Impact
4 Ha Campus
in the cloudy Mayan forests of Ixil20 Women Trained
as solar engineers420 Homes
solar electrified17 Women Trained
as Community Facilitators66 Coffee Farmers
earning from Barefoot's fair trade economy3513 beneficiaries
of our Guatemala-based programmesOur Vision
Barefoot College Guatemala envisions a world where those who cultivate the land and work in rural fields receive fair compensation for their knowledge, efforts and production. A world where rural women take part in all political, socioeconomic and environmental decisions.
Our association provides education and training in different areas of knowledge and through methodologies carefully designed for the rural and indigenous population, especially women and their communities in Guatemala and Central America. Our mandate is to improve their quality of life, provide access to better services and find new solutions to problems related to the extreme poverty they experience in their homes. Through our work we also mitigate migration to urban areas or other countries, a structural problem that generates a loss of human and cultural capital for villages and towns.
Click here to learn more about our story in Latin America.
Programmatic Solutions
Solar
Literacy is a barrier for many women living in off-grid, remote communities. To resolve this issue Barefoot College Guatemala is implementing a 2-month vocational training program that transcends the need to read and write. Young women, mothers and even grandmothers are becoming solar engineers; returning to their communities equipped with the knowledge to install, maintain and repair solar home lighting systems and products.
Our Solar program trains rural women, regardless of their level of formal education or literacy, in fabrication, assembly, installation and repair of solar home lighting systems and lanterns. Our innovative curriculum demystifies complex technology and places it in the hands of women, equipping them with the skills to lead a rural energy transformation. The training program was created in India and has been expanded and implemented across our 6 regional training centers, and various pop-up training locations. Access to energy is highly impactful in rural communities in the areas of economic growth, education access & quality, health, financial wellbeing, and women’s empowerment.
Literacy is a barrier for many women living in off-grid, remote communities. To resolve this issue Barefoot College Guatemala is implementing a 2-month vocational training program that transcends the need to read and write. Young women, mothers and even grandmothers are becoming solar engineers; returning to their communities equipped with the knowledge to install, maintain and repair solar home lighting systems and products.
Our Solar program trains rural women, regardless of their level of formal education or literacy, in fabrication, assembly, installation and repair of solar home lighting systems and lanterns. Our innovative curriculum demystifies complex technology and places it in the hands of women, equipping them with the skills to lead a rural energy transformation. The training program was created in India and has been expanded and implemented across our 6 regional training centers, and various pop-up training locations. Access to energy is highly impactful in rural communities in the areas of economic growth, education access & quality, health, financial wellbeing, and women’s empowerment.
Agricultural Livelihoods
Every harvest small land holding farmers, of 2 hectares or less, struggle between mitigating the ever increasing frequency of climate irregularities and selling their crops for fair, dignified rates. Our agricultural program is centred in regenerative practices for humans and nature.
We’ve teamed up with Guatemalan experts in agroecology, agroforesty, permaculture and masters of the soil food web to share best practices using farmer-to farmer training. Complimentarily, a local company, kick-started by Barefoot College International and women farmers, generate the sales and marketing of raw, organic produce to earn between 18-32% more than the average cooperatives in the region.
Every harvest small land holding farmers, of 2 hectares or less, struggle between mitigating the ever increasing frequency of climate irregularities and selling their crops for fair, dignified rates. Our agricultural program is centred in regenerative practices for humans and nature.
We’ve teamed up with Guatemalan experts in agroecology, agroforesty, permaculture and masters of the soil food web to share best practices using farmer-to farmer training. Complimentarily, a local company, kick-started by Barefoot College International and women farmers, generate the sales and marketing of raw, organic produce to earn between 18-32% more than the average cooperatives in the region.
ENRICHE Empowerment
Enriche supports women in transforming themselves and their communities. It provides them with a learning opportunity to gain the confidence, skills and knowledge they need to reach their full potential and fulfill their aspirations. It emphasizes critical thinking skills, agency, and an entrepreneurial mindset, and makes use of a combination of participatory workshops and hands-on activities.
By tailoring the program to the aspirations of rural women in Guatemala we help them realize their full potential and of the life-changing benefits to their families and communities.
Enriche supports women in transforming themselves and their communities. It provides them with a learning opportunity to gain the confidence, skills and knowledge they need to reach their full potential and fulfill their aspirations. It emphasizes critical thinking skills, agency, and an entrepreneurial mindset, and makes use of a combination of participatory workshops and hands-on activities.
By tailoring the program to the aspirations of rural women in Guatemala we help them realize their full potential and of the life-changing benefits to their families and communities.
Ground Partner Network
| Name | Region | Service |
|---|---|---|
| Asociación La Chajulense | San Gaspar Chajul | Social Needs Assessment |
| Breakthrough Action | Santa Maria Nebaj | Social Needs Assessment |
| Servicios Médicos Vida y Esperanza | Santa Maria Nebaj | Health Needs Assessment |
| Instituto Mesoamericano de Permacultura | Lake Atitlan | Training & Implementation |
| Embajada de la India en Guatemala | Guatemala City | Awareness & Promotion |
| Tejdesa | Ixil Mayan Region, Quiché | Implementation Partner |
| Programa Mundial de Alimentos | Guatemala & Central America | Implementation Partner |
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Montly Donation
When you give a monthly donation pledge, you’re ensuring that all of our unique programs continue thriving and growing. This means more women and children receive lasting support through rural training opportunities, access to tools and supplies, connections to grassroots trainers and much more. Regular donations mean we can seamlessly continue to work with women and children for years to come.
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