Reforestation in Guatemala: The Story of Wellkind Guatemala
How one organization is combining indigenous land knowledge, conservation science, and community ownership to lead reforestation in Guatemala’s western highlands The western highlands of Guatemala are among the most visually stunning landscapes in Central America. They are also among the most ecologically stressed. Decades of deforestation driven by agricultural expansion, fuel-wood cutting, and land fragmentation […]
Actions Speak Louder Than Words: What Service Learning at Casa Guatemala Looks Like
Four travelers reflect on an eight-day impact adventure in Guatemala with Somos and Sage International School Casa Guatemala, the nearly 50-year-old NGO educating Indigenous Q’eqchi’ Mayan children on the banks of the Rio Dulce, welcomed a group of students, parents, and educators from Sage International School in Boise, Idaho this past April. Their itinerary included […]
Rio Dulce, Guatemala: A River Town in the Jungle
Rio Dulce, Guatemala is not the first stop on most itineraries. Most travelers who come to Guatemala head west. They land in Guatemala City, head to Antigua, then continue to Lake Atitlán. The tourist infrastructure pulls them in that direction, and the rewards are real. Most tourists skip the east, which is home to one […]
Education in Guatemala: The Malnutrition Crisis Holding Children Back
Education in Guatemala’s rural indigenous communities begins with a problem most people don’t see. In Guatemala, roughly one in two children under five suffers from chronic malnutrition. Guatemala ranks first in Latin America and sixth in the world for child malnutrition (ReliefWeb), and the burden is not evenly distributed. Among indigenous children, the rate of […]
5 Ways Your Guatemala Service Trip Creates Lasting Change
When you plant a tree in the Lake Atitlán basin, you’re not just adding one sapling to Guatemala’s reforestation efforts. Your action would ripple through the community for years to come—supporting local employment, protecting watersheds, strengthening food security, and inspiring other people to become environmental stewards. This is the hidden power of well-designed service trips […]