By Betsy Hale, Latina America Pod Chair
New Guatemala Grant Partners
A small ad hoc committee led by Janet Pearson met several times to identify new partners in Guatemala. We surveyed POD members to gather input and interests, reached out to key Guatemala NGO informants, and came up with organizations that seem to be a good fit. We requested Organizational Profiles from two organizations: Voces y Manos and Na’ leb’ ak.
We decided to invite Voces y Manos, an organization started by graduates of our former grant partner, Fundacion Nueva Esperanza to apply for the remaining dollars that we have in 2024. Voces y Manos promotes youth leadership, funds internships in agroecology, climate change mitigation, and land conservation and reforestation work.
Guatemala Site Visit 2024
Site visit planning for Guatemala is underway for October 10-17. The group will attend the Central America Donors Forum that takes place right before and will provide excellent connections and context for our visit. We will travel to the town of Rabinal, where we will meet Voces y Manos and Na’leb’ak who we will consider for 2025. We will also visit existing grant partner Taa’Pit in San Pablo la Laguna on Lake Atitlan.
Grant Partner Update
Taa’ Pi’t, located on the shores of Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, is focusing currently on nutritional and agricultural education, a demonstration garden to teach traditional Mayan agricultural practices. They promote a Mayan cosmovision based on respect and interdependence with the natural world.
UNOSJO in the Sierra Norte region of the state of Oaxaca has launched a new initiative: A summer workshop on popular education based on respect for local knowledge and an indigenous perspective. The workshop targets teachers. In September they will build on the popular education model and offer a four-month certificate entitled Gender and Agroecology for Zapotec women.