Guatemala

Guatemala is the most populated country in Central America. Approximately 52 percent of the people are Mayan Indians. The rest of the population is mainly of mixed Indian and European descent.

Spanish is the official language, but 23 native dialects are spoken among the Indian people. Within the indigenous groups, men usually speak Spanish in addition to their native tongue. The women typically do not know Spanish, which hinders their education since most classes are taught in this language.

Personal wealth and land holdings are concentrated in a small percentage of the population. The vast majority of Guatemalans are desperately poor. Two-thirds of Guatemala’s residents are peasants who struggle to survive through subsistence farming. They supplement their meager incomes through seasonal labor on large coffee, cotton, and sugar plantations.

Women and children suffer most from the severe poverty. Education and health care services are impeded by a lack of resources. The illiteracy rate for women is above the national average. Malnutrition is widespread and many children are never immunized against serious diseases, limiting their potential for healthy development.

Guatemala’s landscape varies from rugged mountains, including active volcanoes, to coastal plains. The climate is tropical along the shoreline and cooler inland throughout the mountains. The major urban centers, including the capital of Guatemala City, are located in the highland area of the south.

Guatemala is the richest nation in the region in terms of natural resources, but it is suffering from severe ecological damage. Deforestation, pesticide poisoning, and soil loss have taken a toll on the land.

Guatemala also is trying to recover from the damage, death, and destruction that a decades-long civil war wreaked upon the nation and its people. Although the country is peaceful now, it still suffers the consequences of some 36 years of fighting. During the brutal conflict, 140,000 people lost their lives and 400 villages were destroyed. Guatemala is in the process of rebuilding its communities, and there is much work to be done.

Eight out of every ten children under age five are undernourished. Many school-age youths do not attend classes, which will limit their abilities later in life. Fortunately, sponsorship is helping in many ways.

• Pray that your sponsored child might be open to God’s love and grace.
• Ask God to guide your sponsored child as he or she learns, grows and moves toward a future full of hope and possibilities.
• Pray for God to protect the health of your sponsored child and his or her family.