Working for Mayan Families was a life changing experience for me. Nobody knows what Guatemala is like before coming here. Everything I had studied about the war and the Mayan Culture was nothing compared to what I had the chance to experience here.
The discrimination against the indigenous people in Guatemala is an issue that has to be addressed immediately and I don't see the government acting on it at all. The Mayans were the ones who suffered most with the war, and now when they should be included in the society and in the economy, they are more excluded than ever. Most of them lost the land they owned, had family
members killed and now they struggle to survive in a reality that until very recently was unfamiliar to them.
Without any or very little support from the government, the Mayans rely on NGOs to help them.
However, there is a big dilemma that I couldn't find an answer to: How can you help the indigenous people to survive in the new economic and social model and at the same time preserve their culture?
I came here believing that I would help to change some people's lives, but the truth is that they changed my life. I am leaving as a different person than when I came, a better person I believe.
Despite what may happen in my future - that is unknown to me at this moment - I will never stop believing in equality and social justice.
Thank you Sharon and Dwight for being such amazing people and for doing so much for Guatemala and also for everything you did for me personally. I've learned a lot from you and you will always be in my heart and thoughts. And thanks to all of the Mayan Families' employees and sponsors, you are
just awesome!
The discrimination against the indigenous people in Guatemala is an issue that has to be addressed immediately and I don't see the government acting on it at all. The Mayans were the ones who suffered most with the war, and now when they should be included in the society and in the economy, they are more excluded than ever. Most of them lost the land they owned, had family
members killed and now they struggle to survive in a reality that until very recently was unfamiliar to them.
Without any or very little support from the government, the Mayans rely on NGOs to help them.
However, there is a big dilemma that I couldn't find an answer to: How can you help the indigenous people to survive in the new economic and social model and at the same time preserve their culture?
I came here believing that I would help to change some people's lives, but the truth is that they changed my life. I am leaving as a different person than when I came, a better person I believe.
Despite what may happen in my future - that is unknown to me at this moment - I will never stop believing in equality and social justice.
Thank you Sharon and Dwight for being such amazing people and for doing so much for Guatemala and also for everything you did for me personally. I've learned a lot from you and you will always be in my heart and thoughts. And thanks to all of the Mayan Families' employees and sponsors, you are
just awesome!
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We will miss you Dina!
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