History

The El Nahual Language Center was founded in 2004 following a long period of reflection on the national reality of education in Guatemala and specifically in Quetzaltenango. To this day, much of the population remains in a state of marginalization, receiving little or no assistance from the Government. In order to combat the often drastic social consequences of this marginalization, the center operates as a nexus of support for the local community and beyond. The center is located on the outskirts of the city in a sector between the urban and rural areas. This location was chosen in acknowledgement of the fact that the rural communities in Guatemala remain more excluded than any other population group. Our ability to presently be able to offer assistance to a number of rural communities as well as the urban population is a reflection on this decision.

In the month of May the Language School was officially opened and the first educational program, “Manos de Colores”, an after-school program for children, opened on the 4 th October. The first group consisted of 35 children and the program operated without the assistance of foreign volunteers, the founders themselves taking the role as teaching staff. In December 2004, the first foreign volunteer arrived at the center to assist in English and Art classes. In January 2005, the number of children enrolled in the program surpassed 100 and the first Guatemalan teacher was contracted to give the reinforcement classes in Spanish language and Mathematics. At the end of the year, the Manos de Colores program was opened at La Cuchilla for the first time and received an excellent response from the local community. Volunteers continued to arrived, slowly but steadily, and the Spanish School persevered in its struggle to cover the running costs of the center and the numerous projects initiated.

In 2006, the services provided by the Manos de Colores program were maintained at both El Nahual and in La Cuchilla. At the El Nahual center, the Primary School for Adults program was initiated which provided certified elementary education to two groups of adults, one on weekdays in the late evening and the other for the whole day on Saturdays. Throughout the year, El Nahual continued to diversify its programs in response to community needs: the Bicycle Repair Shop opened for the first time, a legal office was created to help local undocumented children, and the first program dedicated specifically to women was initiated, Mujeres de El Nahual.

In 2007, the center has continued to grow with the strengthening of previous programs and the initiation of new services within the community. A strong working relationship has been established with the rural population of Canton Candelaria where the center currently provides the Manos de Colores program and the manual labor for building a new school. In the local community, El Nahual now provides volunteers for classes in art, theater and English at the Tele Secondaria High School and has initiated a program for local women with the end goal of creating the first El Nahual Cooperative.