INVESTING IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN LATIN AMERICA
GUATEMALA
IDEAS’ work in Guatemala focuses on providing a range of programs including Disability Services and Health Education.
A fascinating mix of peoples and cultures
FULL OF LIFE AND ADVENTURE
Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America and the 11th most populous country in the Americas. On the basis of cultural traits, the population is divided into two main ethnic groups — Ladinos and Maya, who make up the vast majority of Indigenous people in Guatemala and form several cultures. Guatemala also has one of the highest numbers of spina bifida per capita in the world.
Speaking the local language
¡Aguas!
Look out!
If you’re thinking that agua is water, you’re right. But when it comes to Guatemalan words and slang, it means “look out!” So if someone tells you ¡Aguas con el tráfico! don’t start looking for a puddle on the street, keep your eyes open and watch out!
Get ready to be blown away
A land full of ups and downs
There are 37 volcanos in Guatemala, but only three of them are active. The tallest volcano is Tajumulco – 4,222 meters (12,529 ft). It is the highest peak in Central America. Fuego, 3,763 meters (12,346 ft), is the most active volcano; it explodes around 5-9 times per hour. Mountains cover some 60 percent of Guatemala, making it difficult for people with mobility disabilities to navigate the hilly terrain.
IDEAS provides whole-person care for people with disabilities through training, resources, and locally appropriate assistive technology devices.
Sample a local delicacy
Try Pepián, mixing vegetables + culture
Pepián is a thick, meat-based stew influenced by a mixture of Guatemala's Spanish colonial past and indigenous cuisine. It’s part stew, part curry, and is served with rice and corn tortillas.
FINDING SOLUTIONS
IN GUATEMALA
At IDEAS we work with local communities and partners to identify specific barriers to dignity that arise out of the cultural context. Together, we implement expert, programmatic solutions that result in appropriate and meaningful impact that serves the community as a whole.
CHALLENGES + OPPORTUNITIES
Social stigma around disability
Barriers to opportunities for persons with disabilities
Many people with disabilities, or those who have a family member with a disability, are treated as outcasts. Feelings of shame, embarrassment, and helplessness are common. A lack of resources and funding for equipment like wheelchairs in Guatemala limits individuals with disabilities from having a job, going to school, and participating in the community.
Providing disability services and support
Providing more than just training + equipment
Providing training and certifications to local people helps them meet the physical and spiritual needs of those who come to receive care and equipment. Local teams build sustainable and appropriately applicable programs that grow to reach all parts of Guatemala and can become a model for similar programs throughout Latin America.
Support IDEAS Work in Guatemala
Help support our work in Guatemala.
IDEAS work in Guatemala provides whole-person care for people with disabilities through training, resources, and locally appropriate assistive technology devices. Our programs address medical and mobility needs and invite people into a community where they are loved and valued. Our team works to help people experience the fullness of their God-given dignity.
Removing barriers to experiencing dignity
Wheelchairs + care leading to an abundant life.
AT Catalyst facilitates the proper provisioning of assistive technologies and physical, social, and spiritual long-term care for individuals and communities impacted by disabilities who are isolated and not reaching their social, intellectual, physical, and spiritual potential due to a lack of resources and training.
In one year
165
children were equipped with technologies to assist with their disabilities.
JOIN OUR WORK IN GUATEMALA
We’d love to have you join our family!
IDEAS is looking for qualified professionals ready to serve. Our application process introduces you to IDEAS values and methodologies, matches your skills to IDEAS programs, and carefully walks you through steps to discover if you and IDEAS are a good fit.
APPLY
Complete application.
Initial conversation. Assessments.
Interview with leadership.
PREPARE
Create job description.
Develop budget.
Cross-cultural training begins.
JOIN YOUR TEAM
Book your plane ticket. Join your team.
On-site orientation.
Let’s go!!
See our locations
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At 12,340 feet, Agua Volcano dominates the skyline of Antiqua, Guatemala. Despite its lack of eruptive activity, the volcano can still produce debris flows that inundate nearby populated areas.
Helping individuals & communities flourish
Our Impact
21,780
Adults + children in Asia with no access to healthcare were treated in local clinics
1000+
Wheelchairs provided in Africa + Latin America, providing mobility for people & their families
1500+
Farmers & their communities in Central Asia received agricultural training
Celebrating removing barriers to dignity
Stories of Transformation
Alma was born in Guatemala with a disability called spina bifida. Unable to walk, she spent the first 14 years of her life isolated, locked in a room, confined to a bed or the floor. Her mother said she was a mistake. Her father said she was not his daughter. Alma wanted to go to school and have friends, but her disability made that impossible.