For families living in poverty, education quickly takes a backseat to earning an income. In Guatemala, the average number of completed years of education for adults is 3.5 years. Only 70% of children graduate from sixth grade, 32% from junior high and a mere 18.6% from high school.

In Guatemala, there are only nine doctors for every 10,000 people. Many cannot afford the cost of treatments and medications. Major causes of death still include treatable illnesses and diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhea and malnutrition. Respiratory infection and diarrhea are the leading cause of death for infants. In fact, the infant mortality rate is extremely high. Additionally, malnutrition is a serious issue particularly among children.

Many people in Guatemala live in inadequate and unsafe conditions with 67% living in homes without roofs and sufficient living space. Homes in rural areas are crafted from scrap metal. It’s also common to see homes built with cornstalk walls and dirt floors. Many of these dwellings also do not have potable water or sanitation systems. These conditions can lead to parasitic food contamination, life-threatening disease and family strain.