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In Guatemala, inequity is inherited. For Indigenous girls born in rural areas, the odds are set long before they are born. 79% live in poverty, 91% work in the informal economy, and more than half become mothers before turning 18.
It’s hard to read these numbers, isn’t it? But you and I both know that statistics don’t define people, determination and opportunity do.
At MAIA, we’re rewriting this story. Every day, we invest in the education, leadership, and dreams of each Girl Pioneer and her family. We are a force for change.
But there’s still so much more to do. We can only reach as many girls, families, and communities as generosity allows—and we can’t do it alone. This holiday season, we need to raise $100,000 and we need bold partners like you who believe in the ripple effect and the power of investing in Indigenous women and girls to transform communities—and the world.
Will You Join This Collective Force for Change by making a donation now?
Who we are
We are an organization led by Indigenous women for Indigenous girls.
At MAIA, we maximize and amplify the transformational power of women to create a society with equity and opportunity. Learn more here.
At MAIA we maximize and amplify the transformational power of women to create a society with equity and opportunity.
We were founded in 2007, MAIA (formerly Starfish). Created with a focus on women born into situations of discrimination and exclusion, whose "fate" would normally be to drop out of school, marry, and become mothers, and repeat the poverty cycle.
At MAIA we focus our strategies on the question: What would happen if these young women had the opportunity to go as far as their talent could take them?
To address the numerous challenges facing girls, the solution had to be holistic in nature and sustainable in its implementation. Our pillars of academics, community, and culture work together to create a deeply intentional support system for young women and their families to ensure they can break the cycles of exclusion and poverty that have gripped them for generations. We were built to be nimble and responsive to the emerging needs and lessons learned.
Since the beginning we have run a successful mentorship and scholarship program centered on creating "Girl Pioneers" - how we call our students -They are the first in their families to complete secondary school. This project couples financial support to attend public schools and an intensive mentorship program that provides accompaniment and education in key areas not traditionally found in the Guatemalan education system (socioemotional education, reproductive health, civic engagement, leadership, vocal empowerment, financial literacy, and more). Our mentorship model works because the mentors themselves are mirrors of their mentees - they're from the same or a similar community and have had a comparable trajectory. As the results demonstrate, the mentorship project has been highly successful.
However, a crucial variable continued to impede the trajectory of Girl Pioneers: a substandard public education system. In Sololá, just 6% of high school graduates are considered "proficient" in math. This is not due to a lack of talent but rather an antiquated system. As a result, Girl Pioneers entering the workforce or applying to university had to achieve success in spite of their education, not as a result of it.
To directly address this problem impeding our graduates from reaching their full potential, we opened the Impact School in January 2017. The Impact School is specifically designed to connect the talents of Indigenous girls with the opportunities of the 21st century and encourage greater participation in education. Our holistic model includes a pre-secondary school academic leveling program, 5 years of rigorous academics, and Launch Year—MAIA’s “gap year” for Girl Pioneer graduates of the Impact School that generates opportunity in the formal economy and success in university through professional skill development, university coaching, and workplace experience.
Organization name
MAIA
other names
MAIA, Starfish One by One
2007
Category
Education, Community Improvement & Capacity Building
Organization Size
Large Organization
Address
MAIA c/o Posner Center for International Development 1031 33rd St, Suite 176Denver County, CO, US
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