Horizons of Friendship is a federally-registered non-governmental organization, located in Cobourg, Ontario, Canada. They are committed to eliminating the root causes of poverty and injustice in Central America and Southern Mexico (Mesoamerica) through the cooperation of people from the South and North. To accomplish this they work with local partner organizations that undertake local initiatives [...]
Category Archives: Development Groups
Project Update: Sharing the Dream
Posted by Marian on August 17, 2010
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Sharing the Dream in Guatemala is a non-profit organization that promotes fair trade with cooperatives and small businesses in Guatemala. Sharing the Dream is working very hard so that through their work, families can afford to educate their children, provide health care, and promote healthy living in their own families. In late June 2010, Sharing the Dream hosted a [...]
Profile: CHOICE Humanitarian
Posted by Laura on June 15, 2010
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CHOICE Humanitarian is ending poverty by focusing on sustainable village development. Our goal is to connect motivated villages to resources and tools to change their lives. By building skills, capacities and leadership of the villagers – the entire community brings itself out of the cycle of poverty. CHOICE, which stands for Center for Humanitarian Outreach [...]
Profile: Transitions – UPDATED
Posted by Laura on May 28, 2010
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UPDATE: Everyone should check out Transitions’ great new website at www.transitionsfoundation.org. Mobilization, health, rehabilitation, education, leadership… The Transitions Foundation is committed to making a difference in the lives of Guatemalans who may otherwise have few opportunities to grow, to learn, and to become literate and productive contributors to their Guatemalan culture. They provide rehabilitation, vocational, [...]
Profile: Build a Nest
Posted by Laura on May 18, 2010
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Nest is a nonprofit organization that empowers female artists and artisans around the world. Using a unique combination of interest-free microfinance loans, mentoring from established designers, as well as a market in which to sell their crafts, Nest helps its loan recipients create successful small businesses. Nest instills pride of ownership, preserves ancient artistic traditions [...]
Profile: A Thread of Hope
Posted by Marian on April 22, 2010
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A Thread of Hope is a fair trade web store featuring items from Guatemala. Eliza Strode, the owner, is a clinical social worker who went to Guatemala in 1997 to learn Spanish. Previously a food co-op manager in Cambridge, MA, she visited a number of artisans’ cooperatives in Guatemala. Eliza started selling Fairly-Traded products from Guatemala in 2001. She has [...]
Profile: Maya Traditions
Posted by Laura on April 22, 2010
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In 1988, Maya Traditions founder Jane Mintz, an experienced social worker (MSW) and weaver, began working with indigenous women artisans living in poverty in Guatemala. She observed that their skill of backstrap weaving was a chance for them to earn a stable income for their families while working from home doing what they were already [...]
Profile: University of Washington Guatemala Project (UWGP)
Posted by Laura on April 17, 2010
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The University of Washington Guatemala Project (UWGP) is a group of University of Washington students and recent alumni working to provide scholarships and vocational training for their peers in Guatemala. Their project is jointly designed and supported by UW students/alumni and the Movimiento de Trabajadores Campesinos (MTC), a non-governmental organization based in San Marcos, Guatemala. [...]
Profile: The Borlaug Institute / Texas A&M
Posted by Laura on April 14, 2010
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The Borlaug Institute provides the global outreach of Texas A&M Agriculture. Their faculty, scientists, and students are involved in over 100 countries around the world to better international agriculture. Funded by the USDA, the Borlaug has implemented a three-year agricultural extension program to benefit the indigenous Mayan communities in Guatemala. Agriculture in Guatemala: Technology, Education, and Commercialization [...]
Profile: The Borlaug Institute / Texas A&M
Posted by Laura on April 14, 2010
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The Borlaug Institute provides the global outreach of Texas A&M Agriculture. Their faculty, scientists, and students are involved in over 100 countries around the world to better international agriculture. Funded by the USDA, the Borlaug has implemented a three-year agricultural extension program to benefit the indigenous Mayan communities in Guatemala. Agriculture in Guatemala: Technology, Education, and Commercialization [...]
Profile: Vanderbilt University Center for Latin American Studies
Posted by Laura on April 3, 2010
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In 2006, The Vanderbilt Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) was designated a National Resource Center by the U.S. Department of Education. While maintaining one of the strongest concentrations of Brazilianists of any university in the United States, the Center’s renowned faculty also has particular strengths in Mesoamerican anthropology and archaeology, the study of democracy [...]
Profile: Ak’Tenamit
Posted by Laura on March 23, 2010
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Ak’ Tenamit means “New Village” in the Q’eqchi Mayan language, because their organization is transforming life in the Q’eqchi villages of eastern Guatemala. Those villages are located around the Río Dulce, far from the nearest road – most are reached by a boat trips and hikes through the rain forest – and they lack electricity, [...]
Profile: Ak'Tenamit
Posted by Laura on March 23, 2010
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Ak’ Tenamit means “New Village” in the Q’eqchi Mayan language, because their organization is transforming life in the Q’eqchi villages of eastern Guatemala. Those villages are located around the Río Dulce, far from the nearest road – most are reached by a boat trips and hikes through the rain forest – and they lack electricity, [...]
Profile: Fotokids
Posted by Laura on February 22, 2010
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Teaching children to dream is the first step in their believing in a future. Fotokids was founded by ex-Reuters photographer, Nancy McGirr in 1991, with 6 children from the City’s vast garbage dump. Over the years, the organization has grown to include both rural poor and urban gang areas. Fotokids, including an environmental photo project [...]
Profile: Project Seres
Posted by Laura on February 16, 2010
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“THOUGH THE PROBLEMS OF THE WORLD ARE INCREASINGLY MORE COMPLEX, THE SOLUTIONS REMAIN EMBARRASSINGLY SIMPLE…” – Bill Mollison, co-founder of the world-wide permaculture movement The mission of Project Seres is to help at-risk groups in developing countries build resistance to climate change threats using knowledge, tools and resources that are environmentally ethical, ecologically sustainable, [...]
Profile: Niños de Guatemala
Posted by Laura on February 12, 2010
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Niños de Guatemala (NDG) was founded in 2006 to play a part in building a better future for Guatemala and its citizens. NDG aims to realize its mission by initiating and supporting small-scale development projects where they are most needed. Local involvement and community development are central to NDG’s projects. NDG runs by three [...]
Profile: Intelligent Mobility International
Posted by Laura on February 8, 2010
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Inteligencia Móvil Internacional de Guatemala or “IMI Guatemala” is a non-profit association that seeks to help people with disabilities in Guatemala by providing low cost and locally assembled wheelchairs. HISTORY: IMI Guatemala is the pilot project of the U.S. non-profit Intelligent Mobility International, or “IMI. The idea started from a collaboration with students from the [...]
Profile: Hope Haven International Ministries
Posted by Laura on February 8, 2010
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Hope Haven International Ministries (HHIM) reaches beyond the borders of our nation by extending mercy to people with disabilities around the world. This is accomplished by working closely with relief and development organizations, mission groups and individuals in various countries. In the early 1990’s, Hope Haven, headquartered out of Rock Valley, Iowa (USA), had an [...]
Profile: Wells of Hope
Posted by Laura on February 6, 2010
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The Wells of Hope Group is a non-denominational group founded on Christian principles. They are committed to responding to the cry of the poor and to help them attain for themselves, the basic necessities of clean water, education, and basic healthcare. They live this commitment through various projects that the Wells of Hope Group has [...]
Profile: Miracles in Action
Posted by Laura on February 4, 2010
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Miracles in Action is a Florida based, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that serves poor indigenous communities in Guatemala. Their team of volunteers seeks out underserved pockets of need in rural Guatemala and they research projects that focus on education, vocational training, and sustainable development. “Miracles” board then selects those projects that achieve long-term results, improve quality of life, and allow truly impoverished people [...]
Profile: Amigos de Patzún
Posted by Laura on February 1, 2010
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Amigos de Patzún (ADP) is a 501 3(c) non–profit which creates educational opportunities for impoverished students in rural Guatemala. They offer competitive scholarships to middle and high school students who would not be able to continue their education past sixth grade. In 2008, ADP also added a teacher training program focused on improving literacy skills [...]
Profile: Reading Village
Posted by Kari on February 1, 2010
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To visit the Reading village website, please click here. Belief Statement: Every child should be able to grow up free to express their fullest self, give what they have to contribute to their families, their communities, their countries and the world. Access to books, the ability to read, and to think critically and imaginatively are [...]
Profile: Farmer to Farmer
Posted by Kari on January 29, 2010
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Farmer to Farmer, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, envisions agriculture that is sustainable and respectful of the earth, that remains in the hands of the people who live and work the land. They support grassroots agricultural projects that are democratically initiated and managed. They affirm the sacredness of the earth and work for and respect the rights of [...]
Profile: Pueblo a Pueblo
Posted by Laura on January 28, 2010
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On the shores of Lake Atitlan in the southern highlands of Guatemala, surrounded by volcanoes is nestled Santiago Atitlan, a small indigenous T’zutujil Mayan community. This village of 43,000 residents represents one of the largest Mayan indigenous communities in the Americas. In past five years, devastating natural disasters compounded the bleak pre-existing educational and economic [...]
Profile: Sharing the Dream
Posted by Laura on January 28, 2010
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Sharing the Dream in Guatemala is a non-profit organization that promotes fair trade with cooperatives and small businesses in Guatemala. They are committed to providing fair wages and employment opportunities to low-income artisans, which will result in creating sustainable markets for their products. Their craft products are handmade by Mayan artisans using many traditional techniques. [...]