Educate 300 Guatemalan Children

Historically, ANA has had a broad and comprehensive approach to providing education through its various programmes. After the pandemic, during which schools in Guatemala had been closed for 2 years by the Government, the Education programme began a different focus to previous years. This year we have three different approaches to education that we are looking to provide for our beneficiaries.

The first of these approaches is our Reinforcement programme which consists of reinforcing academic areas where children have fallen behind and helping children to complete their schoolwork and homework. We started this initiative to improve learning in ANA students, reduce dropout levels and help children achieve better grades. We also aim to encourage children to have a positive relationship with schools and schooling.

The latest results of the diagnostic tests carried out by the Ministry of Education (Mineduc) show that 6 out of 10 students do not have the minimum skills or are below what is expected, according to the National Basic Curriculum. Levelling this knowledge was part of the strategies that the ministry implemented, but the effort will have to continue for a couple of more years, as the teachers have pointed out. The Pisa 2022 tests, whose results were presented in 2023, place Guatemala in 77th place out of 81 countries where the level of performance of 15-year-old students in Mathematics and Reading was evaluated.

Due to the results of the education statistics of 2021, 2022 and 2023, we decided that the focus of our Reinforcement programme in 2024 would be:
Mathematics
Reading & Writing
Training with a Social Purpose
Sports & Arts Activities

Another important component of the Education programme is technical careers. Work has been done on the collection of data from future participants of the courses and technical careers in which they would like to participate. Our aim is for the 700+ members of our Empowerment programme take advantage of workshops, courses and technical classes to improve their CVs or to start their own businesses or work. We also want to encourage young people who have missed out on educational opportunities in the past to return to education and improve their future opportunities and learn technical skills.

Finally we have been working on our new Learning Center. This is a virtual component, where the Education team has worked on recording videos and finding interactive games that facilitate student learning. It is expected to be launched in the first half of 2024 and will be available for all children in Guatemala to use and benefit.

The GOD’S CHILD Project has been working for over 30 years to break the chains of poverty through education, housing, nutrition and healthcare. Please click the link below to donate to support us in our ongoing mission.