Mayan Partners is a 501c(3) non-profit organization with its roots in a group
of alumni from
Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship
at UC Davis. Our vision is to partner with Quiche and Tzutuhil communities in
the western Guatemalan highlands in the development of schools, community
educational resources, and medical clinics that have strong local support.
Part of our mission is to attempt to rigorously evaluate the impact of these
efforts whenever possible, for possible reproduction in other communities. The
home base for our work is San Pedro La Laguna (shown above) located on the
shore of Lake Atitlan.
Currently our focus is the development and ongoing support of the Panyebar Middle School (Colegio Bethel), a non-denominational Christian school with approximately 60 students from the local area. In this community, located in the mountains above Lake Atitlan, there is poor access to middle school. Dropout rates after grade six are extremely high in the area, and we endeavor to reverse this trend. Since MP has been keeping track of the children attending, we've seen over 90% of the graduates from the middle school going on to high school.
A group of lead supporters that form the core of our network help to support the school, with a number of other friends (and friends of friends) who also contribute through monthly or one-time donations, participating in trips to Guatemala, and other practical ways.
We desire to begin with involving others in our respective social networks in this partnership with the local Guatemalans, taking work groups to the area regularly, and taking on additional projects as more individuals become involved. Our goal is to work through friendships with one another and with the local Guatemalans, with long-term relationship building a key aspect of our vision.
We are a network of Christian friends who attend different churches, and we partner with local Guatemalan churches, but we welcome involvement from anyone interested in providing opportunities and an escape from poverty for the rural poor in western Guatemala.
2023 Financials
