Empowering Guatemalan Women with Professional Jobs

We have everything ready to go.  Half of the funding is in place from donations made on GlobalGiving.  We are waiting to get the rest of the money in place so that we can put the young women in their work place.  They all are looking for jobs, but lacking work experience hampers them. 

Flory is typical of the young women waiting for her first job. Flory has had to persevere to overcome many obstacles in her life. She has had a history full of violence. Her mother died when she was a year old. She was left with no one to protect her and was mistreated physically and psychologically by her family members. In order to escape this situation, when she was old enough, she found work as a domestic. The people who employed her, helped her.

At 23, she went to live with a religious community, where she receiceved psychological help and facilitated her studies. When she was ready to go on her own, she lived with one of her teachers, so she could go to school. She found work in a clothing store to support herself and attended junior high classes for adults on Saturdays.

When she graduated from junior high, she did not start studying her career immediately because she felt she did not have the knowledge she would need. She first studied a high school course in Science and Letters.   She received glowing reports from her teachers and graduated in 2015 ready to move on

 Despite all that she has suffered, she is a friendly, outgoing young woman. She communicates with everyone. She is not afraid to share her opinions or discuss her problems when necessary.

At 32 years old, she will graduate from training as a nurse’s aide in June.  She is very happy as her dream is to become a psychologist and her graduation moves her closer.  It has taken her many years of preparation.  She has needed a great deal of perseverance to reach this goal, but she never faltered.  Her next challenge is to find her first job as a practical nurse. 

To start another group of young women in the program we need the investment from our GlobalGiving supporters.  Become a monthly donor and let your friends and family know about the work that needs to be done to give young Guatemalan high school graduates a start in their career.

In 2016, five young women started out on an adventure. Recently graduated from high school career training, Reina, Delmy, Mayra, Rosa, and Leona were eager to put the skills they had learned into practice. Unfortunately, finding employment without experience is very difficult., but fortunately they heard about the Kateri Tekakwitha Fund Intern Program. They all applied and were soon placed in position by Juana Cun, the program coordinator. Now, a year later, they have the work experience they need to secure their first position.

Reina interned with a women’s group organizing organic gardens. She is now working with two government projects in her own village: CONALFA, an adult literacy program and SOSEP, a pre-school program. Not only is she working to support herself, but she is giving back to her community.

Delmy is another successful Kateri intern. She interned in the Hogar Santa Maria de Guadelupe in Santa Apolonia and in el Instituto Municipal Ajpu in San Juan Comalapa where she organized activities with the students and worked in the office. They found her work so helpful that they hired her for the rest of the year. Now that she has employment, she will be able to be able to enter the University and study for her degree in Social Work.

Mayra interned in an accounting office in San Juan Comalapa. When she finished her internship she was hired as an employee. She is continuing her work in the office.

Rosa ‘s career is as a nurses’ aide. She worked in the Centro de Salud in her hometown of San Juan Comalapa. At the end of her internship the doctor in charge gave her a recommendation for her resume. With this she was able to secure a position as a nurse’s aide in Guatemala City.

Leona decided on police work as a career and was able to enter the Police Academy when she finished her internship. They all are happy with the results of their year with the Kateri Fund.

We were able to provide this program to support these young women as they gained the work experience they needed to secure their first position through funding from Mary’s Pence and Quail Roost Foundation as well as the funding our GlobalGiving supporters provide. It has made it possible for these young women to start out on a new path to a more secure life.   

To start another group of young women in the program we need the investment from our GlobalGiving supporters.  Become a monthly donor and let your friends and family know about the work that needs to be done to give young Guatemalan high school graduates a start in their career.