MADRE's Sister Organizations in Guatemala

Barcenas Maquila Workers' Committee

Formed in 1997 by a group of women maquila (sweatshop) workers, The Barcenas Committee is an essential resource for members of this underserved, marginalized urban community on the outskirts of Guatemala City. The Committee works to meet immediate needs and provide opportunities for the community's women and young people.

Water

Like poor, unplanned communities everywhere, Barcenas lacks infrastructure and basic municipal services. One of the Committee's first projects was to install water filters in their neighborhood. These filters now provide clean drinking water to community members and to three schools serving approximately 2,400 children.

Computer School

The MADRE-supported Barcenas computer school offers courses for children and young people, particularly young women. In Fall 2004, the school held a graduation ceremony for its first class of students. MADRE's Executive Director, Vivian Stromberg and Program Director, Monica Aleman, attended the ceremony, handing out certificates of accomplishment from MADRE. For many of the students, this was the first graduation from any kind of school. Many of these young women are hopeful that their computer training will enable them to find better paying, less exploitative work than the jobs available in the maquila sector. Their pride and sense of accomplishment were visible reminders of the importance of the Committee's work and the impact it has on individuals and on the community as a whole.

Other aspect of the Barcenas Committee's work include:

• Trainings on labour rights for women who work in maquilas.
• A computer literacy program for children and young people, particularly young women.
• Sexual health and reproductive rights workshops.
• Health fairs that give community members access to dental care, vision tests and pap smears.
• After-school classes for children offering tutoring and enrichment courses.

The Rigoberta Menchu Tum Organization

MADRE works in partnership with the Rigoberta Menchu Tum Organization to support Indigenous rights in Guatemala and worldwide. Over the years, MADRE has provided support for Demanding Accountability, a program that supports legal challenges in cases of politically motivated violence against Indigenous Peoples and human rights activists.

In the upcoming year, MADRE will work in partnership with the Rigoberta Menchu Tum Organization to develop Escuela para Padres, a parenting-education and health project for Indigenous Peoples in rural Guatemala. Through this innovative, integrated education program, 50 families who survived Guatemala's long and brutal civil war will receive training in early childhood development and education, to better understand and meet their young children's needs, as well as the healthcare services to which they currently lack access. Topics covered will include nutrition, prevention of common childhood illnesses and infections, parental participation in children's education, prevention of drug addiction and fathers' participation in childcare.

The school will operate in tandem with a new clinic in the same building that will provide healthcare services to 1500 Indigenous families.