Empowering Guatemalan Women with Professional Jobs

Glenda is meeting the challenges of a new experience.  She is typical of the six young women in the intern program. She graduated from high school with a certificate to teach preschool. She was not able to find a job. The first thing perspective employers asked was if she had experience. When she said that she did not, the conversation ended.

Through the Fund, she secured an internship at a non-profit that works with handicapped children. Working with the students is a challenge. The children have many problems both physical and emotional.   The advantage is that she is receiving classes in signing and techniques for working with students who have behavior problems. She said that it is difficult to work with the students, but she likes it. Little by little, she is learning how to handle her new experience.

This year, Carmela is coordinating all of our Education Fund Programs that includes the Intern Program. We are continuing it with grants from Mary’s Pence, the Quail Roost Foundation, and support from you, our Global Giving Donors. The six you women in the program are in work situations where they will get the experience they need to secure their first permanent job. At their monthly meeting, they have talked about the labor situation in Guatemala, had a talk about workplace attitudes, and a talk from a former intern about her experiences. These all add to their work skills and personal development. It prepares them for a better future.

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