For most young women in the rural villages of Alta Verapaz, education beyond 6th grade is out of reach. Facing limited resources, many parents send only their sons away to school. LPGM helps to fund a $275 scholarship for girls who then have access to the same opportunities as the boys, but also feel empowered in earning their own tuition, and the Leadership Training workshop also builds their self-esteem and confidence.
The Program
Women in Agroecology Leadership for Conservation
CCFC’s 25-day leadership training workshop for young women accepts up to 150 students twice each year in the fall. CCFC has seen the difference a 25-day leadership workshop can make in the lives of young Q'eqchi Maya women. They are also proud that so many who go through the workshop choose to continue in school with the support of a CCFC agroecology work-study scholarship. These opportunities change the lives of young women and have a positive impact on their immediate family/household. The young women with their knowledge then influence their entire village and the ecological health of their region.
The dropout rate for girls matriculating from 6th to 7th grade in this area is higher than 75%. WALC participants from this same demographic have a less than 5% dropout rate. This is the amazing difference that the WALC leadership training workshop and a WALC scholarship can make.
“During the WALC program I gained a lot of knowledge, and the most important thing was knowing who I am and what I want to do. I gained strength and dedication. Every person can achieve what they set out to do. But one really important thing is to live out the gift that God has given us. We all have a purpose, otherwise we would not have been born.”
-Lilia, a former WALC student who now leads health initiatives in her home village.
100
WALC participants received a scholarship from LPGM in 2021$275
cost to educate a Q'eqchi' Maya girl via the WALC program, including a school scholarship
95%
of WALC participants remain in school for another year, thanks to a work-study scholarship
The Impact of Your Support
Our Partner
Community Cloud Forest Conservation
LPGM began a new partnership with Community Cloud Forest Conservation (CCFC) in 2015. CCFC alleviates poverty and protects forests through education, reforestation, community development, leadership scholarships, and ecological improvements to agriculture. CCFC believes that holistic human and community development through education and capacity building is the key to conservation and peace building in Guatemala’s central highlands. Education, especially for young women, is crucial to the healthy and sustainable development of this region.
