“Para mi es importante estudiar para cambiar mi vida. Este año es muy bonito porque estoy estudiante.”
“For me it’s important to study so I can change my life. This year is very good because I am a student.“
Erica, age 16, first year as an AMMID bursary student studying at the grade 10 level and living with another bursary student in the municipal centre.
“Para mi el estudio es muy importante y para todas nosotras las becadas. Porque a mi me interesa poder servirles, de seguir estudiando y poder graduarme de una Carrera y seguir en la Universidad. Esa es mi meta, y mi meta en este año es sacar buenas calificaciones y que tenga o que reciba la bandera, de ser la banderada. Gracias”
“For me, studying is very important and also for all of our other bursary students. Because for me, I want to be able to show you respect, to keep studying and to graduate with a career and continue onto University. This is my main goal and my goal for this year is to get good marks and to be the flag bearer for this year. Thank you.” (a flag bearer is chosen every year for having the highest marks at each grade level) Daisi, 14 years old, studying at grade 8 level – “Segundo Basico”
“Yo sigo estudiando porque yo quiero superar mi vida y yo quiero sacarme de la pobreza. Mi deseo es graduarme y ser maestro. Doy las gracias a ustedes que me estan apoyando. Dios les bendiga para siempre.”
“I keep studying because I want to overcome my life and I want to get myself out of poverty. My wish is to graduate and be a teacher. I thank those of you who are supporting me. May God bless you forever.”
Mildre, age 15, studying at grade 9 level, ‘Tercero Basico’.
AMMID Girls’ Bursaries
In the past we have received donations for our bursary fund from a variety of generous individual and group donors. Notre Dame High School in Ottawa provided support for our students for a number of years and in 2015 we received a community service grant from RTO (Retired Teachers of Ontario) which helped fund our girls as well as provided support for Rubelsi, a young deaf and mute boy who received individualized tutoring with a teacher of the hearing. Since our AMMID bursary fund started in January 2014, we have helped 28 students to further their education. The bursaries fund needy students who would otherwise drop out of school after grade 6 for lack of money to buy school uniforms, shoes, backpacks, textbooks, notebooks and other school supplies, and to pay tuition fees which are not funded after the primary level. Girls in particular do not continue into the middle and high school years because of conditions of poverty. For that reason we are focusing our efforts on funding female students.Wilma Wilkinson Fund
Starting in 2020, we are pleased to have the support of the family of Ron and Wilma Wilkinson for our bursary program. The Wilma Wilkinson Fund is providing educational support for 6 girls for 6 years of middle and secondary education. Wilma, who passed away in 2018, had a life-long interest in education, particularly girls and young women and this fund has been established in her memory.
Our students are chosen carefully. They come from the most needy families – often daughters of single mothers, or orphans being supported by extended family members without the economic means to send these girls to school. Our students come from families that cannot afford the basics in life such as electricity and running water, let alone school necessities like computers.
The parents or guardians must sign a letter of support and agree to attend meetings, provide receipts for proof of school purchases and encourage their girls to be responsible students, completing school assignments and other chores on time. Our community support teacher, Jovita Guzman Gabriel, meets monthly with the girls and gives group workshops on study skills, self-esteem, personal hygiene and gender equality. It’s an opportunity of a lifetime to receive this educational support. The GSP is currently funding the education of 14 Maya girls and one adult student in the municipality of Comitancillo.
“Yo estoy feliz por el apoyo que nos dieron para seguir estudiando y para aprender mas.”
I am happy for the support that you are giving us to keep studying and learn more.
Maria Leticia, new Wilma Wilkinson bursary student in 2020 – Maria Leticia finished her grade 6 education in 2018 but was unable to continue her studies because her mother could not afford it. She is now back in school studying at the ‘primero basico’ level (grade 7)
When we first started our AMMID bursary fund, our initial plan was to fund girls only at the ‘ciclo basico’ or middle school level as this is the crucial drop-out point for Guatemalan students, particularly girls. When our first cohort of 6 girls finished their three years of ‘ciclo basico’, we decided to offer bursaries to the most promising of those students who wished to continue into high school where they are streamed into career-based programs. In November 2019 one of our first ‘becadas’ from that group graduated from a 3 year program as a ‘perito contador’ or accountant/bookkeeper. Maria Susana is now working in Guatemala City and planning how to finance her next level of education at University. She is a different person that the young girl we met in 2014. She is the youngest daughter in her family, the only girl to study past grade 6 and the only member to finish high school. Her family is very proud of her, as are we, and very appreciative of the opportunities and the support that she was given through her GSP funded bursary.
“Estoy muy agradecida con todos ustedes por tomarme en cuenta durante los 6 años de studio, fue un placer enorme en mi vida, para poder alcanzar las metas a largo placo, se logró por el apoyo de cada uno de ustedes, e hice lo possible para poder cumplir mis sueños…pero gracias a mi familia por el apoyo de no quedarme atrás , y es una bendicion que pude alcanzar mis objectivos por haber terminado el period de 2019, y fue de mucha importancia y me ha ayudado abrir los ojos para que así puedo trazar más metas de seguir en la Universidad de tener mas objectivos y mas capacitaciones.
Mi familia y yo siempre vamos a estar agradecidas con todas y todos quienes hacen possibles este proyecto en educacion.”
“I am very appreciative with all of you for thinking of me during the last 6 years of my studies. It has been a great pleasure in my life to be finally able to reach my goals. This has been possible with the support of every one of you. I did my best to be able to achieve my dreams, but also thanks to my family for the support for not leaving me behind. It is a blessing that I could reach my objectives and finish 2019. This was very important to me and helped me open my eyes to see that I can have more goals and continue to University and set more objectives and learn more skills. My family and I will always be thankful with all of you who have made this education project possible.”
Maria Susana
This year we have 6 students in ‘Diversificado’ or senior high school programs. Dora is one of them. Her GSP bursary is paying for her to live in a room in the Comitanicllo, municipal town center as there is no high school within walking distance of her home. This is a major barrier for indigenous rural students wishing to get a basic education.
“Yo sigo mi estudio porque sin el estudio uno no puede valorar las cosas importantes. Estudiar es mejor para aprender nuevas cosas, tener un éxito en la vida y desarrollar las experiencias, Gracias a la Asociación AMMID, a las Delegaciones (de EPG) por sus apoyos, que Dios les bendiga en sus labores cotidianas.”
I keep studying because without studying you cannot appreciate the important things. Studying is good for learning new things, to be successful in life, to develop new experiences. Thank you to the Association AMMID and to the EPG Delegation for your support and may God bless you and your daily endeavours.
Dora – in her final year of ‘Diversificado’ or senior high school, studying for a diploma as a ‘perito contador’ or bookkeeper.
We can’t provide these educational opportunities without the generosity of our Canadian donors. Please consider making a donation towards our fund!
It costs us approximately $630.00 CAD per year to keep a girl in school at the ‘ciclo basico’ or middle school level and an average of $850.00 at the high school level, higher if the student has to live away from home. If you would like to find out more about our program or to donate towards these expenses, please contact us