Guatemala

Lidia (11)I live with my six sisters and my mother. I don't see my father often because he is always working in the big city. Three of my sisters are going to school this year, but the other three cannot go because there is not enough money. I really like going to school because I learn a lot. After school I always help my mother to get water and I do other duties in the household. Sometimes I do not have enough time to do my homework because I have to help her.

Alvaro (9)I live with my father, mother and little sister. My father is always working at the land near our village. Sometimes I cannot go to school because I have to help my him. I am sad that I cannot always go to school, because all my friends are there and I like to do mathematics. Sometimes we do not have enough money to buy food because there is not always work for my father. Fortunately I always get food at my school.

Guatemala's policy on education looks perfect on paper. Nowadays, the government acknowledges the importance of bilingual intercultural education, needs of Guatemala's large, indigenous population. Unfortunately, in practice most teachers are not qualified or interested to partecipate in this bilingual program. Not all teachers speak the traditional Mayan language and are therefore not able to teach in this language. Additionally, globalization influences the teacher's opinion about preservation of the culture negatively.

Traje Guatemala remains a country where a high percentage of the indigenous people still proudly wears their traditional dress called traje: a wraparound skirt woven with tie-dyed threads, topped with a traditional huipil. The huipil consists of two panels sewn together on the sides, leaving openings for the arms and head. It usually is decorated with traditional designs. The traje is village-specific or language-group related. Since the signing of the Peace Accords in December 1996, there has been continued social unrest and a general breakdown in the system of justice. Poverty, land pressure, and unemployment have left even rural communities in a state of disorganization. The traditional Mayan traje is stili very much visible in many of these areas and contributes to preservation of the Mayan culture.