Guatemala Projects

Guatemala is home to over 17 million people with a vibrant mix of Spanish and Mayan cultures and boasts a beautiful and unique ecosystem. But much of the country is mired in poverty, systemic family violence, and child trafficking. A quarter of the country’s population live in extreme poverty, resulting in one of the highest rates of malnutrition in the world for children under five.

Physical and sexual abuse is rampant, and few perpetrators are brought to justice. Many children, mostly young girls, are at risk for dangerous child labour and forced prostitution. And hundreds of thousands of school-aged children are not in school at all. The needs here are staggering.

Our work here centres around serving young girls who have been victims of sexual abuse, quite often in their own homes. The girls are referred to us by the local courts. Once in our care, we work closely with them and the justice system to help them heal and ultimately reintegrate them back into the local community. In some cases we help them to care for their children if they have become pregnant.

We also provide an excellent Christian school in one of the slum areas.