Words from our President and Executive Director

Roberto Gutiérrez

Ing. Roberto Gutiérrez

President of FUNDAP

READ LETTER
Jorge Gándara

Ing. Jorge Gándara

Executive Director of FUNDAP

READ LETTER

Our work region in 2020

0

people assisted in 2020

110,382

women

36,130

men

Our work region in 2020

0

people assisted in 2020

110,382

women

36,130

men

The results of our programs in 2020

Education Program

This program implements different lines of initiatives in order to promote the training of the underprivileged sectors in the fields of formal, professional, and business education. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this program continued conducting training virtually and providing personalized assistance, never forgetting the commitment to the families served.

0

people

27,177women
21,547men

20,820 Quetzaltenango
14,902 San Marcos
5,712 Suchitepéquez
2,561 Retalhuleu
2,141 Totonicapán
1,143 Huehuetenango
582 Sololá
463 Chimaltenango
214 El Quiché
185 Escuintla
1 Sacatepéquez

Education

ACTIONS

Business School

426

small businesses served (Impulsa)

59

businesses emerge after the pandemic (Impulsa)

391

small business owners served (MBA)

6

jobs generated (MBA)

Technical Training

679

people finish their basic training

457

people participate in technical seminars

1,242

students completed their training in Technical Centers

Education Centers

808

young people and adults receive training

184

people developed technical skills

16%

generated income in entrepreneurial projects

Scolarship for Girls

3,501

girls are supported with a school scholarship

85%

of fathers have better communication with their daughters

90%

of the beneficiaries implement a reading habit

Promotion of Educational Quality

45

of volunteer mothers remotely trained

13

schools receive support in basic sanitation

266

teachers trained online

Institutes by Cooperative

1,781

students served in basic and high school

26

institutes fully supported in their management

Health Program

This program provides health and primary care services in areas such as nutrition, maternal and child health, and humanitarian assistance. In addition, it carries out health training initiatives for qualifying health agents.

0

people

16,016women
5,176men

7,435 Quetzaltenango
5,784 Suchitepéquez
2,593 Retalhuleu
2,168 Huehuetenango
2,120 San Marcos
727 Totonicapán
162 Sololá
113 El Quiché
53 Chimaltenango
23 Escuintla
11 Guatemala
3 Sacatepéquez

Health

ACTIONS

Technical Health School

80%

of former students were placed into jobs

100%

of students were trained in COVID-19 measures

82

students were trained as Nursing Assistant

Volunteers in Health

547

new health volunteers trained

270

volunteers were updated in their training

1,118

volunteers carried out 84,864 health initiatives

Medical Clinics

761

Pap smears performed

23%

of diagnoses issued were due to gastro-intestinal diseases

59%

of people cared for were women and 30% were of the child population

Nutritional Recovery

81%

of babies of mothers served have adequate nutritional indexes

6.62

pounds was the average weight of newborns

72%

of children from 0 to 5 years old improve their weight and 67% improve their size

Microcredit Program

This program promotes the economic development of the urban and rural areas of southwestern Guatemala, granting loans, and carrying out training and advisory initiatives for enterprising small business owners.

0

people

57,621women
3,502men

14,859 Suchitepéquez
13,764 San Marcos
13,007 Quetzaltenango
6,810 Retalhuleu
4,350 Huehuetenango
4,308 Chimaltenango
3,389 Totonicapán
339 El Quiché
297 Sololá

Microcredit

ACCIONES

Community Banks

1,759

current and active village banks

40

new groups of women were supported with microcredit

5,026

new beneficiaries were supported with microcredit

Agricultural Line

120

new people receive funding

766

people were technically advised in the field

Infraestructure Line

337

men and women accessed new financing

903

women accessed financing for construction

Small Business Line

554

small business owners increased their working capital

169

small business owners had access to new credit

Handicraft Program

This program Specializes in supporting organized groups of artisans in order to promote endogenous development and preserve their culture as an element of Guatemalan identity.

0

people

409women
342men

248 Sololá
165 Quetzaltenango
148 Totonicapán
136 El Quiché
33 San Marcos
9 Chimaltenango
7 Baja Verapaz
4 Guatemala
1 Sacatepéquez

Handicraft

ACTIONS

Social Organization

79

women strengthened their organizations

34

men strengthened their organizations

14

supported organizations promoted local development

Market linkage

178

beneficiaries were supported in marketing

30,229

work wages generated

19

organizations and 26 producers financially supported

Productive and Business Technical Assistance

156

artisans improved their productive and entrepreneurial skills

12

improvement instruments implemented

6

new techniques implemented in artisan production

Transfer of Appropriate Technologies

4

women started weaving for the ADEMVE Association

4

artisans made fabrics for the Cajolá Group Association

5

artisans made the jaspers for the Cojolyá Association

Comprehensive Training and Training

138

women received training in business management

51

men received training in business management

14

organizations increased their development

Agricultural Program

With total respect for the environment, this program supports small organized producers through: training, technical assistance, social organization, commercialization, and the transfer of appropriate technologies.

0

people

6,416women
2,733men

5,496 San Marcos
944 Quiché
933 Totonicapán
695 Huehuetenango
676 Suchitepéquez
303 Quetzaltenango
102 Retalhuleu

Agricultural

ACTIONS

Productive and Business Technical Assistance

772

beneficiaries received business support

34

members of organizations were assisted

3,028

instances of technical assistance were given to graduates

Comprehensive Training

2,899

women and young volunteer promoters trained

202

families trained in production and storage

65

young people developed and implemented a business plan

Transfer of Appropriate Technologies

65

beneficiaries implemented appropriate technology

15

young people established poultry farms (for meat and eggs)

29

structures were built to produce vegetables

Social Organization

8

organizations attended workshops

10

organizations included youth and women in their processes

2

organizations updated their legal representation and accounting

Market linkage

356

entrepreneurs market their products

15

farmers start exporting Brussels sprouts

18

cooperative members export 647.22 quintals of coffee

Environmental Forestry Program

This program provides services for the sustainable management of renewable natural resources. It is carried out through forest management and reforestation, basic environmental sanitation, social organization, training, and environmental awareness.

0

people

2,745women
2,828men

3,348 Quetzaltenango
726 San Marcos
477 Totonicapán
460 Sololá
352 Huehuetenango
119 Retalhuleu
91 Suchitepéquez

Environmental Forestry

ACCIONES

Forest Management

3,449

users of management plans in 1,400.71 Ha.

140

people participated in forest nurseries

479

beneficiaries of agroforestry systems

Social Organization

21

organizations worked on their forestry and environmental problems

1

organizations participated in 6 networks on natural resources

502

participants were served in 321 instances of technical assistance

Environmental Infraestructure

10

forest nurseries received 400,000 seedlings

Environmental Awareness and Education

663

people trained in training events

576

children and young people involved in 34 awareness and education events

1,053

participants in 940 instances of technical assistance

Comprehensive Training

143

people were trained in forest protection

The stories of our beneficiaries

“I feel happy because I have managed to stand out as a young man with the support of my family and that of FUNDAP”

“Technology is a medium for creative minds”

“Motivated and grateful for all the support received, hoping to get ahead”

“We work at home, we wear our mask, we take care of ourselves, and we keep going”

“Working in health gives me the opportunity to contribute to life”

“With ingenuity and creativity, I knew how to adapt the strategies learned in the context of my rural community”

“I was able to generate income to meet my commitments and move forward”

“With my new income I have the necessary resources to offer better products to my community”

“We have more than 50,000 seedlings, which will be used in 2021 to reforest degraded areas”

“We are happy, but not satisfied, because we know that there is still much to do”

“As the Director of the Association, I will do my best to get it done”

COVID-19 INITIATIVES

10 Supported Departments

Employees directly involved

399
38% men62% women

Prevention audiovisual materials produced

0
shared COVID-19
educational videos
0
posters, flyers, signs, and stickers

People served

28,075
18% men82% women

Virtual trainings

0
to collaborators
0
to beneficiaries

Preventative supplies granted to beneficiaries

0
gel dispensers
0
self-protection kits
0
gallons of sanitizing gel
0
gallons of disinfection products
0
digital thermometers
0
pairs of gloves
0
masks and face shields
Higiene contra el COVID

Economic recovery initiatives

0
credit novations for the COVID-19 Village Banking line
0
kg of vegetable seeds
0
vegetable pylons
0
COVID-19 deadline extensions

CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN

Our fundraising grows in 2021.

Niñas becadas

Thanks to the donations received between 2018 and 2020, 50 young women continued their studies in junior high school, 28 of them successfully completed the level and 15 continue studying. Our fundraising for the ‘Becas para la Niña’ project has expanded in 2021, because the dropout rate in Retalhuleu, a department in Guatemala, is still very high.

This region has a lack of stable jobs and, culturally, women have less opportunity to continue their studies. For this reason, each young woman supported in the project receives support at an educational, family, and personal level, and is also tutored so as not to lose sight of her objective: to access better opportunities for the future.

Niñas becadas

Help the girls to finish their basic education.

DONATE

HOPE PROJECT

An opportunity and a hand for those who need it

Proyecto Esperanza

This Humanitarian Assistance project is focused on integral solidarity as a basis for personal and family development. It is aimed at highly vulnerable families who are in situations of extreme poverty, without access to food and basic services, but who have the conditions to get ahead. What are the basic components and support?

  • Technical assistance in the areas that each family requires.
  • Basic habitability, ensuring minimum health conditions.
  • Health and nutritional recovery, especially for women and children.

In 2020, 83 families were reached during the agreed upon six months, but, due to COVID-19, 1,174 more families were served with Food Assistance. In total, almost 6,000 people in 10 departments of Guatemala.

351 Quetzaltenango
250 San Marcos
155 Totonicapán
117 Huehuetenango
115 Suchitepéquez
73 Sololá
59 El Quiché
45 Retalhuleu
7 Escuintla
2 Chimaltenango
Total
1174

Cooperating partners

More info

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Ing. Roberto Gutiérrez

In the previous Work Report (the year of 2019) I addressed the topic 'FUNDAP and technology,' indicating in it how since its inception -now almost 40 years ago-, the Foundation has used information and control technology as a means of making its work methods and processes effective, both internally and in the relationship with its beneficiaries and cooperators (the 'stakeholders'). It also mentioned that, added to this “cutting edge” technological vision, the Foundation's collaborators do not lose their humanistic commitment to service. This makes it possible to arrive early with effective solutions to the needs of users, guided, of course, under the banner of respect for the dignity of each person, as stated in the postulate that, as a motto, guides all of FUNDAP's action: 'Development with dignity.'

This institutional duality, technology and humanism, has been fundamental and strategic in the unfortunate year of 2020, in which the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed the dynamics with which the world was advancing. Thus, it presented us with a new reality in which the mode of effort to serve has as its central objective, which is the preservation of the lives of all the beneficiaries and cooperators of the Foundation, a matter in which they are privileged over any other interest or purpose.

For FUNDAP, having the aforementioned antecedent, that is, with that clear vision for the value of life on any other matter, has been its central task. All this without neglecting to serve its users -with the restrictions that prudence indicates-, so that the effects due to the reduction of their income in productive activities, will not harm them beyond what has been possible to assist them with.
This is how emerging tasks were established for each of the Foundation's programs, always trying to put the health of internal collaborators first, and that of the beneficiaries and their families. From this account, even when there have been cases of contagion, we thank God that no lives have been lost within the ´FUNDAP FAMILY´.

During 2020 and even the first months of the new year of 2021, the Foundation's collaborators have worked -for the most part- from their homes; For this, they have been provided with the instruments and facilities necessary for their work. And when they have also conducted their work in their offices it has been with security protocols that have been rigorously monitored.

Education and health programs have been, for logical reasons, those that have received the most attention and support during the pandemic. Because of this, facilities have been provided so that children and young people who receive education and training, can do so remotely and with adequate accompaniment. The Foundation's medical clinics have also worked to guide families on the safety measures they must follow to avoid contagion. A particularly effective case has been the work of the health volunteers, who from their communities have served their neighbors by giving them the recommendations to follow in each case.

Given the reasonable doubt of the end of this pandemic, to which no one can guarantee its disappearance, FUNDAP will continue to be vigilant and provide our best services for the benefit of the population we serve. We see with concern that the achievement of mass vaccination is still far away, therefore the Board of Directors has decided to continue with its guard up, with the central purpose of caring for the lives of each of the collaborators, beneficiaries and Guatemalans in general.

The solidarity of the cooperating institutions has also been a very human manifestation and one that FUNDAP deeply appreciates. Due to the pandemic, support and contributions have been received from various organizations that know that, through the Foundation, people, and families most in need are reached quickly, efficiently, and transparently.

It is fair to publicly recognize the Foundation's collaborators, who were up to the task, with courage, intelligence, and a sense of human value; all, without exception, and who have tried to assist beneficiaries and their families from each program.

It was a difficult year, without a doubt, but one of many lessons learned and spiritual and human growth in the face of the tragedy that plagues the entire world. Faced with this harsh reality, FUNDAP reiterates its commitment to service, assistance, and support.

Francisco Roberto Gutiérrez Martínez

LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Ing. Jorge Gándara

See, think, and act to continue our work.

The year 2020 was a year in which the world turned towards unprecedented uncertainty in modern times, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I would like to begin the letter of the Memory of the Foundation's Work by trying to take a look at what is happening and comparing what we have been doing and what we can do at the Foundation. The underlying question comes to mind: what are the changes we want to make in society? Knowing that it is not about meeting goals and objectives, but that the new opportunities that are offered are sustainable for our beneficiaries.

Perhaps with three words I will try to make a summary of what, little by little, has been affecting me:

See

Knowing how to see the needs of others is a very special gift, because simply not everyone looks at them. It is trying to "see," in the face of the needy or poor, the "help me" because I have no one, to be able to get out of my misery, to be able to have hope, to be able to live my life with dignity. In this world where few have much and many have nothing, there should be a greater sense of solidarity. It is necessary to teach others to have this vision of solidarity, it is necessary to “see” that going through life feeling a heavy heart when we see sad realities, requires a certain courage and a generous heart.

If we do not feel compassion for others, we will not have the impulse to do the impossible to help them. We see a great example in our donors and friends, who remind us that there is hope, that they go hand in hand with us and that many stay up late in order to translate our proposals into formats that are sometimes difficult to fill out. All this so that we have the tools to reach others, which should be noted, is a great responsibility.

The potential to promote innovations has become a central facet of the Foundation's performance capacity in recent years, knowing how to interpret the real and felt needs of the communities we serve, given the magnitude of the situations that require attention and commitment. It is to be personal, where injustices are palpable.

Think

Things do not work out by themselves, you have to use your intelligence, ability, but above all a sense of "urgency," because reality is in the here and now, not tomorrow. You have to put a lot of thought into making proposals for realistic, current projects. It is the same as we see in large companies, where the good manager is creative in finding solutions to the problems that arise. And we have a lot to say, because this job is as professional as the best company there is, in regards to development.

Every time we gather more value and we commit ourselves more, we have more ideas and we are more aware of our responsibility in the course of our own life, but also that of others. For this reason, and despite many difficulties, I am confident in the future.

After so many years, we do not know how far we have come in supporting families in rural areas. Perhaps we will have an indicative in the numbers at the end of each process, but this is not enough to measure success. This success has a lot to do with the passing of the years. It is when we can really say that after imparting a set of skills to the people in the communities, they are managers of their own development and, therefore, are freer.

This sustainable development embodies the principle that the people of a community can better judge and resolve the needs and opportunities of their own community, under the principle of subsidiarity.

Our activity focuses on a development or project idea, on an objective that must be specified so that others can “feel it” and, within that, the search for continuity. We follow a long-term strategy, of permanence and accompaniment, knowing that “You cannot build anything on an empty stomach.” In our society, all people should take responsibility, to the best of their ability, for their own environment and community.

Actuar

In order to make thoughts and good wishes a reality, it is necessary to do things, that is, to have processes and structures, not to mention a Culture that brings people together. Since the pandemic began, we had the goal of and, thank God, succeeded in not firing anyone from the payroll; this is also development. It is precisely our collaborators who form the framework and are those who are close to our beneficiaries.

It is from the collaborators that we demand work time, but we go further, they have to "give themselves" to others, an art that is not easy, -as each one sees life differently-. Visionary, optimistic, and willing to sacrifice their own personal interests, for the good of their family, their children, and that of their community. It is to respond with agility and creativity to the needs of the population we serve.

This leads us to think about the “sustainability” of the Foundation, so that it lasts over time, because we have to continue accompanying our beneficiaries throughout their “growth” and this often takes time, sometimes years.

From there comes the whole issue of "monitoring," being present in all of our projects, so that we learn from the good results in order to replicate them and also so that we learn from the bad ones, the latter so as not to repeat them. Likewise, we are open to dialogue about the "Quality" of the way we do things, in order to continuously evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of a project, which has proven to be an important instrument in managing them.

Finally, part of doing things well is being totally transparent and efficient in the use of the resources entrusted to us, especially with regard to our donors

Cordially,
Jorge Gándara

Felipa Coché Quiejú

“Thanks to FUNDAP and the Competitiveness project, I was appointed Director of the Association. I will do my best to get it done”

Felipa Coché Quiejú

In the most difficult months, the desire to fight and the support of FUNDAP were key so that the work did not stop. This is the story of Felipa, 28, who was responsible for marketing in an association where people with disabilities work.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the way of working and living changed drastically. By suspending the activities of the Association due to government regulations, the associates took refuge in their homes. Taking into account that some clients were placing orders, Felipa decided to take the raw material necessary to continue with the artisan production to the associates' homes.

Unfortunately, in September 2020 the leader and president of the organization passed away. Those were difficult days, where they even thought of leaving, but with the support of FUNDAP they reorganized. Taking into account Felipa's initiative, since she had received a diploma in ‘Business Management,’ she was appointed as Director.

Today, they continue to produce and market handicraft products, generating work and income for people with disabilities who make up the association. Felipa is very grateful for the opportunity and intends to do her best to move forward with her Association. We have no doubt that, together, she will succeed.

Pedro Orozco Juárez

“Thanks to the dedication there are more than 50,000 seedlings, which will be used in 2021 to reforest degraded areas or in forest vocation”

Pedro Orozco Juárez

Don Pedro's work is worthy of admiration, with a very unique care of forest seedlings. Every day he works in the municipal forest nursery of Loblatzan Chiquito, the community of San Martín Sacatepéquez where he lives.

Despite the pandemic, Don Pedro did not fail in his work of caring for and watering the seedlings and improving techniques for good production. He is the person in charge of producing forest plants for the municipal, communal, and private forests of his municipality. Based on telephone technical assistance and personal visits, he has acquired knowledge on handling forest seeds and the frequency of irrigation in the correct use of substrates in bags and seedbeds.

Thanks to his dedication, there are already more than 50,000 seedlings, which will be used in 2021 to reforest degraded or forestry areas.

Ingrid Maribel Domínguez Galindo

“I was able to generate income to meet my commitments and move forward”

Ingrid Maribel Domínguez Galindo

How important it is to know how to diversify the business when necessary. In Ingrid Maribel's case, she started her clothing business 10 years ago, when she joined the Divinas Quetzaltecas Communal Bank. Logically, due to the pandemic, her income decreased, since her clients prioritized the purchase of food.

Like her fellow group members, who had difficulties paying FUNDAP, they spoke with her advisor and resolved this situation. They got more time to pay off the principal, but also a lot of motivation, with stories of other people who were successful in her business. The key was to guide Ingrid Maribel towards diversification, selling ponchos for the season and starting with a sale of cleaning products and daily consumption at home.

In this way, she was able to generate income to meet her commitments and move on. But, in addition, her advisor guided her to have a more adequate control of income and expenses, reviewing the expiration dates to avoid losses. Because of all of this, she was able to manage her business in a better way.

Jaquelyn Aracely Montepeque

“We are happy, but not satisfied, because we know that there is still much to do”

Jaquelyn Aracely Montepeque

Jaquelyn is a health volunteer, committed to her community, and did a great job during the pandemic. This brave woman lives in the village of Cerros, Pacayá, in the municipality of Coatepeque. Her aspiration is to prepare herself more in the field of health, because she is convinced of her usefulness to better serve others.

When the pandemic began in her community, due to COVID-19, there were many needs, mainly health and food insecurity. This made Jaquelyn motivate other colleagues, also volunteers in health, to form a group that could attend to emerging needs. Thus, she managed to convince six of them, forming a group that organized the following activities:

  • Food collection with local residents, managing to support 24 of the vulnerable families.
  • COVID-19 prevention campaigns, remembering the use of the mask, promoting correct hand washing with demonstrations, and promoting nutrition with local products. With this campaign they were able to reach 200 families. These initiatives contributed to the fact that, in that specific community, there have been no infections since October.
  • Dengue prevention campaign for 250 families.
  • Weight and height monitoring, recruitment and care of 19 children with stunting and growth retardation.
  • Support provided to health centers in the vaccination process of 2,500 dogs and cats in the community.

Doña Jaquelyn is, without a doubt, a leader and a person committed to her community. When we ask her what she thinks of all that has been done, she mentions the following: “we are happy, but not satisfied, because we know that there is still much to do.” Luckily we have these volunteers, because their work is commendable.

Cesar Alberto González

“With my new income I have the necessary resources to offer better products to my community”

César Alberto González Sánchez

César Alberto had problems with his vegetable production, especially tomatoes. When working in the open field, his harvest was affected by the weather or pests, resulting in low production and economic losses.

This young man from San Rafael Pie de la Cuesta, in San Marcos, decided to join the ICEP project to improve his knowledge. Through face-to-face training (at the beginning of 2020), virtual and personalized agricultural assistance, he was able to improve his production. He managed to diversify his production with other vegetables such as onion, chili pepper, and coriander, in addition to modernizing his way of growing tomatoes, with new production techniques and the implementation of a shed.

Thanks to the innovation and the market opportunities that arose in the confinement caused by COVID-19, where the demand for vegetables increased due to the decrease in production, he managed to obtain the necessary income to increase his productivity and offer better products. in your community. A great example that work, collaboration, learning, and innovation must always go hand in hand.

Floriberta Miranda Ramos

“With ingenuity and creativity, I knew how to adapt the strategies learned in the context of my rural community”

Floriberta Miranda Ramos

As a result of the health emergency that the country is experiencing due to the Covid-19 pandemic, teacher Floriberta Miranda Ramos has found it necessary to develop the learning process with her students in a different way, taking into account that the technology is not available to everyone.

Thanks to her ingenuity and creativity, she has adapted the techniques and strategies learned in the programs given by the project "Promotion of Educational Quality," in the context of the rural community where she works. Using various recycled materials, she has made material packages for mothers who volunteer and support her in the early educational stimulation of pre-school children in her sector, neighborhood, or block. Each pack contains puppets, puzzles, memoirs, lotteries, crafts, and sensory mats.

From the Párvulos Official School where she works, in the Municipality of San Pablo, department of San Marcos, Mrs. Floriberta, as she is called in the community, trains these mothers. They, in turn and with great enthusiasm, educationally stimulate the children of their neighborhood, or block in small groups of three children. Without a doubt, an example of creativity and improvement in the year 2020, which was so complicated for everyone.

Zoila Heidi López Miranda

“Working in health gives me the opportunity to contribute to life”

Zoila Heidi López Miranda

When Zoila enrolled in FUNDAP's Technical Health School, her dreams and values were clear. In 2017 she began to work in a National Hospital and, in her available times, in a private one, with the clear objective of practicing her profession and continuing to study to be a professional nurse.

She is constant and hard-working, and in April 2020 she was transferred to the respiratory therapy department, inside her hospital. There, she served as a respiratory therapist, a role that, in the context of a pandemic, is of vital importance. In addition, she sees different cases every day: from newborns to elderly patients, whom she treats with special affection.

She is currently in the fifth semester of Professional Nursing and practices her profession with care, inspiring others to study. As she herself indicates, "working in health is the opportunity to contribute to life," and that is why she recommends future students to choose a career in this field. What an excellent job!

Silvia Yolanda Vit Pec

“Motivated and grateful for all the support received, hoping to get ahead”

Silvia Yolanda Vit Pec

In 2020, many businesses saw their growth cut short. But with good counseling, there is always hope for recovery. This is the case of Silvia Yolanda, from San Cristóbal Totonicapán, who has been making baby t-shirts for more than 12 years, which her husband initially sold in the capital.

However, 5 years ago she joined the Communal Bank, motivated by having her own capital and growing the business. Thus, she was able to receive CEDE's and MBA courses, where she learned to improve the quality of her products and business.

But the pandemic changed everything. With the difficulty of not being able to go out and sell, Silvia Yolanda was unable to pay the group's loan. After contacting a FUNDAP advisor, who was very supportive, she extended the term. In addition, the advisor made visits and calls to motivate them and advise them on new product or business alternatives. She also received telephone advice from an instructor from Impulsa, who encouraged her to make typical masks, getting her husband to learn from her and help her make them, they started going out to sell them in the town square.

Now she offers her products on Facebook and has a closer control of the things that her customers like the most. As she herself indicates, she is motivated and grateful for all the support received, and she hopes to move forward, facing the situation they are going through with great strength. Seeing their record, their courage, and their desire, we are sure that they will achieve it.

Selvin Malín

“I feel happy because I have managed to stand out as a young man with the support of my family and that of FUNDAP”

Selvin Higinio Malín Martínez

“I feel happy because I have managed to stand out as a young man with the support of my family and that of FUNDAP” Selvin Higinio Malín Martínez is a 17-year-old young man, originally from Aldea Ojo de Agua Esquipulas, Palo Gordo, San Marcos, and beneficiary of the project ICEP/ Medicor since 2019. Before starting with the program, he only dedicated himself to his studies.

However, during 2019 he was supported through the ICEP Project with a production venture of 15 birds (chompipollos). As a result of the sales, the family support, and the opportunities that FUNDAP gave him, he managed to increase his production with 110 laying birds. Thanks to them he has managed, so far, to have a production of 140 egg cartons.

During his participation in the program he learned a lot of agricultural knowledge such as planting vegetables; livestock issues such as the production and management of animals; as well as business concepts. With all this he has been able to improve its production, achieving considerable valued sales, which contribute so much to the family economy.

Selvin himself does not set limits and that is why he states the following: “My goals for the future are to complete my studies, increase my production, be the main distributor of this product in my community and municipality, support my family, and be an example for other young people.” Despite his age, he has a vision and a way of working that will make him achieve what he sets out to do.

Silvia Isabel Quino Calel

“We work at home, we wear our mask, we take care of ourselves, and we keep going”

Silvia Isabel Quino Calel

Why not improve your knowledge in the middle of a crisis? Silvia Isabel, married with 5 children, lives in Cantón Chucalibal I, Chichicastenango, Quiché. Looking for development opportunities, in 2005 she joined the Vida y Esperanza Women's Association (ADEMVE).

As an artisan she was able to learn new things, but it was in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic that she received the necessary training on pedal loom weaving. So now she is able to weave fabrics 36 inches wide and up to 100 feet long. Obviously, this production technique allowed Silvia to obtain a better income, and thus be able to help at home so that her children can study.

As Silvia herself says: “I thank ADEMVE, FUNDAP, and the, ‘Competitiveness Project,’ because they train us and guide us to do our work in a better way. In our communities there are not many job opportunities, but they help us to get ahead. Thank God the Coronavirus has not affected us, because we work at home, we wear our mask, we take care of ourselves, and we keep going.” And I hope to be able to continue like this for a long time to show that well-received training can quickly pay off.

Angélica Victoria Cuá Rosales

“Technology is a medium for creative minds”

Angélica Victoria Cuá Rosales

Angélica Victoria Cua Rosales, from Totonicapán, is a creative young woman with an open disposition to respond to some of the needs of the population. Angélica is high school student, who graduated from the Technical Center as a professional chef, joined to work in a healthcare center in her community.

During her Baccalaureate at CIEM de FUNDAP, she stood out by demonstrating commitment, care, and dedication in her training, in the competition of technological projects. Angelica herself designed a mask with an Arduino board that has the function of detecting body temperature and indicating the variation when it exceeds 37º centigrade. In those cases, she becomes active and alert.

The ingenious idea arose from the need to protect ourselves against the pandemic facing the world and to give cooks an immediate response. Her motto is "technology is a medium for creative minds." Well, without a doubt, she has applied it to its perfection.