Storm Eta Emergency Response in Guatemala

IsraAID Guatemala has continued focusing on schools as strategic drivers of change in underserved, rural communities in Alta Verapaz, the country’s poorest department. We simultaneously equip schools to provide protective environments and tackle issues that cause children to drop out of education early. This two-pronged strategy enhances vulnerable children and their families’ access to information, infrastructure, and support across interconnecting issues, from safe water access to children’s rights.

As part of our comprehensive approach to complex challenges that affect this community, we recently trained more than 100 teachers and parents’ committees on key issues relating to nutrition. We then provided schools with scales to monitor students’ height and weight, and strengthened referral pathways so they can refer cases of concern to partners for specialist malnutrition support. We continue supporting these community leaders to educate children and parents about a healthy diet, with a strong focus on locally available produce.

Additionally, we have begun focusing on urgent needs relating to migration. The number of migrants in Guatemala has tripled in under a year to more than 100,000 people, largely driven by economic insecurity and extreme weather across Central America. Many transit hubs have limited access to healthcare and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities, and high exposure to protection risks. Those who lack the resources to keep moving must stay in these areas for prolonged periods, further exacerbating their vulnerability: 70% of migrant women are traveling with children and almost 40% have experienced violence and extortion. Minimal information about migrants’ rights and access to basic services in Guatemala has left large populations urgently needing support.

IsraAID is preparing to respond. We will leverage extensive local experience in protection, including mental health and psychosocial support; gender-based violence; and child protection, as well as WASH and health. We have strong partnerships with key actors in Guatemala and across the region, and benefit from IsraAID Global’s know-how and experience too. This includes 5+ years supporting mixed migrants in Colombia, and cumulative decades partnering long-term with displaced communities worldwide.

As we prepare to deliver critical humanitarian aid for vulnerable migrants in Guatemala, our commitment to indigenous communities in Alta Verapaz remains steadfast. Our integrated approach to local and regional challenges is the most powerful way we can identify populations at risk and partner with them to strengthen their capacity to cope with long-term challenges. We look forward to updating you on the impact we deliver in 2024 – thank you for your support!

Individuals from indigenous and rural communities in Guatemala are twice as likely to live in poverty than the national average. In this environment, children as young as ten are often forced to leave school to labor on plantations, limiting their access to education and support. Health services and clean water are rarely accessible, and chronic malnutrition affects about 70% of children.

IsraAID is committed to partnering with marginalized, at-risk, and underserved communities, who need long-term solutions to relentless challenges. We continue to focus on schools as the locus of change: by addressing issues that cause children to drop out, we sustain their access to a protective environment. Our efforts have been concentrated in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala's poorest department, where dropout rates are alarmingly high. Over the last few months, we have trained teachers to support well-being and address risks such as child labor, forced marriage, young pregnancy, and other forms of abuse and neglect. We have educated children and caregivers about nutrition, adapted to the context (such as local seasonal availability), and safer health and hygiene practices. We have also created specialized programs for children at the highest risk of attrition, who often struggle to recognize, name, and process their emotions healthily - especially boys who face a prevailing ‘boys don’t cry’ culture. For example, one child suffering abuse at home was acting violently toward his classmates, placing him at risk of exclusion. IsraAID helped him articulate his pain and choose alternative behaviors, enabling him to stay in school while working with his teachers to navigate the abusive context. IsraAID currently delivers programs in 26 schools across six of Alta Verapaz’s 17 municipalities, helping schools become hubs for positive change and emotion-centered learning, too.

Our collaboration with local governments and authorities has also played a pivotal role in addressing the challenges children face in the communities we serve. Earlier this year, IsraAID Guatemala’s Country Director met with Guatemala’s Minister for Education to discuss our work in remote areas of the country. The minister commended our positive relationships with national and local authorities and our active participation in the Education Cluster and Global Alliance for Education.

What’s more, in August, IsraAID’s teams from Guatemala, Colombia, and Dominica gathered for the LAC Seminar in Coban, Guatemala. The event was an excellent opportunity for the teams to (re)connect and learn from one another. IsraAID LAC's Regional Director aptly summarized the seminar's significance:

 "It was an occasion to share experiences, explore how our work contributes to community-wide resilience, and immerse ourselves in IsraAID Guatemala's programs and the communities we support. We visited schools; engaged in meaningful discussions with partners, teachers, and parents; and learned about the holistic and sustainable approach through which we strive to make an impact on the well-being of thousands of children to retain them in the school system.”

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all those who continue to support our work in building a brighter future for the children of Guatemala!