Education is high on our list of values. My husband and I have been going on Medical Missions to Belize for decades and we wanted to find a way to help some of the precious children we meet there to obtain higher education. About 10 years ago, we discovered the Maya Educational Foundation, which was a perfect fit.
When we donate to support a scholar, MEF doesn't just ensure the school receives the tuition for that young person but also has an in-country liaison making sure the scholar is qualified, has family support, and has transportation, lunch money, or anything else they might need to be successful.
We have supported at least five scholars over the previous years and will continue giving through MEF since they provide great educational value for our donations. Norma is now a teacher (see photos).
Thank you, MEF!! Barbara and Joe
The mission and administrative team of the Maya Educational Foundation are top notch. Serving a population that gets so little international attention, the organization builds community, local networks, and capacities for the future. Our family was looking for a way to support a legacy in Guatemala, and the MEF made it so easy. Today, when we receive the updates highlighting the achievements of the scholarship winners, there are really no words for the pride and emotion we feel. Thank you, MEF, for being a bridge between our worlds.
Maya Educational Foundation has been supporting scholarships in the community of Cajola in Guatemala, since 2006. Scholarships are an important strategy the youth have in Cajola as a way to avoid migrating. 40% of their community has migrated to the US leaving behind social disintegration. Knowing MEF is supporting them makes it possible to extend scholarships to more youth. This has also made it possible to change the "facts on the ground" -- only 3 people in the entire community of 18,000 people had a college degree in 2005, Grupo Cajola alone has added 21 professionals to that statistic.
For the past decade, the Maya Educational Foundation has been managing a scholarship fund in memory of my father that helps fund the education of students in Guatemalan Mayan communities. Our experience with MEF has been tremendous. The dedicated folks at MEF are deeply passionate and trustworthy stewards of their mission and the donations that seek to help it. They have deep relationships with the communities they serve — and keep donors updated regularly on program progress. Most importantly, they do deep, long-term work in a focused area (rather than chase the latest fad), which has a sustained impact. I have nothing but great things to say about them — and recommend them enthusiastically!
-FEPMaya_ otorga becas de estudios Universitarios en el nivel de Licenciatura a jóvenes mayas de limitados recursos económicos en las diferentes comunidades lingüísticas rurales del país de Guatemala. Somos una entidad de carácter privada, no lucrativa, apolítica y con fines educativos.
FEPMaya para realizar sus acciones cuenta con financiamiento de la Maya Educational Foundation desde hace más de 30 años. El trabajo en conjunto ha beneficiado a muchos jóvenes en alcanzar sus metas Profesionales, ocupando puestos claves en el sector público y privado que les permite mejores condiciones de vida, de su familia y comunidad.
Actualmente, FEPMaya tiene becados a más de 50 jóvenes, provenientes de las diferentes comunidades lingüísticas mayas del país, principalmente de áreas rurales. Lugares poco accesibles, en los cuales las instituciones públicas no tienen presencia y por ende no se garantiza los derechos sociales mínimos, como la educación y la salud. La mayoría de nuestros becados son los primeros en su familia en acceder a una educación Superior.
Las donaciones de MEF a FEPMaya son importante para que estos jóvenes y señoritas puedan cumplir su sueño de Profesionalizarse.
The Maya Educational Foundation has done some incredible work to help educate youngsters down in Guatemala, Mexico, and Belize. It has been a game changer by hooking up Maya students who come from poor backgrounds with scholarships. This has given them the chance to access better opportunities in life and make things better for their families. On top of that, the Foundation also supports two stand-out organizations, CIRMA in Guatemala and Sna Jtz’ibajom in Mexico, that are all about preserving the historical and cultural heritage of the Mesoamerican region.
Gracias a MEF el sueño de muchos jóvenes Mayas de Guatemala, se ha convertido en realidad. Las becas han sido el medio por el cual han tenido acceso a una carrera Universitaria que les ha dado la oportunidad de tener mejores condiciones de vida, de su familia y comunidades.
The sterling work of the Maya Educational Foundation, which I applaud and have had the honor of contributing to and being affiliated with, affords Indigenous youth in Belize, Chiapas, and Guatemala opportunities for personal growth and advancement that their parents and grandparents never could have imagined. This is especially the case of young girls in remote rural areas where deprivation and neglect are the order of the day. One person from such a place is Ana Gómez, who hails from San Mateo Ixtatán in the high, isolated reaches of the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes in Huehuetenango, Guatemala. I was delighted to reacquaint myself with Ana this past summer in Guatemala, and even more delighted that she was participating, post-MEF, in the very same conference (the Guatemala Scholars Network) that I was. As a beneficiary of MEF, Ana studied at the Universidad Rafael Landívar in Guatemala City, where she graduated with a degree in business administration. Ana is a perfect example of what female Mayas like herself can now aspire to -- among myriad professional pursuits, involvement in an activist forum that addresses the obstacles she and countless others have had to confront, and strive to overcome.
MEF has impacted many children in need in Guatemala. Children who did not have an opportunity due to a lack of resources finally got a chance through the work MEF has done in the country. Thanks to MEF, these children of Guatemala are now getting a higher education in different universities.
Over the past few years, the Julian Cho Society has had the privilege of collaborating with the MEF (Maya Education Foundation), and it has been an immensely gratifying partnership. Our experience working alongside the MEF has been nothing short of exceptional. Their team's exceptional courtesy and responsiveness, coupled with their steadfast commitment to empowering students, have allowed us to consistently make profound impacts on the lives of Maya youth in southern Belize.
The MEF's unwavering passion for education shines through in their dedication to going above and beyond to support students in every possible way. As we reflect on our partnership, we eagerly anticipate the prospect of many more years of collaboration with the MEF. Together, we look forward to continuing to create positive and lasting impacts on the educational and personal journeys of the students in our community. Our shared commitment to the betterment of Maya youth in southern Belize remains at the forefront of our collective mission.
If we talk about the work experience that Amigos de San Cristóbal, A.C. has had with the Maya Educational Foundation (MEF) we can only say good things; we can talk about the professionalism and closeness of Elisabeth, the executive director, the good work of its board of directors, and the solidarity of an institution that has always been concerned about the education of the adolescent indigenous population, both in Mexico and in Guatemala.
That is why we, as a community foundation, are very grateful to her work, because MEF has always been an essential ally, since for years it has been a bridge between the local projects -which we finance and accompany- and the donors in the USA, generous people who, thanks to MEF can deduct taxes on their contributions, and send resources to support the educational projects we manage in the area, favoring the youth in vulnerable situations in Los Altos de Chiapas, Mexico.
For this reason, we are proud to continue collaborating with MEF and to meet other organizations from whom we learn, every day, about education, interculturalism, inclusion and development of the people.
Amigos de San Cristóbal A.C.
I have been associated with MEF for eight years, when I first was a teacher with their English Language Program. The young people in the program are bright, motivated, fun and committed to bringing programs and services to their indigenous communities. It is truly inspiring. The English Language Program, as well as tutoring and scholarships give them the opportunity that they and their community most likely would not have had. It truly is a win/win as getting involved was initially my way of celebrating my 70 birthday. It truly is a gift that keeps on giving.
MEF es una fundacion que trabaja en favor de la educacion y la conservacion de la cultura maya. Muchas gracias MEF.
Since establishing our org's relationship with MEF 18 years ago, they have provided uninterrupted great service year in and year out and always in a timely fashion.
Amigos de San Cristobal and MEF have a genuine common interest in providing educational opportunities for all ages in the Maya descendent population and no org serves them better than MEF. With MEF's support enabling Amigos de SC to produce amazing results through education for women, children and families, the economic well being of thousands has been improved markedly.
Co-Founder and Director Emeritus
I have been so impressed with the Maya Educational Foundation and their work to provide university-level scholarships to Maya students in Guatemala, Mexico, and Belize. They have made a huge difference in the lives of so many students over the last 30+ years.
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The Maya Educational Foundation (MEF) provides much needed funding to help indigenous people of Guatemala achieve their educational goals. Diversity, equity, access and inclusion have become ubiquitous but the MEF has been persuing these ideals since its founding over thirty years ago. I am proud to be a supporter of this important work and organization.
It's been our privilege to work with Maya Educational Foundation for over a decade. They have done an outstanding job of working with organizations in Guatemala to find well-qualified students and efficiently provide funds for them to continue and complete their studies. We recommend the Foundation with no reservations.
MEF, es una fundación que apoya a los jovenes mayas de Guatemala, Belice y Mexico. Es un gran apoyo en el desarrollo de la educación superior de los indigenas.
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The Maya Educational Foundation makes a strong contribution to the lives of talented
young people from underfunded and exploited areas in southern Mexico, Guatemala and
Belize. MEF recruits from a wide community of teachers, anthropologists, historians and tourists with a strong attachment to the Maya and their ancient cultures Young Mayan women in particular are given a chance to study and flourish law, medicine, social work.. I lived in Chiapas from 1973-1978, too young and poor in those days to offer much help to those in need.. Now in my 80s, thanks to MEF I can make up in some small measure for what I
failed to do in an earlier painful time. Below one of my husbands many Chiapas paintings.(See website ruta.com - Chiapas lilies painted in 1974)
MEF is a 21st century leader and I am grateful for their existence.
This is a great organization—lean, dedicated, and making a huge difference in the lives of indigenous students in Guatemala and Mexico. Highly recommend d.
I became acquainted with MEF about 8 years ago. I immediately saw the heart that everyone in the Foundation put into the service of Mayan students and their communities. I learned how successful MEF had been at maximizing resources aimed at improving educational and professional advancement opportunities for the Maya. At the same time, I became aware of how enormous those needs remain, and how much additional help is required to make further progresses.
So I was thrilled when I was offered to join its Board. Over the years, my main contribution has been to serve as treasurer, in addition to contributing to other initiatives together with fellow Board members and our superb Executive Director. Throughout, it’s been an enormous privilege to serve MEF and its mission. I take my hat off to my colleagues at the Foundation and its many friends, old and new. Together, with everyone’s contribution from different trenches, I believe MEF has really made a difference for thousands of people in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico over the years. And I’m proud to be able to add my grain of sand to our mission!
For years my husband and I discussed volunteering for the Maya Educational Foundation's English Language Program in Antigua, Guatemala until we finally stopped talking and signed up! At the very heart of this rewarding experience, were our eighteen Maya university students. A handful of adjectives—receptive, determined, smart, appreciative, hopeful, and respectful—only begins to capture what made our brief time together life-changing. The privilege of exchanging ideas with these aspiring young professionals and supporting their dreams was as enriching as inventing ways—skits, pantomimes, word games, sing alongs—to explain the verb "to be" or the difference between "there" and "their." Yes, it was hard work; yes, two weeks fell woefully short; and, yes, we’d wished we could have done more. But these realities paled in comparison to the rare opportunity we shared to help make the world a little better...one person at a time, conversation by conversation.
The Maya Educational Foundation (MEF) is an exemplary charity. With the lowest overhead possible, it delivers the largest percentage of a charitable dollar I know of in any organization. The product is educational scholarships for young women and men who are Maya. With the support the recipients become teachers in their own or neighboring communities and are able to lift themselves and others out of the cycle of chronic poverty. There are no similar support systems (federal or state) in either Guatemala or Mexico where the student recipients come from. There is something entirely positive and even joyous about the MEF, from the selfless work of its board of trustees to the satisfaction on the faces of young graduates holding up the diplomas they richly deserve and which will change their lives.
MEF is a great organization. I contribute to and volunteer with their scholarship program for university students in Guatemala. The program is well run and makes a tremendous life changing difference to the students that participate in this program.
Its aways great to know where your money goes when you donate to a charity. When my brother passed and we chose MEF for donations to send women to college, MEF was kind enough to contact us personally to let us know who we were sending to school and showing us that it made a difference. This foundation will always be very near and dear to my family's heart and it is so great to empower women to help themselves by making educational opportunies accessible.
The Maya Education Foundation gives scholarships to minority ethnic students in remote villages in Guatemala. It was my good fortune to learn about MEF through my cousin's husband's work in Guatemala. When he died, the family took on sponsoring students in his memory, through the work of the Maya Education Foundation. Especially these days, education is so essential for understanding and acceptance. I am reminded of the song:
"Brothers all are we.
Let me walk with my brother
In perfect harmony....
Let there be peace on earth.
And let it begin with me."
The Maya Educational Foundation (MEF) provides me with the means by which I can give back to a people and a country that have been central in my life. I first went to Guatemala as a volunteer and returned as an anthropologist working in a Maya community in the central highlands. I owe much to the many Guatemalans I've met and so a key question has been: How to give back? How to help make a difference in the lives of people and the communities in which they live? For me, education is key. Maya in Guatemala (as well as Mexico and Belize) are sorely underrepresented as students in high schools and universities and in professional jobs at local, regional, and national levels. Providing bright Maya students an education is truly life-changing, and MEF students have graduated to work as doctors, agronomists, dentists, business people, nutritionists, lawyers, teachers, and more. I have served on the MEF board and have also met a number of the FEPMaya university scholarship students while volunteering for MEF's English Language Program. The MEF programs and the students they serve are wonderful. I enthusiastically support them and encourage friends to do so, too.
Thanks to the support of Maya Education Foundation, FEPMAYA has supported many students through university scholarships, these scholarships have changed the life of many women and youth men, since MEF offers them access to the superior education, in the future they will have better opportunities to become excellent professional.
In my experience, there's nothing more rewarding in life than making a positive difference in the lives of others. And that's exactly what the Maya Educational Foundation does by supporting and nurturing the professional growth of aspiring generations of students from Guatemala's diverse Maya communities. As volunteer teachers in MEF's English Language Program--a two-week intensive English course offered to Maya university students every year in the magical colonial city of Antigua--my husband and I enjoyed the privilege of working with an extraordinary group of students. All of them enthusiastic, diligent, and smart, eager to soak up whatever the program had to offer and so so appreciative of the opportunity. What a marvel they are! But to be sure, this was not a one-way street. For our part, becoming part of these students' evolving development has enriched us beyond expectation and filled us with hope of what the future can be.
Founded in 1978, the Center for Mesoamerican Regional Research (CIRMA) is a Guatemalan nonprofit foundation dedicated to the rescue and preservation of Guatemala’s visual and documentary patrimony. CIRMA comprises three main areas: a Library specializing in social sciences holding over 65,000 titles, a Photographic Archive preserving over 1.5 million images, and a Historical Archive housing more than 8.5 million documents. All its collections are accessible to the public, free of charge.
The Maya Educational Foundation’s support is crucial for CIRMA to be able to carry on its mission of making all these materials available to Guatemala and the world, and to preserve part of the history of the country for the new generations. CIRMA acclaims and is grateful to MEF for its vision of helping safeguard the past in order to build a better future.
I volunteered with MEF a while back and had a wonderful experience in Antigua and in the towns around Lake Atitlan. I was able to take intensive Spanish classes at a local language school while helping document some of MEF's many aid projects. I also visited their partner organization CIRMA in Antigua which is a leading learning center and archive of Maya history and culture. MEF is doing work that directly benefits Maya people helping them to get an education and escape poverty, a benefit they then immediately share with their communities.
I have great admiration for Maya Educational Foundation and for the young Maya that it serves. I was fortunate to spend time teaching English to a group of Mayan college students. They are some of the most dedicated and hard working young women and men I have ever met! Their desire to serve their communities as professionals in medicine, social work, agronomy, teachers, and business is very inspirational. I donate to this wonderful organization monthly.
The track record of this foundation speaks for itself. Following a clear mandate and mission to provide educational opportunities to the Mayan population, MEF has gone from helping two students in Guatemala in the early 1990s to about 450 students yearly in Belize, Guatemala and Chiapas, Mexico. In a span of almost three decades, the lives of these and other Mayan individuals, their families and their communities have been impacted in a positive way through the efforts of this organization. And what is most remarkable is that this has been achieved and continues to be achieved through a practice of lean management and close monitoring and accompaniment to each of its scholarship recipients.
Anyone wishing to make a contribution to this public charity will find peace of mind and satisfaction knowing that such contribution will make a real difference as it is allocated to a suitable candidate eager to study.
I had the honor of serving for many years on the Board of Directors of the Maya Educational Foundation as a member and Board President. I was initially drawn to volunteering with this organization through my work as an anthropologist in Chiapas. From my earliest years learning from Maya people in the 1980s, I became aware of the injustice for young people of not being able to go on in school past 6th grade, due to lack of middle schools in their area and the funds to pay for the supplies, food, and transportation. I tried to raise scholarship funds for students in a few communities through my contacts as a professor and member of the Las Cruces, New Mexico community, but we weren’t able to help a lot of children. With MEF’s support, we were able to establish a scholarship program in Chenalhó in 2008 for young people to attend high school and university. This program along with several others in Chiapas have been giving Maya young people the opportunity to pursue their dreams of an education. Several graduates of university have gone on to pursue Masters degrees. I have been able to stay in touch with some of these students and have been inspired by their efforts to fulfill their personal academic goals, while respecting the values and principles of their traditional cultures. I believe in MEF’s mission, especially because it has a strong commitment to supporting programs that give students opportunities to learn about their cultures and histories and also because of its special attention to the issues and concerns that Maya girls face in pursuing an education. Since its inception, MEF has been making an invaluable contribution to not only Maya individuals, but also to their communities. - Christine Eber
When my husband Sheltobn Davis died 10 years ago, I wanted to carry on his work with the Mayan people. I chose the Maya Educational Foundation because it has a sterling reputation and we have followed their work for several years.
Our family are long-time supporters of the Maya Educational Foundation. We are proud to support an organization that empowers indigenous communities. This is not an administratively top-heavy nonprofit. We're happy to know our dollars are going directly to educating and lifting up Mayan people, particularly women and girls.
MEF is doing great work! I've visited Guatemala on several occasions to see their work in action first hand and it is truly changing lives. My family has been a supporter for over a decade and will continue to support their work for many years to come.
I have worked with MEF for about 15 years as a volunteer, and I also served for seven years as a member of their board. It's a lean, well-run organization that focuses most of its resources on support for Maya students who are pursuing a university education in Guatemala and Chiapas, Mexico. Many organizations help fund educational programs for younger children in these areas. However, there are very limited opportunities to move on to an academic or professional degree, which can be so crucial to the economic and political advancement of these highly-talented Maya students and their families. MEF partners with a small number of local, carefully-vetted nonprofits to address this need. In addition, MEF supports programs that further students' understanding of their Maya history and culture.
After more than two decades of experience supporting educational opportunities for Maya students, MEF's success can best be seen in the many amazing graduates who grew up in poverty and now are in productive careers. Among them are lawyers who provide legal services to their indigenous clients, engineers who work in renewable energy technology, advocates for justice and human rights, doctors and nurses who serve in both urban and rural settings, and agronomists who help farmers improve crop production while preserving important natural resources.
I have working with this organization in Guatemala, providing English instruction to Maya university students for the past 5-6 years. I have had nothing but good experiences with this organization. They are organized, seem to have a solid mission, and, in my experience, live up to the stated mission and values.
I've also experienced that they are not administration heavy, which means that the dollars flow where they can do the most good. I've worked with other non profits where this was not the case, so I've enjoyed working with Maya Educational Foundation.
My work in Guatemala through MEF has had a direct impact to these young people and by association, their communities and families.