Poverty & Progress

Guatemala’s native Mayan people have been subjugated and abused for centuries. They didn’t fare any better during the civil war that lasted from the 1960’s until the 1990’s. Once the peace accords were signed, many of the Maya were given their own land but it was in the remote mountains with no access to utilities, resources, or government aid.

In 2001, a group of Rotarians journeyed into the rainforest to assess the local needs only to find that they lacked basically everything. Since then, they have established a year-round clinic that serves hundreds of square miles, built libraries and schools, and begun large scale clean water projects. Much progress has been made, but there’s still a long way to go.

We were asked to share that story.