Sponsor A Child

Secondary education (starting at 13 years old) is not publically funded in Guatemala and therefore costs must be covered by families. Most of the families in the Polochic Valley are very poor so our scholarships cover tuition (3 Euro/month), transportation (8 Euro/month), supplies (4 Euro/month), and other school fees (5 Euro/month). All scholarship recipients also benefit from Li Ch’utam’s other educational resources including our IT Center, tutoring, and library resources. For as little as 240 Euro a year, you can ensure a child has the financial resources to continue his/her education.

A majority of Secondary schools in Guatemala are private but even public ones have monthly tuition fees. While the schools do receive government funding and private sector funding, a portion of their budget is still received from students.

During Primary school, utilities and books are provided by the government. However, once a student enters Secondary school these costs are no longer covered.

Transportation is often the most difficult expense for Secondary students in Guatemala as Secondary schools do not exist in every village. For instance, the Secondary students of Nueva Mercedes must travel 4 Km (one way) to La Constancia everyday to attend class. Even though it is a short distance, the route is through sugar cane plantations and is unsafe to walk or bike. Secondary classes end after dark as well, which can make the return trip even more dangerous, especially for girls. Without a school funded bus system or public bus route and very few families owning vehicles, Li Ch’utam arranges a volunteer driver to take students to school.

Secondary education (starting at 13 years old) is not publically funded in Guatemala and therefore costs must be covered by families. Most of the families in the Polochic Valley are very poor so our scholarships cover tuition (36 Euro/year), transportation (96 Euro/year), supplies (48 Euro/year), and other school fees (60 Euro/month). All scholarship recipients also benefit from Li Ch’utam’s other educational resources including our IT Center, tutoring, and library resources. For as little as 240 Euro a year, you can ensure a child has the financial resources to continue his/her education.