Dear Friends of Mona Foundation-
We are excited to have you join us for our site visit to Guatemala and the MAIA IMPACT SCHOOL as a part of our due diligence in selecting a new partner organization for long term support. The MAIA Impact School is the first female, indigenous-led secondary school in Central America that offers a holistic education focused equally on academics, culture and identity, socioemotional development, and family engagement.
MAIA is one of the few organizations in Guatemala led and run by Maya women from the communities it serves. The team is 84 percent Maya, 84 percent female, 78 percent under the age of 35, and approximately 38 percent are graduates of MAIA’s previous legacy program. MAIA’s leadership has been recognized by One Young World, UNESCO, START Network, International, Youth Foundation, She’s the First, and Girl Rising.
Guatemala has the worst gender-equity gap in the hemisphere, representing roughly 25% of the population, Maya women experience levels of exclusion that make them among the most marginalized on Earth. In Guatemala, less than 20% of Maya women complete high school and 57% are married or have become mothers by the time they are 18.
Sololá, where the Impact School is located, is 98% Maya and has the second-highest level of poverty in Guatemala. Students at the MAIA Impact School are called Girl Pioneers because they are blazing a new trajectory towards prosperity and equal opportunity, despite being born into situations of quadruple discrimination as rural, poor, female, and Indigenous.
MAIA currently provides a holistic education to 300 girls and the innovative family engagement. program works with each girl’s family, reaching approximately 2,000 people representing over 40 rural highland villages in the department of Sololá, Guatemala.
I look forward to sharing more about this amazing work in Guatemala with you soon.
Mahnaz Javid
Chief Executive Officer
Mona Foundation
PS - We highly recommend you watch this video before the start of your trip.
Mona Foundation - Guatemala
April 1-6, 2022
Price per passenger - $2,195.00
Including: All Lodging Single Occupancy, Breakfast Each Day, Airport Transfers, Ground Transportation, Clean water to drink
Not Including: Travel Insurance (prices vary between $50-$350 per person depending on age and coverage), International Airfare, Passport Fees (if new passport required), Souvenirs, Beverages at Meals, Lunch and Dinner each day
Deadlines: Payment due in full upon booking to confirm your space
Itinerary
APRIL 1 » ARRIVE GUATEMALA CITY
Group arrives to the Guatemala City airport throughout afternoon/evening. Upon arrival, you will be met just outside baggage claim by a driver with “Mona Foundation” on a sign who will take you to the first hotel in Antigua (about 45-60 minute drive). Overnight Antigua.
APRIL 2 » ANTIGUA
Today we will focus on learning more about the country’s current and colonial history and culture, beginning with a close look at Guatemala’s top export: coffee. After breakfast at the hotel, the group will take a short ride to visit a small, independent coffee plantation that promotes environmentally responsible agriculture. After lunch, we will head back to Antigua for a walking tour of the colonial city with a professional guide. We’ll learn more about Guatemala’s recent history and modern life. We hope some alumni from MAIA schools may join us for activities or some meals throughout the day. In the evening, we’ll have dinner at the hotel or in Antigua. Overnight Antigua.
APRIL 3 » TECPAN AND SOLOLA
After breakfast at the hotel, we will check out and depart Antigua toward Solola. On the way, we’ll learn about ancient Mayan culture with a visit to Iximche, the first capital of Guatemala. Over lunch, we hope to meet with MAIA Impact School’s board member and vice-minister of Education Carmelina Espantzay. We’ll then drive a few hours to our hotel near Lake Atitlan. Overnight Solola.
APRIL 4 » SOLOLA
Today we will experience MAIA’s family engagement program. As we travel into the community, we’ll have a chance to spend the morning with Girl Pioneer’s families and better understand the context in which MAIA operates. Overnight Solola.
APRIL 5 » SOLOLA
After breakfast, we’ll visit the MAIA Impact School and see the work in action. We’ll have a chance to spend time getting to know the school and work better through various activvies.
APRIL 6 » SOLOLA TO GUATEMALA CITY
In the morning, we’ll depart for the several hour journey to the Guatemala City airport for flights home.