We believe:
In preserving the integrity and culture of the Mayan people and their communities.
In Guatemalans helping Guatemalans.
That the situation in the developing world is critical and the window of opportunity is now.
Our Programs
Stove Building
Many Mayan families still cook on an open, wood-burning fire that produces smoke-filled homes. The result is respiratory and eye disease, serious burns and deforestation. Volunteers help clear the air by providing the funding and labour for the installation of fuel-efficient vented stoves. Hearts & Hands has installed more than 6000 stoves in 73 communities.
Education
Hearts & Hands builds basic education from the ground up. From building new schools with classrooms, kitchens and lavatories to providing scholarships and translating and publishing textbooks into the Mayan language, we are raising the bar on education in Guatemala. Hearts & Hands has built 72 classrooms in elementary schools in Uspantan & Chicaman, San Andres Sajcabaja as well as two junior/senior high schools in El Pinal and Quizachal, Uspantan.
Dental Care
Once per year Hearts & Hands holds a dental clinic. Dental personnel pay their own expenses to volunteer and work long hours to bring much-needed care to the Mayan families. They treat and perform procedures on an average of 125 patients per trip. Over the years, Hearts & Hands has sponsored 12 dental clinics and Dr. Lloyd Evans has extracted 6000 teeth.
Teacher Training
Hearts & Hands initiated the Comprehensive Education Committee to raise the quality of education in Uspantan and Solola’. A teacher training program called Escuela Ideal (Ideal School) was the result. Working with recognized educators in Guatemala as well as a team of professors from the University of Puerto Rico, six teacher training conferences have been held for the 24 schools with which Hearts & Hands is involved.
Scholarships
Hearts & Hands began the Secondary Scholarship program in Solalá (Colegio Maya) in 2008 to help students extend their studies past the primary school level to high school and university. The program began with three students and has since grown to 65. The program includes the cost for each student for tuition, library fees, computer courses, uniforms, books, supplies, and a tutor. In 2010, in partnership with the Municipality of Uspantán, the program expanded to the El Pinal area.
Playgrounds
In Guatemala, school playgrounds are community gathering places. With the support of Rotary Club International, Hearts & Hands has constructed playgrounds in Tulilche II, Tulilche IV, San Francisco in the Municipality of Chiche’, and two in San Andres Sajcabaja.