​1. THE PROBLEM

Guatemala is among Latin American countries with the highest levels of inequality. Education is not available to many of the poor individuals living in rural communities. 53.4% of children do not have access to education beyond the 6th grade. Lack of education has been linked to other issues that Guatemala struggles with.

We believe education can change the realities many people in Guatemala have lived with for generations

​LACK OF ACCESS TO EDUCATION AND ASSOCIATED PROBLEMS

LACK OF ACCESS TO EDUCATION
53.4% of Guatemalans are without access to education. This is the worst rate in Latin America.

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MALNUTRITION
Guatemala has the 4th highest rate of malnutrition in the world.
(4th out of 196 countries).

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POVERTY LEVELS
Poverty Headcount in urban areas 35%
Poverty headcount in Rural areas 71.4%
Poverty headcount nationally 53.7%

2. OUR APPROACH

WE LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY TO CREATE ACCESS TO EDUCATION

​With basic technology, we connect students to qualified teachers, resources for learning, and continued education. Our model gives students in rural communities the opportunity to attend middle and high school for the first time ever in their own village. In January 2015, we connected Joconal, a village in Eastern Guatemala, with 7th thru 11th grade and will have our first graduating class in October 2016.

Lan Vwa sees the incredible value in providing hope and vision to students through education. We believe that given the proper resources our students will be the beginning of change. Learn more about our impact.

It's All About Connection
A connection to Electricity (Solar), Internet (Satellite), and Online classroom (Blackboard Collaborate) is actually a connection to Qualified Teachers, Accredited Program, and 7th - 11th grade curriculum.

ELECTRICITY

INTERNET

ONLINE CLASSROOM

QUALIFIED
TEACHERS

ACCREDITED
PROGRAM

CURRICULUM

​3. OUR IMPACT

​The impact of education can change their world.
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Research shows:

• “60% of employers in Guatemala require employees to have computer skills.”
• Our students meet these requirements.
• “Children who are born to educated mothers are less likely to be stunted or malnourished. Each additional year of maternal education also reduces the child mortality rate by 2%.”.

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AFTER ONLY 1 YEAR:

• All of our students improved grades.
• 9 out-of-school students returned to school.
• 3 students applied for nursing school.
• 2 young parents returned to school.

​Your support makes dreams a reality
​
With access to education, our students can finish high school and realize their potential. After only 1 year, we saw an amazing change in our students. They left the school year with confidence that they could achieve their dreams. As we continue to get to know our students, we are excited to see how education will shape their lives. Learn more about what your support can do..

4. DONATE

A donation to Lan Vwa is a gift of education to a student in Joconal. Thanks to supporters just like you, we are able to ensure our students continue to receive a quality education. In 2015, 100% of donations from individual donors went directly to our mission, and in 2016, we promise to be responsible stewards of every dollar donated.

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
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- Nelson Mandela
Mandela in Johannesburg, on 13 May 2008

DONATE

​OUR STORIES

​Education matters and the proof is in the stories of our students. Roll your mouse over each image to learn a little about these children who have been eager to learn.

​​MEET NORA

I first met Nora Sagastome in the summer of 2011 at the age of 14. Most girls her age were being pulled from school and given away in marriage. With encouragement from her mother, Nora had different plans for her life. She dreamed about going to school and pursuing a career. Most of the people in Nora’s life considered this a silly dream. She walked 3 hours each day to attend 7th – 9th grade in a different village. After she completed the 9th grade, she hit a dead end. In January 2015, Nora began 10th grade classes at Lan Vwa’s cyber school just minutes from her home in Joconal. On October 29, 2016, Nora walked across the stage to receive her High School diploma as part of the first ever high school graduating class in Joconal. Nora didn’t stop there. She already has a job working at a shop and is attending a college in Gualan, the nearby city. We could not be more proud of Nora and the incredible example she is to the rest of our students.
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MEET KEVIN

He is soon to be in the 9th grade. He has been with us since 7th grade classes started on January 12, 2015. He went from almost failing in 7th grade last year to making the honor roll in 8th grade this year. When he first started school, his parents were keeping him out of school to work, so he was struggling to keep up. When they saw how important school was to him, they began encouraging him to pursue his education. He did, and he is excelling. He was one of the four students to make the honor roll in 2016. Kelvin loves math and science, so we can't wait to see what he does with his education.
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MEET JOSUE​

He graduated from 9th grade October 29, 2016. When we first began our program in Joconal, Josue was there to get back on track with his education. He knew it was important to learn, but like most of our students, he didn’t think about his future. He didn’t think he about what he wanted to do or liked to do. This past year in class he along with the other students had to research careers. Josue realized that he wanted to be a mechanic. With his certificate of completion for 9th grade, Josue announced that he would be moving into a technical program for mechanics. We are sad to see him go, but thrilled that he is pursuing his dreams.
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