Guatemala is home to a population that is 60% indigenous, primarily of Mayan decent: 81% of these people live in poverty. The ramifications of a 30-year longe ramifications of this conflict are still being felt by the country and have led to critical shortages in health care professionals, medicine, and affordable health care delivery throughout the entire country. 
Healthcare in Guatemala
Consequently, death during childhood is all too familiar with about 25% of all deaths in Guatemala being accounted for by infant mortality. These effects have been exacerbated by severe inequality in the distribution of wealth throughout the country. Worst affected by the lack of healthcare are the indigenous Mayan population, who tend to live in rural areas and have little education. They are found predominantly in the west of Guatemala, anarea of the country that is extremely poor and has few amenities compared to the areas around Guatemala city, the capital. These severe shortages in healthcare and education and basic commodities have meant that Guatemala is a country severely affected by malnutrition. Roughly 49% of all children in Guatemala under the age of 5 are chronically malnourished. This is the highest prevalence in Latin America and the fourth highest prevalence in the World.
Palajunoj Valley
Primeros Pasos is located in the Palajunoj valley, a 15 minutes bus ride outside of Quetzaltenango, the second largest city in Guatemala (population 250,000). The city, known locally as Xela (pronounced shay-la) is situated in the heart of the Sierra Madres Mountains, 200 kilometers northwest of Guatemala City at an altitude of 8,000 feet (2,333 meters).
The Palajunoj valley is home to more than 15,000 people, though it is served by only one government-employed doctor and one nurse. The valley is made up of 10 communities with one school each. The number of students in the each school goes from 35 to 1200 children between the ages of 7 and 16, indicating the approximate size of the community.
Visit Our Partners
- Primeros Pasos
- Chila Inc.
- Entremundos
