Guatemala
Jessi Gonázalez de Guiterrez has opened a Seeds of Hope International Center in her town of Totonicapan, Guatemala. Poverty drives hundreds of thousands of Guatemalans to the US in search of opportunities to provide for their families, and the majority of immigrants coming to the United States are from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Poverty in Guatemala affects the majority with 80% living in poverty and 40% living in extreme poverty on less than $1.50 a day. It is common for children as young as 5 years old to be unable to attend school so they can help provide for their families. Young children often sort through the trash dumps to find recyclables to sell, or food to eat. Malnutrition plagues 80% of children in Guatemala, and 3 million don’t have access to clean drinking water. Each day 33 people are entrapped into human trafficking, and 60% of the 50,000 victims in Guatemala are children according to a report by UNICEF. Underaged girls are often found working in brothels, and many are forced into sex work by their mothers. Seeds of Hope will provide these young children with a free educational program that will provide them with the skills they need to break the perpetual cycles of poverty. With access to free, high quality educational classes these young people are being given opportunities that will empower them to make a difference in their own communities. With over 20% of Guatemalan children being forced to work to contribute for their family’s income, we will provide an alternative education center where kids can take classes at night instead of having to miss school during work hours.
How many clubhouses?
Seeds of Hope has one location in Totonican, Guatemala.