Partnerships and Grants

It is a program aimed at partnership and facilitating initiatives and development projects of international entities that seek to implement processes for the well-being of the communities of Guatemala since our experience and capacity allow liaison with the communities and sponsoring entities to facilitate their execution.

Sports Diplomacy Exchange

The Sports Diplomacy Exchange Program is a 10-day initiative hosted at the **Mansfield Center** of Montana University. It brings together Indigenous youth from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, along with American college students, to foster leadership, cultural understanding, and inclusion through sports. The program uses soccer as a platform for uniting participants and promoting values like teamwork, communication, and leadership.
A key goal of the exchange is to empower young women and address the prevention of gender-based violence by using sports as a tool for personal and community transformation. Through soccer, participants learn how to develop skills that not only help them on the field but also in their broader lives, such as leading teams, building cooperation, and cultivating resilience.
American students involved in the program have the opportunity to learn about the unique challenges faced by young people in Central America, gaining insight into issues such as social inequality, gender violence, and the role of sports in community empowerment. This cross-cultural exchange creates a meaningful dialogue between participants from different backgrounds, all united by a shared love of football. The program helps Indigenous youth and American students establish long-term relationships with professionals, sports enthusiasts, and each other, promoting deeper cross-cultural ties and fostering shared learning. The universal passion for football serves as a powerful tool to bridge divides and promote mutual respect between participants.
Construction of a school in Centro, Barillas
After five years of planning and coordination, construction of a new school in Centro Uno, Barillas, Huehuetenango finally began on April 24, 2023. The project, led by GuateMaya Alliance, aimed to provide a high-quality learning environment for local students, with the building constructed using compressed bricks made from a mixture of earth, lime, sand, and a small amount of cement—materials crafted by the community itself. The design consists of three classrooms, each measuring 8 x 7 meters, along with a 7 x 6 meter administrative office.

Centro Uno builds a better future with decent and fresh classrooms.

Community effort and external support make the school for 68 students a reality.

The use of these natural, locally sourced materials offers a significant advantage by creating cooler classrooms, ensuring that young women and girls can study in a more comfortable and suitable environment. Additionally, all masons involved in the construction were local, promoting job opportunities and skill-building within the community.

Over the 10 months of construction, the dedication and organizational strength of the community were evident, as they played an active role in every phase of the project. Finally, on January 27, 2024, GuateMaya Alliance proudly inaugurated and handed over the completed building to the community. Following this milestone, a grant was secured in May 2024 to purchase essential classroom furniture, including 75 desks and three blackboards, ensuring that students and teachers alike had the necessary tools to facilitate their education.This new school now serves 68 students from the communities of Centro Uno Belén, Centro Dos, Centro Tres, Centro Cuatro, and Las Flores, providing a critical resource for educational development. The project was made possible through the support of individual donors and organizations from the United States, all of whom believe in the power of education as a transformative tool for community development.