 Guatemala
- The New Hope Foundation
Support a remarkable education project that literally
emerged from the ashes to become a beacon of hope in a broken community.
Forgotten Genocide
In 1996 Guatemala emerged from a largely ignored 30-year civil
conflict in which US-sponsored state forces killed over 200,000
mostly Mayan civilians.
A ‘scorched earth’ policy
saw whole villages wiped out in genocidal massacres. As a boy Jesus
Tecu Osorio saw his entire family being slaughtered in one of these
dawn massacres.
A new hope
Years later Jesus set up the New Hope Foundation to protect and
advance the Mayan culture and identity that the massacres had sought
to destroy.
The Foundation’s school teaches the area’s young people
a curriculum that it specially developed to meet local needs.
Educating for change
They are taught Mayan culture, human rights, sustainable agriculture,
leadership, rural and social welfare, and the standard curriculum
subjects. They also design and implement their own community development
project.
Classes encourage critical analysis about Guatemala’s troubled
history and challenging present – themes ignored by the state
curriculum.
New Hope’s integrated programme of education and community
development gives young people the tools to build a better future
for Guatemala.
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