The work of Common Hope is based on personal relationships with people. We work with sponsored children, their families, and the communities in which they live. We believe it is especially important to work with the entire family, because a child cannot be healthy unless his or her family is healthy.

Our work is comprehensive and holistic. In everything we do, we strive to support families in their struggle for independence and dignity.

Our programs are carefully and thoughtfully developed in response to the expressed needs of the financially poor. We try to do only that which people cannot do for themselves.

Each program falls under one of these four areas: Education, Family Development, Health Care, or Housing.

Education


Education is the key to helping people rise to new potentials and improve their lives.

In Guatemala, over one-third of the population cannot read, and the average adult attends school for only 4.8 years. Public school is not free.  Families must pay registration fees and purchase uniforms, books, and supplies. As a result, many parents simply cannot afford to send their children to school. The cycle of poverty is continued.

Education in Guatemala is a fundamental component of reducing poverty and inequality, so we concentrate our education efforts on the following areas:

Sources such as the World Bank say a high school diploma can as much as double one’s earning potential in a developing country, yet in Guatemala many children do not have this opportunity. We provide the resources necessary for over 2,700 children to attend school.  In addition, we recently completed New Hope School, a brand new primary school that provides education to over 200 primary and early childhood students.

It is also clear to us that children have a greater chance to succeed if their parents also have an opportunity to pursue an education. We provide numerous adult education and income generation classes and job placement services to help parents achieve a liveable wage.

Health Care

Health care is the most urgent need of the poor. Without it, survival is questionable and achieving goals through education impossible.

Living in sub-standard conditions results in increased sickness and injury. Many Guatemalans die of preventable diseases and illnesses. It is common for people to live years with problems like dental pain or a hernia - conditions that can be easily treated.

The principle cause of infant mortality in Guatemala is diarrhea, and 18% of children suffer from malnutrition. Infant mortality, at 33 deaths for every 1,000 births, is among the highest in Central America. To combat this, Common Hope provides health care in the following aress:

Housing

The families Common Hope serves often live in inadequate and unsafe conditions. Living in such unsanitary conditions leads to parasitic food contamination, life threatening diseases, and additional family strain.

Many families in Guatemala live in small, dirt floor shacks made of cornstalks or materials scavenged from local dump sites. The majority of these dwellings do not have potable water or sanitation systems. Because people often burn open wood fires in their homes for cooking, respiratory illnesses are a leading cause of death in Guatemala.

Common Hope helps families overcome these problems in the following ways:

Family Development

In order to make a permanent difference in people’s lives, we need to reach beyond the sponsored child to families and communities. Healthy individuals are the building blocks for strong families, which, in turn, make up supportive communities.

In Guatemala, over 30% of adults are unable to read. For women, the percentage is even higher. Other problems like abuse, alcoholism, and poor self-esteem prevent families from overcoming poverty and improving their lives. In addition, the civil war that lasted 36 years has had lasting effects on the people and communities.

Common Hope works to overcome these challenges by:

Primary Sources: Population Reference Bureau, UNESCO, World Bank

back to top