About Guatemala

It is a land of intense beauty: volcanic lakes, soaring peaks, lush valleys, peopled in large part by Maya dressed in traditional, colorful clothing made on backstrap looms.Guatemala, located in Central America, is a country of contrasts: the (few) very rich and the (mostly) very poor; modern skyscrapers and dirt-floored shacks; 4-wheel drive Broncos and man-pulled donkey carts.
It is a land of upheavals, both in its volcanic geography and in its tumultuous history.

That history (including the US-backed coup in 1954 against the democratically-elected President) has led to the intense and pervasive poverty that exists for the majority of its people today:

• Nearly 1/3 live on less than $2 per day and 13.5% on less than $1/day (www.state.gov).
• The infant mortality rate is 59/1000 and the literacy rate is 50% (www.quetzalnet.com).
• In the capital of Guatemala City there are 1000′s of very young children living on the streets. (http://www.tulane.edu/~rouxbee/kids04/guatemala/_mcolema1/guatcauses.html)
• Even with these dire conditions, children who have nothing will take a trinket or piece of candy and share it with their siblings or friends. Their generosity is humbling. (Me, Robin, – saw it and felt it firsthand.)

With such extreme conditions, where does one begin. With one child, one person. Oh My Maya is not raising millions or even tens of thousands of dollars (although with your support we can try!), but we can make a difference.