Mission

Pueblo a Pueblo is a 501(c)(3) non-profit U.S. corporation whose mission is to empower indigenous Mayan Guatemalan individuals and communities to improve their own lives. Pueblo a Pueblo promotes collaboration among local and international organizations, communities, and individuals to build capacity and implement beneficiary-driven projects.

To achieve this mission, Pueblo a Pueblo focuses on programming in child education, nutrition, and family health for indigenous Mayan communities in Guatemala's Lake Atitlan region.

Pueblo a Pueblo's Values

Pueblo a Pueblo was founded on the belief that meaningful and sustainable change requires the commitment and active involvement of the individual, community, or organization that will benefit from that change. In this approach, the beneficiaries help determine their needs and potential solutions, resulting in more culturally appropriate, effective, and sustainable interventions.

Pueblo a Pueblo deeply respects the indigenous cultures of Guatemala. We strive to deepen values such as personal responsibility, self-respect, careful stewardship of resources, collaboration, and creative problem-solving. Pueblo a Pueblo further supports the cross-cultural values of compassion, respect for others, and service—qualities that must be cultivated if we are to create a world of greater equity.

Our History

Pueblo a Pueblo was established in 2001 to address the widespread poverty, illiteracy, and poor health afflicting the communities surrounding Santiago Atitlan, a T’zutujil community nestled on the shores of Lake Atitlan in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. This village of 43,000 residents is one of the largest indigenous Mayan communities in the Americas. Our name, which can be interpreted as “village to village” or “people to people,” celebrates the bond between local and international supporters and the indigenous families of Guatemala.

Pueblo a Pueblo’s early efforts focused on helping to reopen a local community hospital that had been closed due to the country’s civil war. In 2005, six months after we achieved this goal, mudslides resulting from Hurricane Stan buried the hospital up to its roof, rendered the elementary school unsafe, and claimed the lives of more than 400 men, women and children. Pueblo a Pueblo’s post-hurricane response helped to relocate the school in less than 12 weeks and provided local children and families—many left homeless by the storm—with nutritious food. These relief efforts served as the foundation for our school lunch and child health and education sponsorship programs.

Since 2005, Pueblo a Pueblo has evolved and expanded to more directly target the three most critical needs of the indigenous Mayan peoples in this region: health, education, and nutrition. In 2009, Pueblo a Pueblo transferred the hospital fundraising responsibilities to another 501(c)(3) organization, allowing us to devote our full attention to long-term solutions to support child education and family health.

Today we work in five communities in the Santiago Atitlan region. Our programs are reducing maternal and infant mortality; teaching new mothers about parenting, child care, and family planning; helping children stay in school and succeed; keeping infants and children healthy with regular medical and dental exams; delivering nutritious meals at school; teaching children to grow their own vegetables; improving literacy with a school library and ongoing literacy activities; and providing the facilities, education and clean water needed to keep children healthy and teach them good sanitation and hygiene habits.

From the beginning, Pueblo a Pueblo has collaborated with community members to develop sustainable solutions that respect and honor the culture of the T’zutujil people we serve. We proudly remain true to our name, working together—village to village and people to people—to build individual and community capacity and create a future of health, education, and opportunity for the children of Santiago Atitlan.