fepmaya guatemala, convocatoria 2014

7/27/2019 Fepmaya Guatemala, Convocatoria 2014

1/20

2012-2013 Report to Contributors

Maya Educational Foundation

Maya Educational FoundationP.O. Box 1483, Welleet, MA 02667, USAwww.mayaeduound.org

Ixil Maya student romNebaj, Quich, graduatingas a Clinical Psychologist

The Maya Educational

Foundation (MEF)

supports the

educational and

proessional

advancement o

the Maya people

in Guatemala,southern Mexico and

Belize, with special

consideration given to

women and girls, and

to indigenous groups

rom remote areas.

20th Anniversary Edition


2/20

For information on all ourprojects and more photos,please visit our web site

www.mayaedufound.org

Contents

Presidents Letter 2

Celebrating MEFsBoard Members 3

The Core of MEFs Work 4MEF scholarship students 5

What students are saying 6

Partners and Programsin Guatemala 8

Partners and Programsin Chiapas, Mexico 12

Partner in Belize 15

English Language Programsin Guatemala and Mexico 16

Outreach to Remote Areasand Younger Students 17

Celebrating our Donors 19

How You Can Help 20

Your Donations at Work 20

2

Dear Friends,

The Maya Educational Foundation celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Underthe leadership o a small group o Guatemalan Maya and U.S. citizens (mosto them members o the Guatemala Scholars Network), the oundation cameinto being in 1992 in response to the changes taking place in Guatemala as thewar wound down and peace negotiations replaced armed conict. We discussedhow best we could play a constructive role aiding our riends in rebuilding Maya

communities wracked by killings, genocide, displacement, and exile. Some youngpeople, anxious to take up their lives again, asked us about assistance or theireducational endeavors. We started small, with fve or six students in Guatemalaand one or two in the U.S., and have grown through the years as you have joinedwith us to make schooling possible and to bring hope out o horror.

Over the past 20 years, with the help o MEF scholarships, 145 Maya youngpeople have received their university degrees and scores more have ulflled theirdreams o a secondary education. MEF programs now take place in several citiesand many towns in Guatemala, in Chiapas, Mexico, and in Belize. We haveprovided support or doctors, lawyers, engineers, nurses, a midwie, agronomistsand social scientists, along with bilingual teachers, accountants, primary teachersand more. Currently MEF assists about 60 university level students and about 90more at lower levels. Most o the students come rom amilies that live in stark

poverty and struggle very hard to continue their education. Their commitmento that process inspires us to make their education possible.In the days ahead, MEFs commitment must match that o these students. We

must fnd ways to und their scholarship stipends at a higher level. We must reachout to those Mayas who are working and attending university on a part-time basisWe must continue to support those programs that prepare students to compete ininstitutions not amenable to their presence. Your thoughtul participation, yourgenerosity, and your gits will make this possible. In the past year, several largeanonymous donations and the new scholarships or two Chiapan Maya womento become community health workers have enriched our program and increasedour outreach. MEFs uture success depends on more o these and on the owo smaller gits, recurring monthly contributions, responses to our mailings, andthose gits marking special occasions, like the marvelous git given in my honor

by the Guatemala Scholars Network and MEF riends.This is my last report to you. Ater 20 years on the MEF Board, I havesubmitted my resignation and it has been accepted. Old age is upon me, and Ifnd that my energy levels and mental acuity no longer meet the challenge o thiswork. I am honored to have held this position and enriched by those o you I havemet in the course o this work. The Board is in good hands. Dr. Christine Eberproessor emerita o anthropology, New Mexico State University at Las Cruces isthe new MEF Board President. Her expertise is in Chiapas and she is the author othe new bookThe Journey o a Tzotzil-Maya Woman o Chiapas, Mexico: Pass WelOver The Earth, written with Antonia and published by the University o TexasPress. She will be assisted by Dr. Carol Hendrickson, proessor o anthropologyat Marlboro College, whose work has been centered around women and textilesin the area o Tecpn, Guatemala. The new Vice President o the Board is Dr

J. Pablo Chavajay, originally rom San Pedro La Laguna in Guatemala and nowassociate proessor o psychology at the University o New Hampshire. Dr. BrendaRosenbaum, also a twenty-year veteran, has retired rom the Board but will stayinvolved through her work with Mayan Hands and her mentoring o FEPMayaboard members. Our thanks to her or her many years o service.

In saying arewell, I extend my gratitude to you, our supporters andcontributors who have made all this possible. Que les vaya bien!

Marilyn Moors

FEPMaya studentgraduating as a lawyer


3/20

Celebrating MEFs Board Membersby Elisabeth Nicholson

We rarely mention MEFs Board o Directors, theheart and governing body o MEF, but I would liketo take just a moment this year, on the occasion o

MEFs 20th anniversary, to do so. This all-volunteergroup sets the course or MEF, reviews and adjustsit when necessary, and meets every year. Each o thenine members and honorary members brings specialtalents, experience and interests to MEF. Althoughwe have had some changes and turnover on the Boardover the last 20 years, some members have been withMEF since the beginning and it is time to expressour appreciation to all o those who have served andto those who are still serving. Thank you or yourcommitment to MEF!

3

Never doubt that a small group o thoughtul,

committed citizens can change the world.

Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

Margaret Mead

MEF Board members and sta at the 2012 meeting in AmherstMassachusetts.

From the bottom up, let to right: Brenda Rosenbaum, MarilynMoors, Chris Lutz, Catherine Docter, John Farrow, CaroHendrickson, Mitchell Denburg, Christine Eber, Pablo ChavajayRobert Greenberg and Elisabeth Nicholson.

Marilyn and Brenda

Fond FarewellsIn August, MEF accepted the retirement rom the MEF Board otwo o its long-serving ofcers, Board President, Marilyn Moorsand Vice President, Brenda Rosenbaum. We will miss them dearlyWe wish them the best or the uture and thank them or the timecare and attention they have given to MEF projects over the years.They both brought eective leadership and ocus, as well as valuableinsights and empathy to our work and helped make MEF a successWe also appreciate that they will be honorary board members andwill still help MEF in the uture when needed.

Muchsimas gracias!

Thanks go to Christine Eber or accepting the Presidents position and Pablo Chavajay or taking on the ofce oVice President. We are grateul to Carol Hendrickson or agreeing to assist Christine and give a special nod o ap-preciation to our Treasurer, Robert Greenberg, or his hard work, and to John Farrow. We also want to thank ourBoard members in Guatemala, Mitchell Denburg and Catherine Docter, who have helped with the reorganizationo CIRMA and FEPMaya. Heartelt thanks go to honorary board member Chris Lutz or all he has done to supportMEF and CIRMA. Last but not least, I want to commend my colleagues Guisela Asensio, Kathy Schellong andArmando Alonzo or their excellent work.

P h o t o

b y L a u r i e L e v i n g e r


4/204

At the end o the Board meeting we were

happy to be able to announce that a undraiser

in Marilyn Moors honor had resulted in over

$7,000 in donations or a scholarship or a

Maya university student in Guatemala. We

thank especially the Guatemala Scholars

Network members or their overwhelming

and positive response to this undraiser and

or pledging an annual git to this Fund.

Director announcing scholarship und

The Core of MEFs WorkUniversity Education for Maya Students in Guatemala, Mexico and Belize

The original mission o the Maya Educational Foundationin 1992 was to support higher education, primarilyuniversity study, or students rom Maya communities inGuatemala. At that time a university education was almostunattainable or students o Maya descent. Typically,

these students came rom extremely poor householdsin remote communities ar rom institutions o higherlearning. They aced many challenges, including speakingSpanish as their second language and struggling with lowsel-esteem due to real and perceived prejudice. Almostevery student experienced harsh discrimination whenin Ladino-dominated environments. These barriers,combined with the high cost o housing, ood and travel,kept a university education out o reach or most Mayayoung people.

MEFs frst becas(scholarships) gave students a real

chance or a higher education and soon began to showresults. We now have recipients who have graduated withproessional degrees in medicine, architecture, biology,history, anthropology, law, archaeology, medicine, den-tistry, psychology, education and more.

Over MEFs twenty years, its scholarship programshave expanded rom Guatemala to also serve students inChiapas (Mexico) and Belize. Students come rom citiesand rural areas and range rom those in university to aew groups o younger students.

From just a couple o students in 1992, MEFnow assists hundreds. Today MEF not only supportsscholarship programs but also other projects andinitiatives that beneft the students and their amilies: orexample, English classes, indigenous language coursesand workshops on health and other topics. Formingpartnerships with like-minded non-proft organizationsin the countries where MEF works always was and isessential or on-site supervision, ollow-up and success.

MEF Scholarship Programs and Partners

In Guatemala, MEF works with a number o non-proftorganizations to carry out its scholarship programs andother educational and cultural projects. Our partnersinclude FEPMaya, Maya Traditions, Grupo Cajol

Oxlajuj Batz, Entre Amigos Lagun Artean, Asociacinde Amigos para el Desarrollo de Livingston, EsperanzaJuvenil, CIRMA and Colegio Paxil.

In Chiapas, Mexico, MEF partners with FOMMASna Jtzibajom and Productores Alternativos de la Selva.

In Belize, MEF works with the Julian Cho Society.Later on in this newsletter we will provide more

inormation about our partners, but frst we want toshare with you photos o our students and some o whatthey write to us.

It takes a team to make MEFs work happen and to ulfll its mission. Thank you one and all!


5/205

MEF scholarship students

University students at FEPMaya, Guatemala

University students at Sna Jtzibajom,Mexico

University students at Julian Cho Society, Belize

PhotobySteveHomer


6/206

Your support o between US$180 and $200

a month will enable a Maya student to study

at a university in Guatemala, Mexico or

Belize. Well-educated, these young people

are making a dierence in their communities

and societies.

What students are saying

Students from Grupo Cajol, Guatemala

Roselia: I am very grateulor the scholarship since

without it I would not beable to continue studyingbecause my amily is justgetting by and there is nomoney or schooling.

Rubelsy: I am working

to be a proessional with adegree in pedagogy so I canteach children as much inschool as on the street, andthus my town will prosper,with many dierent kinds oproessionals. I want to workso everyone can read.

Sindy: With your help Iwill be able to go on to studyin the university. I want tobe a psychologist so that Ican help people who havevarious types o illnesses.

Sna Jtzibajom graduate Magdalena, Mexico

...regarding child birth work, it is the care romthe start o labor to the birth o the baby where ourindigenous sisters here fnd it very important to beattended by emale medical sta who understand andknow how to speak their language. So it has been easyor me to interact with them because I mysel am aMaya woman and a medical doctor.

FOMMAstudent Silvia Maribel, Mexico

It is difcult to discuss domestic violence, especiallywhen the women think it is normal and they have

learned to accept it. The women I deal with have givenme their support and confdence and the experts inviolence against women have given me interviews,hoping that I can help the women who are stayingsilent, especially since I can speak to them in their ownindigenous language.


7/207

FEPMayastudent Lisbeth Floridalma, Guatemala

Thanks to the special courses o parallel education provided by FEPMaya, Ieel confdent and knowledgeable about the Maya calendar and Maya identity,and about the issues stemming rom the conquest and how the colonizers andcolonized in our country live, something not always considered very important.Id also like to mention that my little sister had to do a big report about theMaya calendar and I was able to help her with it, thanks to what I had learnedat FEPMaya. Im grateul to them or helping us to expand our culturalknowledge.

Colegio Paxil student Mara,Guatemala

My name is Mara and I am 17 yearsold and an Ixil Maya I want tobecome a medical doctor so I can curepeople who are sick. I like going toColegio Paxil because its a nice place

and I learn how to read and write theIxil Maya language. I like English,sports and learning about my Mayaculture. Thank you or helping mewith my tuition.

20th Anniversary Pledge

Now, in 2012, a signifcant year or the Maya and or MEF,

we want to recommit to MEFs original core work o helping Maya students

in Guatemala, Mexico and Belize to obtain a university education,while honoring and encouraging Maya traditions and culture.

We have made great strides but much remains or us to do.

The need is immense.

I you can and want to help towards this goal, please do.

It is a truly rewarding investment and experience.

Contact us i you would like to help and we will give you the details. Thank you!

Guatemala has one o the highestpoverty rates in Latin America, withmore than 60% o the population

living below the poverty line. In ruraland indigenous populations that fgureis more than 80%. Although education

is one o the best ways to break thecycle o poverty, ew amilies are able toaord to send their children to school.

(Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadstica)


8/20

FEPMaya

FEPMaya (Fundacin para Estudios y Proesionali-zacin Maya) is located in a modest building in Mixco

a hal hour rom Guatemala City center. It is an NGOthat developed out o the original MEF program, Programa de Becas Mayas. Today this organization has aboard or consejo directivo that consists o ormer stu-dents who have graduated rom university. It is a veryactive group, striving to become more sel-sufcient.

The Consejo is eager to increase student numbersand begin undraising within Guatemala. The membersreport that the hardest part o their work is to have tosay no to the many highly motivated students whoapply or becas. FEPMaya has appealed to MEF or

more unding to provide more scholarships. Studentstypically take fve to seven years to graduate romuniversity. In the coming years MEF is committed to

helping FEPMaya increase the number o students, but gradually, in order to continue supporting current students.

8

Esperanza Juvenil

One o MEFs partners in Guatemala is Esperanza Juvenil (Boys Hope Girls HopeGuatemala). Its mission is to help academically-capable and motivated children-in-need to meet their ull potential. Esperanza Juvenil serves over 120 children, 60 o

them in their residential acilities in caring, amily-like homes. All o the studentsreceive a 21st-century education and have opportunities to discover and developtheir talents. Esperanza Juvenil is committed to the youth it serves and oerssupport through university and the transition to independent living. Since 2007MEF has provided scholarships or Mayan children at Esperanza Juvenil. MEFscholars live in the Esperanza Juvenil homes and study at its Educational Centerduring their elementary and middle school education. Ater middle school, thescholars attend top private schools in Guatemala City and then go on to university.MEF covers the educational costs or each o the selected scholars. MEF currentlysupports 18 scholars. Esperanza Juvenils Director Kristin Ostby writes:

I not or Esperanza Juvenil, the majority o the children in our programwould not attend school. They would care or younger siblings or work.Guatemalan children suer rom malnourishment and a tremendouslack o educational opportunities. According to the United Nations,Guatemala now has the ourth highest rate o chronic malnutritionin the world and the highest in Latin America and the Caribbean. Anastonishing 50% o Guatemalan children under age 5 are chronicallymalnourished. Many o the children who come to Esperanza Juvenilhave to adapt physically to a diet o three healthy meals and two snacksper day. They are oten accustomed to a cup o coee and tortilla orbreakast and black beans and a tortilla or lunch.

A ew o the MEF scholarsat Esperanza Juvenil

FEPMayas Consejo Directivo

Partners and Programs in Guatemala


9/209

Dear MEF sirs and madams:

I, Sabina Manuela, am 15 years old and speakIxil. I come rom an indigenous community called

Sumal Chiquito, 23 km away rom Nebaj. To get

to Nebaj, we have to ride on the back o a truck on

a dirt road or two hours, leaving our community

at 4 a.m. My amily is campesina, my ather died

when I was our years old. I attended elementary

school thanks to my mothers eorts. Im the ourth

o six sisters and one brother. My amilys economic

situation is hard because my mother does not have

a ormal job. My dream is to attend university andgraduate as a proessional to be able to help my

mother and my sisters and to contribute to my

communitys development.

I like studying at Colegio Paxil because they

continue with the teachings o my grandparents

values, such as respect, practice o Maya spirituality

through ceremonies, playing autochthonous Ixil

music, making Maya weavings and practicing

writing and reading in my Maya language, Ixil.

The support you give me through the programhas been very important. I dont pay a monthly

tuition. Without your help, I would not be

studying because my mother cannot pay or my

educational expenses. Currently, Im paying or a

room in Nebaj because I cannot commute to my

community due to distance and lack o resources.

Thank you or your unconditional support!

Colegio Paxil

Colegio Paxil (Colegio Bilinge Intercultural Paxil), aprivate middle school in Nebaj, Guatemala, stands outor its strong commitment to the preservation o IxilMaya culture, while also welcoming Ladino and otherMaya students. Though the school is poor, the teachers,parents and students are united in their wish to honor

their Maya heritage. In addition to the students doingall their regular course work, they participate in specialMaya ceremonies and calendar events.

The number o students increased rom 62 in 2011to 73 in 2012 (59 Ixil, 11 Kiche and 3 Ladino students).Given that the Guatemalan state a ew years ago opened

tuition-ree public middle schools in the area, thisincrease in the number o students at Colegio Paxil istruly remarkable. It shows that the Maya youth and theiramilies are willing to make the sacrifce to pay sometuitions in order to attend a school that pays attentionto their culture, traditions and language. Since most

amilies are only able to pay a little bit, MEF helps withtuitions and teacher salaries. Special thanks this year goto an anonymous donor in Caliornia and to the DanieleAgostino Derossi Foundation. Colegio Paxil would nolonger exist i it were not or this outside support. Here iswhat one student writes:


10/20

Maya Traditions

Based in Panajachel, Guatemala, Maya Traditions orFundacin Tradiciones Mayas has worked with womenartisans and their amilies in rural Guatemala since 1992.Maya Traditions promotes air trade and preserves theancient art o back strap weaving with 85 artisans in sixcooperative groups. It has a long-term commitment to the

weavers and their children, providing them with access tohealth care, business development and scholarships orthe artisans children.

MEF started to work with Maya Traditions in 2007and began to support their scholarship programs. Thisyear they beneft more than 130 students at primary andhigh school levels. 2012 is a milestone or Maya Traditionsas it marks the frst year o a university level scholarshipin memory and honor o its late ounder, Jane Mintz.

10

Women o the Cooperativa Cotzal

Students in a workshop on environmental issues

Cooperativa members carrying timbersor their new building

Oxlajuj Batz

In 2004 Oxlajuj Batz (Thirteen Threads) began as awomens educational resource project and has growninto a strong Guatemalan NGO with its own WomensCenter in Panajachel. Oxlajuj Batz provides skill trainingworkshops to over 20 womens cooperatives in ruralGuatemala, with courses taught in the Mayan languagesand with ollow-up visits. Training is provided to interestedwomen groups who choose the topics rom our ocusareas: artisan and product development, small business,health and democracy and team building. The mission oOxlajuj Batz is to empower women, and more than 500women have benefted rom its outreach programs.

Last year, Oxlajuj Batz added the weavers groupCooperativa Cotzal to the groups it serves. Located inSan Juan Cotzal, Quich, the cooperative consists mostlyo widows who need to become more sel-sufcientand want to pass their skills and talents on to interestedstudents.

With generous support rom the Daniele AgostinoDerossi Foundation, the group is in the process obuilding a complex with a weaving school, visitor centerand housing or some o its elderly members. We thankOxlajuj Batz and the Daniele Agostino Foundation orsupporting this group.


11/2011

CIRMA

MEF supports CIRMA (Centro de InvestigacionesRegionales de Mesoamrica), the renowned non-proftCenter or Mesoamerican Research in La Antigua,Guatemala, in three areas: its Historical Archive (includingthe Presidential Archives), Photo Archive Guatemala andSocial Science Library. Ater some rigorous restructuring

last year, CIRMA is reocusing on its original missiono uncovering and preserving national historical memorythrough building and making its collections accessible toa wider, interested public.

A Canadian donor recently pledged sufcient undingto allow three Maya women, who work in CIRMAsArchivo Histrico, to study archive management at theEscuela de Historia at the Universidad de San Carlos.The women are scheduled to start in early 2013 and will

Inauguration o Presidential Archives

dedicate their Saturdays or the three-and-a-hal yearprogram. The generous donor asked or these scholarshipsto be named or the late Pro. Oscar Horst, a riend, ascholar o the Maya and a dedicated supporter and donoro books, photos and other materials to CIRMA. ProHorst taught rom 1956 to 1987 at Western Michigan

University (Kalamazoo) in the Department o Geographyand carried out extensive feld work in both Westernand Eastern Guatemala over many decades, well aterhis retirement rom his teaching position at WesternMichigan.

CIRMAs goal during itsthirty-our years o existencehas been to return, recover andpreserve books, documents, mapsand photos and to make these

materials and the study o theircontent available to national,regional and internationalstudents and scholars. Since alarge portion o these materialsrelate to Guatemala and theSouthern Mesoamerican regionsindigenous culture and history, it only seems logical thatMaya students and proessionals play a major part in thisproject at all levels.

We hope that the Oscar Horst scholarships wilestablish a precedent, and that more indigenous peopleespecially Maya, will consider and be able to pursuecareers in library science, inormation technology andarchive administration. There exists a large but relativelyunknown quantity o materials, especially in indigenouslanguages, to be gathered, respected, preserved and, ocourse, studied. With your support, MEF and CIRMAcan help to urther these goals.

Pro. Oscar Horst

For 20 years, you and the MEF have helped Maya studentsachieve their goals.

Lets continue, together!

Pho

tocourtesyofCIRMA


12/2012

Entre Ros

A grant rom the Daniele Agostino Derossi Foundation last year allowed MEF to begin giving support toAsociacinde Docentes en Accin Educativa Rural/DARE, located in Entre Ros, Sayaxch, Petn, Guatemala, a 14-hour carride rom Antigua.

The members o this impressive non-proft organization have been pioneers inpromoting educational opportunities or their

people and the region. They were ormerlyreugees in Chiapas and Campeche, Mexicoand only returned to Guatemala 15 years agoSince then, they have promoted education or24 communities and eight dierent ethnicgroups, including non-Maya.

DARE members have a vision and areenthusiastic and committed to the goal obetter education or all in their communitiesAter establishing middle schools, they are

now in the process o creating adiversifcadoschool (high school). The teachers, parentsand students are very grateul or this yearsunding, which has helped them purchaseteaching materials, supplement teachers payand provide scholarships or 15 students (orhigh school and university).

Asociacin DARE members and scholarship recipients at 2012 visit

Partners and Programs in Chiapas, Mexico

Sna Jtzibajom (House o the Writer)

This writers group in San Cristbal de Las Casas has ought or almost 29 yearsor the preservation o Maya culture and promotion o literacy. The groupsmembers have produced many plays and perormances, written books, grammarand language manuals, taught literacy and indigenous language courses, andcarried out video and radio projects. The members just returned rom theirsecond theater tour this year to Mexican and Guatemalan communities where

their provocative play Katun 13 AJAU was well-received.MEF launched a university scholarship program with Sna Jtzibajom

in 1998. It has seen over 25 students graduate and currently supports 16students in a variety o disciplines, including agronomy, physical education,communications, anthropology, law and nursing. MEF also provides undingor indigenous language courses in Tzeltal and Tzotzil-speaking communitiesin Chiapas, enabling Maya children and adults to read and write in their ownlanguages. Hundreds o children and adults have participated in and graduatedrom these courses. Member o Sna Jtzibajom

PhotobySteveHomer


13/20

FOMMA(Fortaleza de la Mujer Maya/Strength o the Maya Woman)

Founded in 1994 by two women playwrights, this active NGO in San Cristbal has become a strong resource orindigenous women and children. Using theater as a tool or social action in Chiapas, FOMMAs plays explore societaills and injustices, like alcoholism, domestic violence and abuse o power by politicians and clergy. These topicsresonate strongly with the audiences, especially girls and women. This year the FOMMA theater has traveled toindigenous communities throughout Chiapas as well as to national and international events. The women produced anew play entitled Buscando Nuevos Caminos about immigration and violence towards women, and also created a

radio show which aired throughout Mexico and parts o Central America. The Ford Foundation has chosen FOMMAas a model or other indigenous womens groups in Latin America.

In addition to theater, FOMMAhosts workshops on bilingualeducation and womens health anddomestic relations, and oers train-ing in marketable job skills such asbaking, sewing, literacy, computersand indigenous languages.

Since 1998, MEF has part-nered with FOMMA to provide

a university scholarship program,which currently serves 17 stu-dents and has graduated over 30.The students in turn give back bysupporting and being involved inFOMMA programs.

Amigos de San Cristbal

MEF has worked with the Mexican NGO Amigos de San Cristbal on educational projects since 2004. This year

support goes to our projects: Escalera, or 12 scholarships to students in the ten poorest municipalities o highlandChiapas; Kinal Antzetik, to support nine young women in their academic studies and leadership skills, allowing themto participate in radio and audiovisual broadcasting workshops; to Melel Xojobal, in support o nine disadvantagedindigenous children and adolescents in San Cristbal, providing them an education to improve their quality o lieand to La Casa de las Flores, which serves the street children o San Cristbal, and provides a sae place or childrento eat, bathe and learn new skills to better their lives.

Theater perormance by FOMMA

P h o t o b y S t e v e H o m e r

13

Young women at Kinal AntzetikBoy at La Casa de las Flores


14/20

Ceiba Marisol Prez Velasco is currently the onlyemale scholar in MEFs Chenalh program. She is pur-suing a career in nursing with a ocus on nutrition andhopes to use her skillsto help her commu-nity. The scholarshipcommittee is cur-rently looking or atleast one more emalestudent with the po-tential and couragethat Ceiba has shown.In recognition o theunique challengesthat girls ace in Me-somerican communities, MEF has made their inclusionin its programs a priority.

14

Chuj Program

With the help o the Mexican NGO Productores Alternativos de la Selva, MEF now supports eight Chuj Maya studentsrom communities around Tziscao in the Montebello Lakes region o Chiapas or secondary school and universityThe supervisors report that the students are doing well and have met with other university students to exchangeexperiences. For the next school cycle, they are planning to create workshops and site visits related to conservation andbetter use o resources. Aterwards they will share their experiences with their communities.

Chuj students and supervisors, Mexico

Chenalh Program

Another MEF scholarship program in Chiapas is orstudents rom San Pedro Chenalh where MEF supportssix students at the secondary level this year, up romour previously. Program supervisor Antonio Pachitnis proud to report that, ater fnishing his social servicein Tzacucum, in the municipality o Chalchiuitn,Chiapas, Hctor Arias Guzmn will graduate this yearrom nursing school. Antonio says that Hctors successhas inspired the rest o the students, who are convincedthat they, too, will accomplish their educational goals.

The Chenalh program confrms what we see inother MEF programs, i.e., that emale students havea much more difcult time than their male classmatescontinuing beyond middle school. Many parents stillavor educating their sons, expecting that their daughterswill not need a higher education to ulfll traditional rolesas wives, mothers and household managers.

Chenalh student, Mexico

PhotobySteveHomer


15/2015

Partner in Belize

With the help o theJulian Cho Society (JCS), a non-proft in Punta Gorda, Belize, MEF provides scholarshipsto 12 students in the Toledo District or secondary schooland university education. MEF began to support thisprogram in 2006 to oer opportunities or disadvantagedMaya amilies to send their children to high school and,more recently, to university.

JCS was ounded in 2004 as an indigenous rightsorganization in memory o Julian Cho, a renownedadvocate or the rainorests and indigenous peoples osouthern Belize. It serves all 38 communities in southernBelize where the Qeqchi and the Mopn Maya peoplelive. JCSs primary ocus remains to advocate againstthe injustices and human rights violations in the Maya

communities by continuing to help Maya people securetitle to their ancestral lands.

A scholarship provides all ees and tuition or thescholar, along with textbooks and uniorms. JCS acilitatesthe application process and selects students togetherwith a team o elders and community leaders. JCS alsocoordinates payments or school bills and purchases anddistributes textbooks.

In conjunction with the scholarship programJCS members have ostered the Maya Youth Coalitionwhich creates space or young Mayas to build on theirindigenous identity and culture, leadership capacity andhuman rights.

MEF students in Belize

We are ortunate

to be working

with these and

all our partners.

They deserveand need your

support. For more

inormation on

these organizations,

please visit

our website

mayaeduound.org


16/2016

PhotobyLaurieLevinger

Por experiencia propia pue-do decir que los cursos que

voluntariamente impartenmaestros estadounidenses aestudiantes mayas, han sidomas efcientes en dos sema-nas que el curso de inglsrecibido durante tres aosen la educacin bsica.

Hctor NemarcMarroqun Daz

For ELP Chiapas, Steve Homer is going to bein San Cristbal or more than two months thisyear. This is his eighth time!

This time, in addition to teaching thestudents in San Cristbal, Steve will also travelsouth to Tziscao to teach English to the Chujstudents at Productores Alternativos de laSelva.

Thank you, Steve, or your continued,

amazing eorts!

We are also very grateul to new volunteer Marcia Siegel who taught English or ELP Chiapas in April o 2012 and wilreturn next April. Marcia reports: I ound the students very impressive. Many were fnishing the thesis required byuniversities in Mexico or graduation. I'm very happy to have had this opportunity. I did have a great time and remaininterested in teaching or MEF again.

MEF salutes its past and present ELP volunteers for their time and investment in our students.

English Language Programs in Guatemala and Mexico

MEF university students who require English profciency and those who want to learn English receive support to takeclasses at language schools in Guatemala and Chiapas. Students beneft immensely rom MEFs English Language Pro-gram (ELP) which oers them courses taught by volunteers rom the U.S. In 2004, Jane and Robert Greenberg createdthe frst ELP or Guatemala; in 2006, Steve Homer started the ELP in Chiapas, Mexico. The students enjoy the classesand one-on-one conversations and learn a great deal in the time that the ELP volunteers spend with them. A graduatein Guatemala, Hctor Nemarc Marroqun Daz, wrote in a report or FEPMaya that he learned more English in thetwo-week ELP course than he did in three years at school. The intensive learning also motivates the students to workhard at their English long ater the courses end.

For ELP Guatemala, special thanks go to Laurie Levinger and Lianne Moccia, the leaders o the current and pastELP courses in Antigua. The 2012 ELP now has 16 students and 8 U.S. volunteers who will be in Guatemala in earlyDecember to teach English or two solid weeks. We cannot thank them enough!

I need theoriginal

ELP-Guatemala students and volunteers

ELP-Chiapas students and teacher


17/2017

Outreach to More Remote Areas and Younger Students

Statistics about Guatemala and Mexico rom the WorldBank, UNESCO and USAID tell the stark reality thatwe have ound to be true in all the indigenous populationgroups we serve. As discouraging as this reality is, we see

it as a call to action and as a motivator or the work wedo, including MEFs outreach programs.

Students in Livingston, Guatemala

Scholarships for Tzutujil Students

In Guatemala, the Ben and Lois Paul scholarship programsupports seven Tzutujil students rom San PedroCutzn and San Antonio Suchitepquez (SuchitepquezDepartment) and rom San Pedro La Laguna (SololDepartment). We thank the generous individuals who

supported this program this year, especially MeeraPatankar who ran a hal marathon in Vancouver andgenerated more than $1,300 in donations.

Our supervisor Ajpub Pablo Garca Ixmat reportsthat two students, Jos Roberto Vicente and DelfnaPop Socop, graduated rom high school this past yearThree more students will graduate as elementary-schooteachers by the end o 2012; they will be the very frstproessionals in their amilies. He also reports that thestudents attend Maya culture workshops two or three

Almost 31.7% of Guatemalas near 12 millionpeople are illiterate, with illiteracy rates up tomore than 60% in the indigenous population.

Only 30 to 40 percent of students who beginprimary school in Guatemala complete this six-year education level.

Childrenwhodonotattendschoolareconcen-trated in rural areas and a disproportionate num-ber o them are indigenous.

Manychildrendropoutduetothelackofaccessand largely inadequate acilities.

Withmore than half thepopulation ofGuate-malans living below the poverty line, it is hard orschool age childrens amilies, especially indigenousamilies, to aord the rising cost o books, supplies,

school uniorms and transportation, all o whichare not supplemented by the government.

(Sources: UNESCO, USAID)

In Livingston, Guatemala, MEF partner Asociacinde Amigos para el Desarrollo de Livingston is happy toreport that two students graduated rom high schoollast year: Tiany Bonilla and Lisandra Norales.

Lisandra is now part o the university scholarshipprogram along with Carlos Marcelo Caal Mendoza, whoalso graduated rom high school as a MEF scholarshiprecipient.

The program encourages students to participate incultural activities held by the community and promotesrecognition, respect and intercultural experiencesamong them. The program oers volunteer work inthe development o such activities during the year. Thestudents also attend writing workshops to improve their

skills.

MEFs outreach programs to remote areas where wealso serve younger students have enabled the children togo urther in their education than their parents.

While some go all the way to university, othersdecide not to continue their education, even with muchencouragement and support to do so. For example,a young girl in Todos Santos, Guatemala, who wasable to complete primary school last year, thanks to ascholarship, is happy to be working in a small store now.Other ormer scholarship recipients in Jacaltenango,Guatemala have graduated rom the local vocational highschool with diversifcado degrees and are now employedas teachers and accountants. MEF takes pride in beingable to support diverse educational opportunities oryoung people and in supporting them along paths thatthey determine or themselves.


18/2018

Todos Santos student and amily, Guatemala

times a year. All graduates rom the MEF program arecurrently working and helping their amilies. One othem, Concepcin Lacam, is working or the Academiade las Lenguas Mayas as a bilingual teacher and producesofcial documents in the Tzutujil language.

Tzutujil students, Guatemala

Other MEF outreach support in Guatemala goes tostudents in Michbilrixp, Alta Verapaz and studentsin Cajol, Quetzaltenango, as well as to Tzununonthe southern shores o Lake Atitln, Guatemala or acommunity library and university scholarships.

Todos Santos scholarships

The MEF scholarship outreach in Todos Santos,Huehuetenango, Guatemala, is going strong, owingin large part to the generosity o the Daniele AgostinoDerossi Foundation and, since 2010, the Shelton DavisScholarship Fund donors. There are currently 21 studentsin the program, spanning rom primary to universitylevels.

Supervisor Felipa Jimnez thanks all o us orhelping these students who would otherwise not have Michbilrixp students, Guatemala

the opportunity to attend school. She assures us thatthe scholarships have been granted only to children whoreally need them. They are doing their best to stay withinthe required grade average, though it is not easy orstudents who are malnourished and, in addition to theirschool work, have to do strenuous work or their amiliesat home. She reports that all the students are motivated

and working hard in school to better themselves. She washappy to share that two girls have graduated this pastyear: Loida Mara Cruz is now a kindergarten teacher andJuana Marina Martn Pablo became a bilingual teacher.


19/20

Celebrating our Donors

MEF has been able to accomplish all that it has in the two decades o its existence only because o your support

Without it, there would be no MEF. We are grateul or your generosity and your belie in MEFs work. We can

say that it was always easy, but we think it was well worth the eort when we look at the students and graduates

and the projects that have endured and grown stronger over the years.

We want to thank you or all you have given to MEF and its projects over the years. Whether in the orm

o time, attention, money, energy or useul donations such as books or computers, all your contributions have

helped to make a positive dierence in Guatemala, Mexico and Belize.

We would like to mention some o the organizations, groups and individuals who have been vital in their

support to MEF and are making our work possible:

The Plumsock Fund; the Daniele Agostino Derossi Foundation; the Jane Mintz Trust; Dining or

Women; the Chiapas Highland Maya Fund; the Civil Society Institute; the Fredy Rosenbaum

Foundation; the Guatemala Scholars Network; the Julius Silman Charitable Trust; GreaterGood.org;

the Delta Foundation; the Laughlin amily; the Lutz amily; the Shelton Davis amily and riends; all

the oundations and donors who preer to remain anonymous; the authors who donate book royalties

to MEF; the amily who donated Maya textiles and photos; all o the donors who make regular

contributions to MEF; the English Language Program volunteers in Chiapas and Guatemala; the donor

who made it possible or FEPMaya students to attend a Maya hieroglyph workshop; the donor who

will underwrite library science studies or Maya women; the donors rom ar away England, France,

Germany, Israel, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Malaysia and Japan, to name a ew countries, and the donors

rom our neighbors Canada, Mexico and Guatemala; the groups who hold undraisers or MEF

projects (we have had MEF supporters give talks, do readings rom their works, stage photo exhibits,

organize crats sales, run a marathon and more). Last but not least, we want to mention the donors

who decide to give contributions in honor o someones birthday, the holidays, a wedding or especiallypoignant in someones memory.

We are honored to work with you and we hold you up as our beacons o hope in a world that oten

seems dark and ominous. You help us shine a light in countries where there is much poverty and

hopelessness. As long as our projects leaders and students dont give up, we wont either.

We need to do more and, with your help, we will. We hope you will continue to accompany us

into MEFs next decade. You support and encouragement will be vital along the way.

We thank you very much!

19


20/20

US$ __________ Check enclosed payable to Maya Educational Foundation

US$ __________ Charge to Master Card Visa Discover

Credit Card No. ________________________________________________

Expiration date ________________ Security code (on the back) ________

Signature _____________________________________________________

Phone _______________________________________________________

Please send a receipt or this tax-deductible donation to:

Name/Organization _________________________________________________ e-mail __________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Street/P.O. Box, City, State, Zip, Country

How You Can Help

Maya Educational FoundationP.O. Box 1483, Welleet, MA 02667, USA

[email protected] Tel:(508)349-1330Fax:(508)349-0252

YES, I want to support the Maya Educational Foundation programs.

$ 190 supports the education o a university studenor one month.

$ 95 supports a student in high school or onmonth.

$ 50 supports a student in middle school or onmonth.

$ 30 helps parents send a child to elementary schooor one month.

$ 50 covers the cost o teaching an individual how toread and write his or her native language in sixmonths.

Any amount helps Maya students with their educationand provides workshops and vocational training to

women and whole communities.

Your Donations at Work

MEF is a 501(c)(3) public charity. All donations are tax-deductible to the ull extent o the law.

There are several ways you can help the MayaEducational Foundation:

by sponsoring an event in your community to3make people aware o our mission

by volunteering your time and expertise to enhance3an ongoing program

by considering a bequest to MEF3

by making a fnancial contribution3

by making a git o appreciated securities3

by asking amily and riends to make a donation3to MEF in your honor

I/we pledge a monthly git o US$ _________________

or ________ months

Credit Card (MEF will charge your credit card monthly.Minimum pledge o US$10 required)

I am considering a bequest to MEF. Please contact me.

You can also make a donation on lineat www.mayaedufound.org

fepmaya guatemala, convocatoria 2014

Documents