FAQ
- Why Guatemala?
- How does the situation in Guatemala affect me?
- Does CoEd work in countries other than Guatemala?
- How much of my donation goes directly to the programs?
- Can my money really make a difference in Guatemala?
- How do you know your programs work?
- How do your programs help children break the cycle of poverty?
- Why do kids in rural areas need to learn computer skills?
- Why doesn’t the Guatemalan government give out textbooks?
- What can I do to help?
- Can I donate school supplies or other items to CoEd's projects?
- I want to visit Guatemala with you. How can I learn more?
- How can I learn more about CoEd’s work in Guatemala?
Don't see your particular question? Email it to coed@fuse.net.
Why Guatemala?
Rural Guatemala has one of the highest rates of poverty, illiteracy, and inequality in the Western Hemisphere. One out of every two adults cannot read or write. Many of the indigenous Mayan Indians who populate the country’s most remote regions struggle to survive as subsistence farmers, earning as little as $2 a day. A typical indigenous woman goes to school for only one year before dropping out. (The World Bank, “Guatemala: Poverty in Guatemala,” February 2003).
CoEd programs provide young people in Guatemala’s rural towns and villages with educational opportunities and access to technology. Our beneficiaries graduate from middle school, receive marketable technical skills that allow them to compete for higher-paying jobs, and continue their education to high school and beyond. Through our programs, we help today’s vulnerable children rise out of poverty and reshape themselves, and tomorrow’s society, in positive ways.
How does the situation in Guatemala affect me?
We live in a global world. What happens in other countries—especially those with which we share geographic, social and religious affinities—affects us at home.
Immigration experts believe that more than 10,000 new, undocumented Guatemalans arrive in the U.S. each year. Those who migrate do so out of desperation. In order to feed their families, many impoverished Guatemalans feel they have no other choice but to leave home in search of work—even if it means breaking up the family and facing unknown dangers. Once in the U.S., these migrants put pressure on already scarce local and state resources for schooling, health care, and jobs.
At CoEd, we seek to build local capacity and create opportunities—now and in the future—for Guatemalans in their home communities.
Does CoEd work in countries other than Guatemala?
No. We will continue to focus our development efforts on Guatemala so that every child there will have the opportunity for a better life, beyond poverty. More than 10% of Guatemala’s rural middle schools now benefit from a CoEd program. But the need is vast, and much work remains in that country.
Further, while many nonprofits spread their resources across a number of countries, CoEd builds long-term relationships with our beneficiaries in one country, providing them with multiple, layered programs that combat poverty. Our approach to “deep” development will bring about long term, systemic change in Guatemala. For example, disadvantaged children in our elementary school reading program will go on to middle school, where they will have access to our textbook and computer programs. They will build on previous skills and develop new ones, increasing their opportunities to pursue higher levels of education and better-paying jobs—and break the cycle of poverty, once and for all.
That said, our projects can be replicated anywhere in the world—including in the U.S. We remain open and committed to working with other nonprofits from across the globe to share ideas and best practices for serving the world’s poor.
How much of my donation goes directly to the programs?
We pride ourselves on being good stewards of your donations. On average, 90 cents of every dollar donated to the projects goes directly to helping the children of Guatemala. Less than 10 cents of every dollar goes to administrative costs.
Can my money really make a difference in Guatemala?
YES! A little bit goes a long way in providing vital educational resources and opportunities to Guatemala’s young people. Just $37 a year can provide a child in Guatemala with one of CoEd’s educational programs! Your donation will plant the seed for permanent change in Guatemala.
How do you know your programs work?
CoEd is committed to evaluating the success of each program and sharing the results with our partners.
With the help of independent researchers from Marroquín University in Guatemala City, we evaluate both student and teacher outcomes, through surveys, interviews, and pre- and post-tests.
Behind the numbers are the faces and the voices of the individuals we help:
- Thirteen-year-old Ancelmo, a CoEd computer project beneficiary, lives with his illiterate mother and his 11 brothers and sisters. Ancelmo plans to use the skills he’s received at his school’s CoEd computer center to become a computer teacher. He wants to help other vulnerable children, like him, to achieve a higher standard of living.
- Irma Natalia Con Cuc teaches second grade to young, indigenous children who lack basic Spanish language skills. Through CoEd training, Irma learned how to engage her students in the educational process and to increase their reading skills. “This program is wonderful and so important to our students,” Irma reports. “Every day, I am excited to use what I’ve learned.”
- Anabely, 17, is a recent high-school graduate. She studied with CoEd textbooks and learned technical skills in a CoEd computer center. She believes the experience gave her the confidence to stay in school. She now dreams of attending university. Paulina, Anabely’s mother, who is illiterate and never attended school, believes that, “with the opportunities CoEd has given our children, they can end poverty here and make our village better.”
How do your programs help children break the cycle of poverty?
Through research studies, we know that our program beneficiaries (most of whom are middle-school students) stay in school at higher rates—in fact, dropout rates are 46% lower in schools that have CoEd programs compared to schools that do not. Reducing dropout rates is key to poverty reduction in rural Guatemala. Why? According to USAID, Guatemalan children who receive a quality education for a minimum of 12 years will have access to jobs that pay wages high enough to pull them above the poverty line.
Program beneficiaries also report having used the skills acquired in CoEd programs to move on to the next step, whether it is pursuing more schooling or entering into the workforce. These skills help them earn more money and permanently raise their standard of living.
Why do kids in rural areas need to learn computer skills?
In Guatemala, approximately 60% of entry-level jobs require computer proficiency.
Children in rural communities lack access to computer technology. Without technical skills, indigenous youth face unemployment and economic hardship. As the digital divide grows, so do income disparities, inequality, and poverty.
By providing computer training to approximately 13,000 students a year, our computer center project gives rural young people the opportunity to compete with their urban peers for high-paying, non-farm jobs or to go on for more schooling. Most students enter our program with no technical skills, and finish—three years and 100 lessons later— proficient in navigating the Internet and using software applications (such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Encarta).
An independent evaluation of our computer program demonstrated that 83% of project participants use their newly acquired computer skills to further their education in vocational schools or to acquire higher-paying jobs.
Why doesn’t the Guatemalan government give out textbooks?
Even in the U.S., neither the federal nor state governments purchase textbooks for schools. Rather, local taxes or student fees usually fund them.
Given that two-thirds of Guatemalans live in poverty, the tax base in the country is not sufficient to support the provision of books by any level of government. For the past 13 years, CoEd has given local communities the ability to run their own textbook programs, using their own money (rather than having to rely on outside funding).
- Learn how CoEd’s revolving fund model builds self-sufficient communities by visiting our Textbook and Computer Centers program pages.
What can I do to help?
There are so many ways that you can make a difference by getting involved with CoEd. Explore the How You Can Help section to learn about opportunities to join CoEd in our efforts to provide educational opportunities to Guatemalan students. Or, read more about specific volunteer opportunities with CoEd.
Can I donate school supplies or other items to CoEd's projects?
We recommend making a cash donation, which CoEd can use to purchase school supplies and other items in Guatemala.
We do accept NEW school supplies, including pens, pencils, erasers, crayons, rulers, and similar supplies, as well as sports equipment. Everything we accept must be new, in order to preserve the dignity of the people we serve. We do NOT accept books donated in the United States, computer equipment, paper products, clothes, or soap and shampoo.
During Project Tours, CoEd distributes books, sporting equipment, and pens/pencils to all schools. Any tour participant wishing to distribute other items, such as photos, candy, or clothing can do so without the assistance or involvement of CoEd staff, as long as CoEd staff are notified ahead of time. As luggage space is limited, tour participants must submit a request to Jennifer Sands at jennifer@coeduc.org or 513-731-2595, x. 101, if they wish to carry items for distribution on a tour.
I want to visit Guatemala with you. How can I learn more?
Explore the Visit Guatemala with CoEd section of our website to find out how you can sign up for one of our life-changing tours. Or, to talk directly to a past CoEd tour participant, please contact:
Jorge Gonzalez, 513-759-2232, chico83@cinci.rr.com
Ed McCarter, 513-321-2841, edmund_mccarter@msn.com
How can I learn more about CoEd’s work in Guatemala?
The 2010 book, Rewriting the Future, describes CoEd’s work in Guatemala, including exclusive stories about the lives and dreams of the children and youths CoEd serves, along with firsthand accounts from other volunteers and CoEd staff members. The book is beautifully illustrated with photos from Ivan Castro.
- Purchase a copy of Rewriting the Future. (All proceeds benefit CoEd.)
Don't see your question here? Email it to coed@fuse.net.
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