¡Bienvenido a Guatemala!

2008 IHSM Program During the week of April 17 - 26, 2008, IHSM volunteers will assist the Missionaries of Charity Fathers and the local community in: home construction and repairs; assist the local weavers in advancing a new economic resource through programs that preserve and revitalize ancient Mayan weaving techniques designed to help bring product to the international market; prepare and serve meals at a day shelter for the elderly population; and visit the local school to teach basic English and participate in recreational activities with the children of Tamahú. For more information about being a part of this rewarding experience, please e-mail us at Mir Pace International.

Background Guatemala is among the most beautiful countries in Central America, with heavily forested mountain regions, Mayan ruins, lakes, volcanoes and orchids. Its indigenous population, the Maya, make up about half of its total populace and continue to speak Mayan languages and follow Mayan traditions. Guatemala's beauty and strength of identity have not been matched by its cohesion and prosperity. Guatemalans live in one of the most iniquitous societies in the region where the top 2% control an estimated 58% of the national wealth and where up to 90% of people subsist on less than $2.00/day. While illiteracy, infant mortality and malnutrition are among the highest in the region, life expectancy is among the lowest. Tamahú is approximately 100 miles north of Guatemala City and is nestled amid beautiful mountains. The Missionaries of Charity Fathers, founded by Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, arrived in the remote village of Tamahú in 2001, and quickly discovered that the area had more than spiritual needs. The Fathers have tirelessly worked to bring nutritional, medical, educational and development assistance to the people of Tamahú.