Amigos de Santa Cruz

Non profit organization

Amigos de Santa Cruz works to improve the lives of the indigenous people of Santa Cruz and surrounding villages through education and sustainable economic empowerment.

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Target populations:

Women

Men

Girls

Boys

Indigenous peoples

Focus areas:

Education

Development/Community infrastructure

Leadership/Capacitation

Key service areas:

Sololá (Santa Cruz)

Organizational contacts & locations

Contacts

Jessie Cohn

Executive Director

Rosalia Simón Pérez

Program Sub-Director

Estela Simaj

Director of CECAP

Locations

Edificio CECAP, Calle Principal, Sector Escuela, Zona 0

Santa Cruz La Laguna

Sololá

07000

Mission, vision & values

Mission

Our mission is to improve lives of the indigenous community of Santa Cruz la Laguna and surrounding villages by supporting education and sustainable economic empowerment.

Vision

Our vision is that families in the communities of Santa Cruz la Laguna live in a healthy environment and have access to sustainable income sources; where schools provide quality education for children; where women, men and youth have a voice in making decisions that impact their communities.

Values

We value equal opportunities

good quality education

the empowerment of people

community responsibility for self improvements

and providing young people with a strong say in social changes.

Products, services, and programs

Products

We have two social businesses: Cafe Sabor Cruceño (led by graduates of the culinary program), and the Shop Tienda Manos Cruceños (which sells artesanal products as both wholesale and as retail).

Programs

We have programs in various areas: CECAP (Centro de Capacitación), Women's Empowerment, Formal Education, and the Empowerment of Young People.

Organizational detail

Founded

1998

Number of employees

26-50

Funding

Private donations

Public grants

Sale of products and/or services

Fundraising

Primary issue(s) / need(s) addressed

We work to break the generational cycle of poverty in Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz was traditionally a very isolated community, with few educational opportunities and few financial resources. We believe that education is the key to breaking this cycle of poverty.

Impact, adaptations & objectives

Impact to date

Young people in Santa Cruz are growing up better educated, marrying older and having fewer children, and are more likely to find a stable job with a living wage. For information on specific data, please see our impact website: Impact

Impact measuring

Through observations, reports, and data collection in a database.

Organizational adaptations

Size and/or structure

Key offerings

Mission, vision and/or values

vision and/or values

Organizational adaptation details

Size and/or structure

We have grown in size of programs and staff, especially in the last 7-8 years.

Key offerings / Mission, vision and/or values 

We decided 4 years ago to cut our nutrition program and focus more specifically on the areas of education and economic empowerment.

Short term objectives

You can read them in our 2019-2021 strategic plan: https://www.amigosdesantacruz.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Amigos-Stra...

Long term objectives

Likewise, see the strategic plan.

Profile updated: 10/09/20

Amigos de Santa Cruz