Where we work - Peten, Guatemala
Guatemala
The Mayan civilization flourished in Guatemala and surrounding regions during the first millennium A.D. After almost three centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala won its independence in 1821. During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced a variety of military and civilian governments, as well as a 36-year guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement formally ending the conflict, which had left more than 100,000 people dead and had created, by some estimates, some 1 million refugees.
With a population of 13 million, Guatemala is the northernmost of the Central American nations with Mexico on the north and west, and Belize, Honduras and El Salvador on the east. It includes 42.000 square miles and is the size of Tennessee. There are three main regions - the cool highlands with the heaviest population, the tropical area along the Pacific and Caribbean coasts and the tropical jungle in the northern lowlands, known as the Peten. The Peten covers 15,000 sq miles and includes a humid expanse of dense, tropical hardwood forests interrupted by savannas and crisscrossed by ranges of hills. Rainfall is heavy and there are large, permanent lakes, notably Lake Peten Itza. The region is relatively inaccessible and has been only partly developed. It produces lumber, chicle and some rubber and cacao and was once the center of the Old Empire of the Maya . It is noted chiefly today as the scene of large-scale excavations of great archaeological ruins, notably Tikal and Uzxactun. The government is a constitutional democratic republic and the country is divided into 22 departments. The president is elected for 4 years and may not serve consecutive terms. The economy is mainly agricultural and coffee, sugar and bananas are the leading commercial and export crops. There is some manufacturing, primarily of refined sugar, textiles and clothing for the U.S. There are nickel and petroleum deposits in the Peten region and extensive jade deposits in East central Guatemala.
The capital is Guatemala City which has a population of 2.7 million people. While Spanish is spoken by 60% of the people, 40% speak "Amerindian" languages which include at least 23 dialects. More than half of Guatemalans are descendants of the indigenous Mayan peoples. Westernized Mayans and mestizos (mixed European and indigenous ancestry) are known as Ladinos. While the predominant religion is Roman Catholicism which incorporates many indigenous traditional forms of worship, evangelical Christian faiths now make up almost half of the population.
The Challenges
Although Guatemala enjoys the highest GDP in Central America, unequal distribution of wealth and rapid population growth within the nation have given Guatemala one of the highest poverty rates in Latin America. Among the indigenous people that SewHope servers, 91 percent live in extreme poverty defined as living on less that 1$ a day. Guatemala's income distribution is among the most unequal in the world, with the wealthiest 10 percent of the population owning nearly 50 percent of the national wealth and the poorest 10 percent owning less than 1 percent. Land, just like monetary wealth, is concentrated in the hands of the few, making it very difficult for poor rural workers to improve their financial situation, as the amount of land they own or have access to is minimal.
Guatemala ranks among the worst for life expectancy, infant mortality and maternal mortality. These people lack access to health care, clean drinking water and waste disposal services. Chronic malnutrition is among the worst in the world resulting in more than 50% of the children being stunted in physical and mental development. In the communities we serve, less than 50% of the children attend school and less than half of the adult population are literate. Social violence has reached alarming levels and violent death is common among women.
Guatemala
The Mayan civilization flourished in Guatemala and surrounding regions during the first millennium A.D. After almost three centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala won its independence in 1821. During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced a variety of military and civilian governments, as well as a 36-year guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement formally ending the conflict, which had left more than 100,000 people dead and had created, by some estimates, some 1 million refugees.
With a population of 13 million, Guatemala is the northernmost of the Central American nations with Mexico on the north and west, and Belize, Honduras and El Salvador on the east. It includes 42.000 square miles and is the size of Tennessee. There are three main regions - the cool highlands with the heaviest population, the tropical area along the Pacific and Caribbean coasts and the tropical jungle in the northern lowlands, known as the Peten. The Peten covers 15,000 sq miles and includes a humid expanse of dense, tropical hardwood forests interrupted by savannas and crisscrossed by ranges of hills. Rainfall is heavy and there are large, permanent lakes, notably Lake Peten Itza. The region is relatively inaccessible and has been only partly developed. It produces lumber, chicle and some rubber and cacao and was once the center of the Old Empire of the Maya . It is noted chiefly today as the scene of large-scale excavations of great archaeological ruins, notably Tikal and Uzxactun. The government is a constitutional democratic republic and the country is divided into 22 departments. The president is elected for 4 years and may not serve consecutive terms. The economy is mainly agricultural and coffee, sugar and bananas are the leading commercial and export crops. There is some manufacturing, primarily of refined sugar, textiles and clothing for the U.S. There are nickel and petroleum deposits in the Peten region and extensive jade deposits in East central Guatemala.
The capital is Guatemala City which has a population of 2.7 million people. While Spanish is spoken by 60% of the people, 40% speak "Amerindian" languages which include at least 23 dialects. More than half of Guatemalans are descendants of the indigenous Mayan peoples. Westernized Mayans and mestizos (mixed European and indigenous ancestry) are known as Ladinos. While the predominant religion is Roman Catholicism which incorporates many indigenous traditional forms of worship, evangelical Christian faiths now make up almost half of the population.
The Challenges
Although Guatemala enjoys the highest GDP in Central America, unequal distribution of wealth and rapid population growth within the nation have given Guatemala one of the highest poverty rates in Latin America. Among the indigenous people that SewHope servers, 91 percent live in extreme poverty defined as living on less that 1$ a day. Guatemala's income distribution is among the most unequal in the world, with the wealthiest 10 percent of the population owning nearly 50 percent of the national wealth and the poorest 10 percent owning less than 1 percent. Land, just like monetary wealth, is concentrated in the hands of the few, making it very difficult for poor rural workers to improve their financial situation, as the amount of land they own or have access to is minimal.
Guatemala ranks among the worst for life expectancy, infant mortality and maternal mortality. These people lack access to health care, clean drinking water and waste disposal services. Chronic malnutrition is among the worst in the world resulting in more than 50% of the children being stunted in physical and mental development. In the communities we serve, less than 50% of the children attend school and less than half of the adult population are literate. Social violence has reached alarming levels and violent death is common among women.
