What an incredible year for Education and Hope! We are so grateful for all the good things your support made possible in 2014. Here is a brief overview to touch on some of the ways Education and Hope is creating positive change in the lives of our program members, all thanks to your generosity.
SCHOLARSHIPS
210 students received comprehensive scholarships (tuition, materials, backpacks, uniforms, school shoes)
BREAKDOWN OF ENROLLMENT IN 2014:
8 Pre-school Students
74 Elementary School Students
41 Middle School Students
34 High School Students
42 University Students
AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM
Our after school program provided hot meals, tutoring, showers, medical attention and love to 93 students daily.
We believe that the after school program is truly the key to our success. It gives us the opportunity to interact with students and their families on a daily basis, determining what types of support they might need, and offering the love and affection that many with traumatic home lives so desperately need. We do our best to meet each child’s individual needs (social, psychological, nutritional, medical etc.) believing that academic success hinges on the student’s overall health and well-being.
NUTRITION
Good nutrition is a key element in our program. The hot, balanced lunch we serve at 1 pm is the best meal the students will eat each day. We serve another small meal at 4 pm, mindful that many of our students go without dinner at home. In 2014 your support provided approximately 63,000 meals!
JOBS
Education and Hope is proud to offer stable employment to 46 people. The breakdown in staff is as follows: 18 cooks and housekeepers, 20 teachers (mostly part-time as the tutoring program takes place only in the afternoon), and 8 administrative staff. The employees are largely women (38 women, 8 men), and many are single mothers carrying the sole responsibility of providing for their family, 9 of these women are single mothers, and 17 of these women are the primary wage earner sustaining their families.
SATELLITE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Our satellite program in Lake Atitlan provided outreach to 284 students (140 girls, 144 boys), all of Mayan descent (Tzutujil and Kachiquel). Basic scholarship support covers notebooks and backpacks, and periodic deliveries of “hygiene kits” that include soap, toothbrush and toothpaste, and brushes or combs.
MORNING PROGRAM DURING VACATION
More and more children depend on our program during the two month winter break when school is out. We have found that the students rely on us not only for extra academic help with make-up assignments in classes with low grades, but for the meals, snacks and care we provide while parents are working. We have formalized a program of daily morning activities under the leadership of two teachers and several volunteers and are pleased to see a high level of participation among students.

Looking back on the enormity of the services we provided this year, what I’ve shared here is really just the tip of the iceberg. This new blog will be a great resource to help you become more familiar with the many ways we are reaching out to families in need. Stay tuned for more updates. For now, please know how thankful we are for the great generosity that enables us to touch so many lives. Thank you for partnering with us in 2014. Happy New Year!
With gratitude,
Julie
Julie Coyne, Executive Director, Education and Hope