Guatemala is a relatively small country. But inside its borders you will find a diverse climate, topography, and peoples. While the descendants of Mayan indians make up the bulk of the population, they have been marginalized socially, culturally, and economically since the Spanish Conquest. In the 1980s, a brutal military crackdown left scores of mountain villages invaded, many "men and women disappeared." The plight of widows and orphans in Guatemala is real, and you can help by joining the HSP...

Highland Support Project (HSP)

Serving Indigenous Communities of Guatemala

Mission

To provide technical, material, and financial support to increase the productivity of indigenous organizations in the Western Highlands of Guatemala.

Vision Statement

The vision of the organization is to form a cooperative center in the indigenous capital of Quezaltenango, uniting

various independent organizations in a coordinated and collaborative integral development program. HSP envisions its role as providing the needed technical and financial support in collaboration with North American funding sources to allow these organizations to fulfill their missions productively and to assist in the development of those program segments that are found to be deficient.

HSP also sponsors and delivers SERVICE LEARNING TRIPS for college, high school, and church groups. Participants visit Highlands villages and work with Mayans on various projects such as stove building, reforestation, school arts projects, and so on. In the evenings hear lectures on culture, business opportunities, and the environment. For information, visit: Partners in Service of HSP.

What You Can Do!

A $100 donation to HSP will support one local organizer/trainer for a month in the field! Believe it or not, small donations will have a BIG impact in the highlands of Guatemala, where workers receive $3-$6 per day in wages.

The U.S. center for HSP is in Richmond, Virginia. Educational and fund-raising events are held throughout the year.

Click here for . . . . The Highland Support Project webpage

You can help! Call for information on . . . . Summer Study/Work Opportunities in Guatemala... and Internship opportunities here in Richmond

If you would like more information about these and other opportunities for service in Richmond, contact Ben Blevins:

By visiting the Alternative store in Carytown: 3320 West Cary Street Richmond, Virginia 23221

By Mail: P.O. Box 7185, Richmond, VA 23221

By Phone: Local: (804) 643-8635

By E-Mail: hspservice@yahoo.com

. . . RETURN PREVIOUS PAGE