About Educacion con Esperanza


History
In the Fall of 2010, Annalisa (the "gringa on the ground") came to Guatemala with some ideas of how to serve the people.  Just a year later, she met some people who would change those ideas and open her eyes to parts of Guatemala she'd never known.  After that, it took a bit longer, but in January of 2014, Educacion con Esperanza was founded.  It was originally started in two groups of communities in the department of Solola; however, one quickly withered and died as the community leader in one area decided he wasn't all that interested in helping.

Mission Statement
To promote the success of the next generation through a good education and healthy choices.

How does it work?
Well, let's start with what it is not: EcE is not a school.  Elementary and Middle school kids go to public school in their own villages.  High school kids may be invited to live with EcE leaders to continue their education in larger cities if they have proven to be respectful and responsible.  (Many of the villages where these kids live do not have high schools in the villages.)  EcE is an incentive program.  Students earn points based on the grades they receive in their schools.  With those points, their families can buy rice, beans, salt, sugar, soap, oatmeal, or other dry goods as well as shoes, sweaters, school uniforms (required in public schools as well), wood stoves, sewing machines, or virtually any other thing the family may wish to purchase (so long as it is not illegal or immoral).  The real money to buy these items is given by donors either through Annalisa's sending church or another method.

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