining in school is a continuous struggle.

Donate Now

With your help, we'll be able to help many more students. Your donation will help us to acquire books and school supplies, as well as pay for tutors.

Donate now or e-mail us at Roots and Wings International.