Beneficiaries: 50 young people
Completion date: June 2024
Country: Guatemala
Executive summary
Education is a key dimension of human development. Sadly, for many young people living in poverty, access to both a formal education and vocational skills training is often out of reach. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this educational gap in Low and Middle Income Countries. In Guatemala, the average young person attended school for 6.3 years before the pandemic hit. Now, the World Bank estimates that due to school closures and education disruptions caused by the pandemic, that average could decrease to only 4.8 years.
The United Nations recently found that 34.5 per cent of economically active young people in Guatemala are unpaid family workers or self-employed. Because most of the available work in Guatemala is through the informal sector of the economy, access to entrepreneurship and technical skills training are key to helping young men and women develop income-generating businesses.
Many of the young people served by the 12 child development centres in Totonicapán and Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, have a desire to further their education. However, the lack of local opportunities to attend skills training classes, limited professional mentorships and financial limitations make it nearly impossible for many students to pursue their dreams. Without access to further educational opportunities, many young men and women get stuck in generational cycles of poverty.
With your help, Compassion will work alongside our 12 partners in Totonicapán and Quetzaltenango to provide technical and entrepreneurial skills training classes to 50 young people who have shown a strong desire to become entrepreneurs. Over the course of one year, participants will attend skills training courses that will allow them to develop their technical skills and strengthen their knowledge of entrepreneurship. Students will be able to choose from three areas of study: cooking, baking and English. Your support will allow participants better opportunities to create their own businesses and increase their chances of economic self-sustainability in the future.
Summary
Background
In Guatemala, most young people will enter the informal labour sector. However, young men and women often do not have the opportunity to develop vital business and technical skills. Without access to training programs, these young workers struggle to find job that will allow them to provide for themselves or their families. With low employment opportunities in the formal sector of the economy and a lack of training opportunities in the informal sector, some young people are forced to migrate out of the country in search of work and may end up in dangerous and precarious situations as undocumented citizens.
Many of the young workers who stay cannot find jobs that allow them to cover basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter and health care. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it even more difficult for young people to find work, with the unemployment rate rising and the employment gap between young workers and experienced workers increasing.
The need
Compassion is committed to empowering children and youth to reach their God-given potential. Educational opportunities—both through formal and informal training—provide young people with the skills they need to become self-sustaining adults. Sadly, many young people in Guatemala do not have the skills or knowledge they need to earn stable jobs, especially those living in poverty. With the employment gap widening between young people and experienced workers, these students need opportunities and skills to start their own businesses and become economically self-sustaining.
Your gift will equip 12 frontline church partners in the regions of Totonicapán and Quetzaltenango with the materials and resources they need to provide skills training opportunities for 50 young people who have a strong desire to find meaningful work. Led by an experienced entrepreneurship leader selected by the Centre directors and the Partnership Facilitator, this intervention will partner with two local organizations that provide skills and entrepreneurship training for youth. The young people will select courses in cooking, bakery and pastry or English and will attend four-hour sessions every Saturday for 10 months. Local Compassion centres will provide students with the tools and equipment they need to complete the courses. Students will also attend two-hour sessions each Saturday for two months to complete an entrepreneurship course, where they will learn good business practices and basic financial skills. Those successfully completing the courses with passing grades of at least 80 per cent will receive certification diplomas endorsed by the Ministry of Education of Guatemala. Young people will also showcase their skills at a business fair. Through training courses, mentorships and learning materials, your support will provide these bright young men and women with hope for the future.
What your gift will do
Your gift will provide 50 young men and women in Guatemala with access to technical and entrepreneurial training courses, including:
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Technical skills course through FUNDAP
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Course materials
- Cooking utensils
- Cooking ingredients
- Oven
- Stove
- Worktable
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Course materials
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Entrepreneurial course through FUNDAP
- Books and learning materials
- Entrepreneurship leader salary
- Transportation for students
- Identification badges
- Venue for training activities
- Awards for distinguished students
- Funds for unforeseen circumstances
Logistics
- Local contribution: US$1,794.87
- Handling of funds: Compassion Guatemala will ensure this intervention stays within budget.
- Monitoring and follow-up: Compassion centre staff and church leaders will take attendance at the course sessions and follow up on each participant’s progress. After the courses are complete, a business fair will be held where the participants will give a presentation of the knowledge and skills they’ve acquired.