My Nonprofit Reviews

In the late 1960, upon returning home to Colorado from working with the Peace Corps in Venezuela and Costa Rica, I travelled through Guatemala. The country, its’ natural beauty, its’ people and their culture and art captured my heart. I have returned many times since then. I often spend three months a year so I have been gifted the time to become acquainted and learn so much from the Guatemalans. My experience with MAIA began while volunteering with Starfish, the program from which MAIA evolved. I have the privilege and honor of calling many of the staff and girls my friends. I have watched the program evolve. I have been privileged to host many of the Guatemalan staff , most of whom like the students , are indigenous themselves, in my home in Colorado. They visited while they investigated and researched the best educational practices and carefully studied how they would best fit with the population they serve - indigenous Maya girls from families with scarce resources. The organization was/is constantly reviewing what has worked in the past, what needs to be improved and how to make that happen.
Very impressive to me is the importance placed on incorporating the culture into the program. Last year I observed the students working in science class with their white lab coats protecting their beautiful traditionally handwoven skirts and blouses. I watched in a classroom across the hall as an art and social studies class worked with a local Maya muralist planning what they would paint on one of the walls of the school. I recently saw the finished creation that portrayed empowered young women in their traje (traditional clothing) alongside important world famous female leaders.
The daily meals the students are fed include produce from the gardens planned and cultivated by the girls. The beds are sown with vegetables and fruits but also many medicinal plants customarily used by their mothers and grandmothers for their healing powers and in ceremonies.
MAIA also stands out by their insistence of hiring local Maya women who have either graduated from universities or are currently engaged in university studies who grew up and lived in the local communities , speak the indigenous languages and can relate by their personal histories to the students and their families. Their input in developing programs to work both with the families, the students and the community is invaluable.
The extraordinary features of this school and its program are far too numerous to list. Their generosity in sharing what they have learned with other educational institutions both nationally and internationally enriches and gives hope to the future of today’s young people throughout their own country and also the world.

Among many NGOs I have worked with and learned from MAIA far and away leads the pack ,without qualification.

Patsy Schmitz