Pueblo a Pueblo - Child Education/Health Sponsorship Program

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Child Education/Health Sponsorship Program

1 77%of the indigenous population, in Guatemala are illiterate.

Only 20% of indigenous children are able to finish their primary education. 2

3 Escuela Oficial Rural Mixta Cantón Panabaj

A school in the path of the mudslides


4 The mudslides in Panabaj hit and closed the local elementary school that served more than 500 T’zutujil children. Many students perished, many more lost some or all of their family members. Many lost their homes and live in temporary housing.

Your $25 monthly sponsorship of a T’zutujil Maya boy or girl will help build a future of hope, skill and health. Your sponsorship will enable a child to attend school and receive their healthcare from the Hospitalito Atitlán.


A few of the Children

5 6 7 8


What is Child Education/Health Sponsorship?

When you sponsor a school aged child, you will ensure that she/he can enroll in school and continue their education. Additionally, your sponsorship will enable your child’s healthcare needs to be met at the Hospitalito Atitlán.

As the sole sponsor of this child, you will regularly receive photographs, letters, and evaluations of your child. We encourage you to communicate as well and build a relationship of learning, sharing, mutual respect and encouragement.



With so many sponsorship organizations, why choose Pueblo a Pueblo?

Pueblo a Pueblo’s sponsorship program offers you a unique opportunity to change the life of a family, a child, and a community.

Family: One of the fondest dreams of T’zutujil families is that they are able to educate their children. Many are not able to. Due to extreme poverty, many families cannot afford school clothes, supplies or books. Often the first to leave school are daughters. Often sons are required to leave school to work and help their families survive. Without an education, the cycle of poverty continues.

The family of your sponsored child has agreed to work with school officials to identify and resolve barriers to continued education. Most families lost their homes and many lost their income. More often than not the barriers to education are economic. While your sponsorship money is never directly given to a family, the program has the ability to assist in meeting both nutritional and material barriers to continued education.

Child: Your sponsorship will literally change the life of a child whose family cannot afford to educate them. Besides the life-long benefits of an education, your child will be ensured health care and be encouraged by the helping hand of a new friend who cares and believes in their capacity to fulfill their lives.

Community: The Escuela Oficial Rural Mixta Cantón Panabaj has been an important pillar in the poorest part of this indigenous community. This is a T’zutujil school, providing educational opportunities in the child’s native language and in the context of their culture. Support of your student will help ensure that the school can continue to educate and serve all the children of Panabaj.

Pediatric care represents a significant portion of care provided at the Hospitalito Atitlán. Along with the elderly and pregnant women, children are the most medically vulnerable. Much like an insurance premium, a portion of your sponsorship will pay for routine care, immunizations and emergency care for your child. Support of your individual child will help strengthen the Hospitalito’s capacity to continue to provide free care to other needy community members.

In 2004, Pueblo a Pueblo’s overhead expenses were less than 10%. This means we were able to deliver 90 cents of every dollar donated to our partner organizations in Santiago Atitlán.



What will my $25 gift be used for?

Pueblo a Pueblo works closely with the school’s administration to identify and resolve any and all barriers to education. Your child’s school supplies and books will be purchased. The child will receive a well-balanced, nutritious meal at school each day thanks to the Lunch Program. A fund has been established to address any family need that puts the child’s education at risk. Pueblo a Pueblo has agreed to use a portion of monthly sponsorship to assist the administration with overhead expenses of the school. Lastly, five dollars of your monthly sponsorship will go to the Hospitalito Atitlán to provide routine and emergency care to your child.



What is my commitment?

We ask that you make a one-year commitment to your child. We hope that you will continue with your sponsorship for as long as your child wants to continue with their education. You will be this child’s only sponsor. Via letters and photos, you will develop a personal relationship with your child. This financial and emotional support will enable and encourage your child to continue their studies.

We understand that your financial situation may change over time. If, for any reason, you are unable to continue the financial support of your student, Pueblo a Pueblo will commit to locating an alternative sponsor.



As a sponsor, what will I receive?

To keep our administrative expenses to a minimum, we strongly encourage sponsors to communicate via Email. If Email is your chosen mode of communication, you will receive your first email and photo attachment of your sponsored child within one month. If you choose to communicate via regular mail, you may expect your first letter and photo within six weeks. Either by Email or regular mail, you will first receive a photo and background information about the student who you are sponsoring.

Throughout the year you will receive:

Three additional letters/drawings from your sponsored child. Our local staff will assist with translation. You will also receive:

An additional photograph each year.

Yearly educational assessment.

Two newsletters per year will provide you background information about the community and culture of your sponsored mother and child.

The personal satisfaction of knowing you have secured the education of a needy indigenous Maya child.


Will I be able to write and/or visit child? Can I send gifts?

Your sponsored child will look forward to hearing from you. Your Emails and attachments or letters will be delivered, without your address. Exchanging photographs is another good way to get to know each other.

You may write as often as you like. As mentioned above, you can help us keep our administrative expenses at a minimum if you can communicate via E-mail. You are always welcome to travel to Guatemala to see first-hand how important your contributions have been to the life of your child. If you plan to make a trip, contact Pueblo a Pueblo’s office and we will help coordinate the meeting.

We do not accept gifts to be sent to Guatemala, as the transportation and import duty expenses are prohibitive. If you desire to make an extra gift for holidays, birthdays or special occasions, you may make an additional donation and our staff in Guatemala will purchase and deliver a gift in your name.



Is my sponsorship tax deductible?

Yes. Pueblo a Pueblo is a 503(c)(3) non-profit organization. All gifts to Pueblo a Pueblo are tax deductible under U.S. federal IRS regulations. You will receive confirmation of your tax-deductible contribution for your records.



Can I make a one-time gift in support of this program?

Yes. One-time contributions, whether small or large, will help us to meet the educational needs of these T’zutujil children. Often extreme economic circumstances of a family require additional resources beyond a sponsor’s monthly gifts. Your one-time gift will help Pueblo a Pueblo strengthen and expand its program to ensure the education of all children affected by the recent disaster.

I cannot sponsor a child at this time, but would like to make a donation to support this program.



I am ready to sponsor a child. What is my next step?

To enroll via the internet please go to:

Enroll now        

To enroll via the postal service or if you have any further questions, please contact us at: ChildEducationSponsor@puebloapueblo.org






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© 2006