Guatemala is one of the 12 countries Humanity First USA serves worldwide. Although Guatemala has Central America’s largest economy, the fruits of its economic development are not distributed equally.
According to the World Bank, inequality in Guatemala is among the highest in Latin America, leading to some of the most severe poverty, maternal and child mortality, and malnutrition in the entire region. Guatemalans also suffer from poor healthcare access, high crime, lack of educational opportunities, and other disadvantages associated with poverty.
Poverty is particularly severe among Guatemala’s indigenous population. While only 39% of Guatemalans are indigenous, they account for 52% of Guatemalans living in poverty. Although Guatemala had some success reducing poverty in the early 2000’s, the gains were soon reversed, and by 2014 59.3% of the population were impoverished.
Things are particularly bad in rural, isolated communities, where many Guatemalans lack access to basic infrastructure. Here’s what Humanity First USA is doing to alleviate poverty and give Guatemalans a chance at a better future.
Helping Guatemala Wherever Help is Needed
As an international disaster relief and human development organization, Humanity First USA has worked to serve Guatemalans in multiple ways. In Guatemala, we’ve established programs to help provide free healthcare, build schools, educate students, and provide disaster relief services to those most in need.
Our healthcare charity work provides both permanent health programs and mobile care, enabling us to furnish the most service possible with our resources and medical volunteers in Guatemala. Our Gift of Sight Program, provides free eye care with the goal of addressing preventable and treatable eye conditions, such as cataracts and vision deterioration. Our program has provided 700 free eye surgeries in Guatemala, and offered free eye care to several thousand impoverished patients.
Between 2016-2018, we also provided mobile healthcare to almost 15,000 Guatemalans with our Gift of Health and Women’s Health camps. Guided by professional physicians from both Guatemala and the US, groups of student volunteers provided health and hygiene care, as well as free healthcare in remote and underserved areas of Guatemala.
We’ve also been proud to provide state of the art permanent healthcare resources in Guatemala. Opened in 2018, the Nasir Hospital provides inpatient and outpatient services to an underserved community of 2.5 million people. Run by over 80 staff members, the hospital includes an inpatient care center, two surgeries, dental facilities and modern diagnostic facilities and testing equipment, along with a pharmacy.
Masroor Ahmad School Project in Guatemala
Humanity First USA operates a school in Alotenango, Guatemala, one of our nine schools worldwide, serving areas where children traditionally have very few educational opportunities. The school opened its doors in 2015 and is currently educating more than 280 students of the impoverished communities of Alotenango.
Poverty isn’t just a fact of life — it’s something we can change together. With the help of people like you, Humanity FIrst USA can provide the healthcare, education and disaster relief services Guatemala’s poor need to lift themselves out of poverty.