Eight years ago, I was preparing to attend my first board meeting for Limitless Horizons Ixil (LHI) and needless to say, I had no idea we would be where we are today – having broken ground on our very own school with one group of students mid-way through their school year! Since joining LHI, I’ve seen the impact we can have on the local community firsthand when I traveled to Chajul, Guatemala in 2017 and was able to visit the community library we operate. Since our founding in 2004, LHI has supported 226 students through our Youth Development Program, built a local staff full of indigenous women, and created hope in Chajul.

Our local team notes that the greatest community need and biggest challenge facing children in Chajul is the lack of quality schools. The schools are overcrowded and there are many allegations of abuse and poor instructional methods. As additional context, 93% of the population lives in poverty and nearly half of parents are illiterate.

After much research, LHI decided to tackle this challenge by creating a new middle and high school and bringing the infrastructure for high-quality 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. With stable wages they can break the cycle of poverty and create economic opportunities for others. Educated girls strengthen communities and economies for generations and raise healthier families.

LHI has bought land and we are almost complete with the construction of our first two buildings. Our team has done the hard work of planning a game-changing opportunity for their community, but they can’t do it alone. Our first group of students started in January in a temporary space and we can see the change this has made in them! We have even more applications coming in for the second year (starting in January 2023) and we can't wait! We have a few more dollars to raise to finish out our overall capital campaign. 

Reflecting on all the blessings I have, I am truly honored to be part of an organization that is so dedicated to a mission and look forward to going to visit the school one day. Until I can make the trip back (hopefully in July 2022), I’m giving my time and resources as a Board Member and my personal goal is to raise $8,500 towards this project. When we reach that goal, I will personally donate $1,500. 

Will you join us?

*If you'd like to make a donation of stock or donate by check, let me know - it can still count towards my fundraising goal!