The Riecken Foundation promotes a network of innovative community libraries in Honduras and Guatemala that awaken the spirit of discovery and social participation through activities in the libraries. We have shown that community libraries are essential to a democratic society. Libraries are institutions that citizens use to make informed decisions and reach their full potential. They provide essential knowledge, encourage critical thinking, and encourage self-education and lifelong learning.
As a fair trade organization, Sharing the Dream works with more than 20 groups of artisans around Guatemala, helping them to improve and sell their products. We operate an Elder Center in Santiago, where we provide meals, medical care, and care to more than 60 Maya elders. We also provide scholarships to a small group of promising students who must attend tutoring sessions, complete volunteer hours, and participate in reading activities in exchange for their scholarship.
CARE works around the world to save lives, defeat poverty and achieve social justice. It is a leading global organization with more than 75 years of experience that puts women and girls at the center because it recognizes that poverty cannot be overcome until all people have equal rights and opportunities.
Partner for Surgery serves with the goal to improve health, empower communities, and overcome barriers. We are on the front lines of medical and surgical care in rural Guatemala focusing on bringing quality health care and surgical solutions to where most impoverished Guatemalans live. Our service model allows us to bridge language, distance, and cultural barriers. And our health promoters, staff, volunteers, and donors all partner to ensure our programs secure the solution each patient needs, from the time we meet them in their communities until we return home with them after surgery.
650 million people live in extreme poverty. We cannot solve this challenge alone. We work with incredible partners at different levels to help women lift themselves out of poverty. Our programs aim to reach the most marginalized communities, such as women, indigenous peoples, people with disabilities and internally displaced people. Our participants are the ones with the ideas and determination to end extreme poverty. Our approach allows us to partner with women starting their own microenterprises and improve financial inclusion.