Help us Build a School in La Pila

About our Work in La Pila

Since 2016, we have worked in La Pila, a rural Mayan village in Guatemala whose residents suffer poverty and hunger. Residents also have extremely limited access to safe drinking water, electricity (about 40% of village residents have electricity), and internet connection (about 5% of village residents have internet access).  

Over the past 6 years, we have offered medical care, a feeding program, and an education program to the community’s 1,000~ residents. We have made great strides through the feeding program—contributing more than 3,000lbs of food in the village since 2016, offering daily breakfast to students, and reducing rates of malnourishment in 80% of village residents.  

During our years of service in Guatemala, it is apparent that our education program is one of the most impactful we can positively contribute to the La Pila community. Our education program started as a scholarship program for kids who want to continue studying after elementary school. Historically, only 2% of residents continue education past 6th grade—most often choosing working and family life over continued education for financial and cultural reasons.  

About the Campaign – Why a School?

In the past, if a resident of La Pila wanted to advance their education, they would need to go to the city or the U.S. to do so. This is costly and difficult to access. Even continuing education beyond elementary school required great financial sacrifice. Due to this, only 60% of residents finish elementary school and only 2% start middle school.  

Every year since our program’s inception, our education program has added more students to the program. Today, we have 24 total students in the scholarship program, including 14 middle school students, 8 high school students, and 2 young people in university. 

However, the momentum we have built with our scholarship program slowed during the pandemic in 2020 due to lack of ability to gather and lack of internet access. Since then, we have decided to accelerate the process of bringing internet access to the community and building infrastructure to support more student involvement in the program.  

Today, our middle school program—an in-person middle school in the village is held in a room rented in a local women’s home. Prior to that, it was held in a tent. We have 7 students enrolled in the program and nearing capacity. A school will help us welcome more students to complete middle school education affordably within their own community.  

We hold the program on Tuesday and Wednesday so our students can work on harvest days, Monday, Thursday, and Friday, to minimize financial impact to their families.  

The Vision for a New School  

We have completed an architectural plan to build a 3-level school building overlooking the mountains in La Pila. Our goal is to have a secure place for students to continue studying beyond elementary school. The school will be open to anyone who wants to continue studying in middle school (7th-9th grade) and high school (10th and 11th grade). It will have extra space and resources to open the school to the whole village.  

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In addition, the school will function as a community center with a medical clinic, soccer field, and community gathering space. This school would be the first high school in the area and could benefit 6 neighboring villages that also do not have a high school   

We are currently raising $200,000 to build phase one of the project and have $50,000 in matching funds that will match all donations dollar for dollar up to $50,000. We want to raise this $200,000 by December of this year to build and certify this building for education by 2024.   

• Phase 1: $200,000 

• Basement - Kitchen, Gathering Place, Basketball Court/Soccer Field  

• Main Level Classrooms  

• Phase 2:  Future

• Upper Level: Clinic, Parking Lot  

Together, we can offer life-changing access to education in the rural community of La Pila, Guatemala.