We are building a girl-focused school in rural Guatemala and need your help to do it!

I'm a board member of Limitless Horizons Ixil (LHI) and have been investing my time and funds in LHI for 10 years (first as a staff member in Guatemala and then as a board member) because I believe that access to quality education should be a basic human right and that locally-created and led solutions are the most effective and sustainable pathway forward.

At LHI, we will bring high-quality and holistic education to the impoverished community of Chajul for the first time by building a new school centered on empowering youth (with the majority of students being girls) with a strong academic foundation, critical thinking skills, pathways to jobs, and the agency to lead. Our graduates will be leaders, using their skills to create economic opportunity, participate in civic life, protect their human rights and natural resources, and raise the next generation as informed parents and strong role models.

Investing in girls’ education is a no-brainer. Educated girls are healthier citizens who strengthen communities and economies, and raise healthier families. However, poor and vulnerable families can’t always make this investment. In Chajul, Guatemala less than 5% of youth graduate from high school.

At LHI, we've already created a brighter horizon for Chajul by supporting over hundreds of students to graduate from local middle and high school, as well as running the only community library in the region, complete with early childhood educational programming. We’re now at a precipice; we've hit a cap on the impact we can have on the community through our traditional school partnerships.

Our team reports that the greatest community need and biggest challenge facing children today is a lack of quality schools. Chajul's schools are plagued with overcrowded classrooms, allegations of abuse, and poor instructional methods. After much research and due diligence, we’ve decided to tackle this challenge by creating a new middle and high school and bringing the infrastructure for high-quality and culturally-responsive education to Chajul.

We expect graduates to be able to access jobs that are currently inaccessible to them, and also to create jobs and take on leadership roles where they can influence the future of their community. Educated girls strengthen communities and economies for generations and raise healthier families.

LHI has bought land, started construction, hired local teachers and are training them. Our team has done the hard work of planning a game-changing opportunity for their community, but they can’t do it alone. Applications are coming in for our first group of students, and we need your help to open the school in 2022.

My personal goal is to raise at least $10,000 towards our school. If we reach that goal, I've been able to secure a $5,000 matching gift and I will personally match up to $5,000 in funds for a total of $20,000 contributed to our school! (Gifts can be pledged now and paid out over a few years). Give by July 10th to double your impact!

Other ways to give:
- If you are considering a larger gift, please feel free to send a check or gift from a donor advised fund to the address below. We can still record your gift against my fundraising goal here!
Limitless Horizons Ixil, P.O. Box 3120, Santa Cruz, CA, 95063

- LHI can also accept gifts of appreciated assets/stocks/bonds via electronic transfer from an investment account—if you’re interested, contact liz@limitlesshorizonsixil.org for details or ask me & I'll get you the info!

(Want more info? We've got data, details, and documents—just let me know!)