Common Hope

Educating Children, Empowering Families. Common Hope provides hope and opportunity in Guatemala, partnering with children and families who participate in improving their lives through education, healthcare, housing and family development.

Why do we exist?

For twenty years Common Hope has partnered with children, families, and communities who want to participate in a process of development to improve their lives through education, healthcare, housing, and family development.  Common Hope is distinguished by our efficient use of funds, holistic approach to human development, and relationship building with Guatemalan families and our supporters around the world.  We work personally with families and engage them to actively participate in their individualized development plan.

In Guatemala nearly 75% of the population lives below the poverty line and the country ranks 7^th worldwide in the GINI index of income inequality. Education opportunities are slim; 30% of children do not make it beyond the 4^th grade, and only 1 in 20 enters high school.  The country stands out amongst Latin American nations for the magnitude of its poverty, inequity, and ethnic diversity.

What have you accomplished?

In 2005 Common Hope helped 1,146 primary students, 752 secondary students, 79 university students, and 120 adult literacy students to attend school.  With our help, families and volunteers built 21 houses, and families earned 26,250 cement blocks and 468 sheets of roofing steel.  Common Hope’s medical clinic conducted 10,178 patient visits, 2,470 dental visits and filled 26,627 prescriptions. 

Common Hope has helped myriad people like Luis and his family, who began their partnership with Common Hope when he was a young boy.  When Luis was still in high school, his father was struck by a semi-truck and rendered unable to work.  As the eldest child, Luis would have had to quit school to support his family.  Yet the support of our sponsorship program made Luis’s continued study financially feasible.  He graduated in 2005 with a degree as a qualified electrician.  Luis is deeply grateful to Common Hope and his professors.  He gives back by tutoring other younger students.  A proud high school graduate, he spoke at his commencement ceremony of his hope to be a successful adult and to “pass on my wisdom and intellect to other young people who need assistance as I did.”

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