Beneficiarios
Number of people benefited by the Intervida projects: 111,523
Geographic location
SMG, the Tejutla TERRA (Territory of Active Solidarity, in Intervida nomenclature), is located in the northern part of the San Marcos Department, in Guatemala. The TERRA covers communities in three municipalities: Sipacapa, Comitancillo and Tejutla, where its headquarters are located.
In terms of the population, the Mam-Ladino ethnic group is predominant in Tejutla, while the Mam are predominant in Comitancillo and Sipacapa. The Mam language is spoken in these two municipalities.
List of communities
Aldea Agua Tibia; Aldea Chamaque; Aldea Chicajalaj; Aldea Chipel; Aldea Chixal; Aldea El Duraznal; Aldea El Porvenir Candelaria; Aldea Piedra de Fuego; Aldea Río Hondo; Aldea Sabalique; Aldea San Isidro; Aldea San Luis; Aldea Santa Teresa; Aldea Taltimiche; Aldea Tojcheche; Aldea Tuichilupe; Aldea Tuilelen; Aldea Tuimuj; Aldea Tuixoquel; Aldea Tuizacaja; Cabecera Municipal Comitancillo; Cantón El Jícaro, Aldea Taltimiche; Cantón La Puerta, Aldea Tuilelen; Cantón Nueva Esperanza, Aldea Tuilelen; Cantón Peña Flor, Aldea Tuilelen; Cantón Resurreccion Tojxmac, Caserío Ixmoco; Cantón San Pablo; Cantón Tuixoquel, Aldea Tuilelen; Cantón Vista Hermosa, Aldea Tuililen; Caserío Buena Vista Bacchuc; Caserío Canoa de Sal, Aldea Santa Teresa; Caserío Cerro Los Bujes, Aldea Chicajalaj; Caserío Chiquila Buena Vista; Caserío Cuatro Caminos, Aldea Tuimuj; Caserío El Edén, Aldea Tuilelen; Caserío El Paraíso; Caserío El Salitre; Caserío Ixmoco; Caserío La Cumbre, Aldea Tuilelen; Caserío La Libertad, Aldea Tuilelen; Caserío La Primavera; Caserío La Reforma, Aldea Piedra de Fuego; Caserío La Unión; Caserío Las Cruces, Aldea Piedra de Fuego; Caserío Las Flores; Caserío Los Angeles, Aldea Chipel; Caserío Los Bujes; Caserío Los Cimientos, Aldea Santa Teresa; Caserío Molino Viejo, Aldea Taltimiche; Caserío Quexlemuj, Aldea Taltimiche; Caserío San Francisco, Aldea Tuichilupe; Caserío San José Frontera; Caserío Tuijala; Caserío Tuiquiac, Aldea Santa Teresa; Caserío Tuixcajchis; Caserío Veinte Reales; Caserío Vista Hermosa, Aldea Tuichilupe; Caserío Xequiac, Aldea Santa Teresa; Paraje Cantzelá, Aldea San Luis; Sector La Florida, Aldea Piedra De Fuego; Sector La Torre, Aldea Tuichilupe; Sector San Antonio, Aldea Piedra de Fuego; Sector San Francisco, Aldea Chicajalaj; Aldea Cancil; Aldea Canoj; Aldea Chual; Aldea Escupija; Aldea La Estancia; Aldea Pie de la Cuesta; Aldea Poj; Aldea Pueblo Viejo; Aldea Queca; Aldea Quequesiguan; Aldea San Isidro Setiva; Aldea Setiva; Aldea Tres Cruces; Cabecera Municipal Sipacapa; Caserío Agua Caliente, Aldea Queca; Caserío Chilil; Caserío El Carrizal Aldea Poj; Caserío Las Minas, Aldea Quequesiguan; Caserío Llano Grande, Aldea Pie de la Cuesta; Caserío Nueva Esperanza, Aldea Quequesiguan; Caserío Palimope, Aldea Quequesiguan; Caserío Salem, Aldea Poj; Caserío Salitre Grande, Aldea Queca; Caserío San Antonio La Cruz, Aldea Pueblo Viejo; Caserío Xeabaj, Aldea Poj; Aldea Agua Tibia; Aldea Armenia; Aldea Buena Vista Rosario; Aldea Cancela; Aldea Cancela Grande; Aldea Culvilla; Aldea Cuya; Aldea El Horizonte; Aldea El Paraíso; Aldea Esquipulas; Aldea Ixmulca; Aldea La Democracia; Aldea Las Delicias; Aldea Los Cerezos; Aldea Quipambe; Aldea San Isidro; Aldea Shalanshac; Aldea Tojuchoc; Aldea Tuisince; Aldea Venecia; Cabecera Municipal Tejuela; Cantón Las Hortalizas, Aldea Las Delicias; Cantón Cieneguillas, Aldea Shalanshac; Caserío California; Caserío Campachan; Caserío Central Progreso; Caserío Chacojom; Caserío Chapil; Caserío Colven; Caserío Cristalinas; Caserío El Bosque; Caserío El Edén, Aldea Esquipulas; Caserío El Mirador; Caserío Estancia de la Virgen; Caserío Hermon; Caserío Independencia; Caserío Inmortal Libertad; Caserío Julen; Caserío La Esmeralda; Caserío La Florida; Caserío La Fraternidad; Caserío La Reforma, Aldea Venecia; Caserío La Unión; Caserío Las Tapias; Caserío Linda Vista; Caserío Loma Linda; Caserío Los Frutales; Caserío Los Molinos; Caserío Nueva Ermita; Caserío Nueva Esperanza; Caserío Peña Flor; Caserío Villa Flores; Caserío Vista Hermosa del Pinal; Colonia Los Arcos La Pradera, Cabecera Municipal Tejutla; Sector Los Laureles, Aldea Los Cerezos.
Jesús Julián Sánchez Arrivillaga. 57 years old. Married. 2 children.
Caserío California, Tejutla, San Marcos.
"I have known about Intervida’s projects since 1998, when they built wood-saving stoves in the community. Since then, Intervida has done an excellent job because it supports our Seed Capital projects (loans to start up an income-generating activity, whose benefits are then reinvested in improving the activity), provides technical guidance, helps the schools and benefits many poor people. Thanks to Intervida’s projects, many of our living conditions have improved because now there are schools, health services for the children, medical days, and agriculture and livestock production which contributes to improving our diet and which provides us with economic gains. Now, the schools have furniture, the children have notebooks, and when there are special medical cases, the children receive the attention they need. All this would not be possible without the Intervida staff, who dedicate their time and efforts to go into the communities and share their knowledge. We consider them workmates because they help us learn and teach things and they support us in moving forward.”
Improving educational quality
This program aims to increase educational quality in all school centers in 390 communities in western Guatemala. To achieve this, the organization works on improving school infrastructures, resolving learning problems, strengthening community participation in school issues, and offering training workshops for educational staff using pedagogical tools.
Active learning
One of Intervida’s projects to increase school performance consists in training educational staff on new pedagogical techniques, while also providing them with more modern and effective didactic material. Teachers also receive guidance on how to convert the cultural diversity in which they live into one of the basic foundations of their teaching. These efforts encourage shared learning and a respect for values, beliefs, customs and gender equality.
- Promoting reading and research
- Didactic materials for teachers and technical administrative coordinators
- Didactic materials for schools
- Training teachers in the application of the active learning methodology
- Workshops on intercultural, bilingual education methodology
School continuance
With the aim of reducing school absenteeism, Intervida carries out several actions such as providing materials, books and backpacks; this facilitates better learning while also serving as a an incentive for students. Preventive and curative health days, as well as the promotion of sports as a means of distraction at school, are activities which seek to increase the value both students and parents place on staying in school. To address the problem of extremely poor students who, despite showing aptitude in their studies, must leave school to go to work, Intervida offers scholarships equal to the child’s salary to encourage him to stay in school. This also combats the problem of exploitation through child labor.
- Support for school sports
- Scholarships
- Provision of school supplies for students
- Selecting scholars
- Celebration of Children’s Day
- Strengthening school health
- Comprehensive medical attention
- Prevention and reduction of child labor
Improving school infrastructure
The “Improving school infrastructure” project covers both the renovation of school buildings and the construction of new spaces which facilitate the teaching-learning process and promote the security and comfort of the students and teachers. In coordination with the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC), the organization renovates and constructs classrooms and equips these with school furniture, recreational areas, perimeter walls, sports installations and sanitary facilities.
- Care and maintenance of school infrastructures
- Classroom construction
- Comprehensive school sanitary facilities (above-ground water tanks, drinking water systems, sinks and sewage treatment)
- Construction of recreational infrastructure
- Renovation of school infrastructures
- Diagnosis of equipment needs
- Support for administrative school management
- School water supply
Addressing learning problems
The project’s aim is to integrate students with learning problems into the regular school courses. To do this, educational psychologists use a series of psychometric tests which enable them to detect possible learning disabilities. When a child is diagnosed with a learning disability, he receives targeted therapeutic treatment. At the same time, 25 mothers in each community are selected and trained in hygiene, nutrition and food preparation, with the aim of improving school children’s dietary conditions.
- Nutritional support for children with learning disabilities
- Detection and diagnosis of students with learning disabilities
- Assistance for children with learning disabilities
Community participation in school
This project is comprised of four activities: The “Strengthening support for educational organizations” activity seeks to promote direct community intervention and participation in school projects. At the same time, the “Parents’ school” activity encourages parents’ participation in educational activities. Towards this aim, they receive complete information about their children’s educational development and are offered literacy classes, so that they can become more involved in their children’s school work and in their overall educational process. The celebration of “National School Day” seeks to increase the awareness of teachers and parents as to the importance of community participation in school. The parents’ reading-writing and basic math “Literacy” activity encourages parents to get more involved in their children’s school activities.
- National School Day
- Parents’ school
- Strengthening and supporting educational organizations
- Literacy
Promoting cultural diversity
The main objective of this program is to increase municipal investment in those projects which benefit the development of children and adolescents. The program’s main working lines are: Raising awareness among the municipalities and civil society through training, the distribution of local commissions, the elaboration of a public policy report per municipality and guidance on the execution of key projects. The creation of recreational spaces and the provision of necessary resources to facilitate sociocultural exchange between groups, communities and countries; and increasing community participation in the management and enjoyment of both traditional and academic popular culture.
Supporting municipal assistance for children and adolescents
The project’s main goal is to strengthen municipal public policies aimed at increasing social investment in child and adolescent development. Through the Municipal Planning Office, and using a database which contains information on education, health, nutrition, protection and demographics, the current situation can be analyzed. Based on this analysis, a representative diagnostic of children and adolescents by municipality can be provided; each municipality can then design and elaborate a public policy which follows these guidelines. In this way, each municipality becomes a society which thinks and acts in consideration of the well-being of its children and adolescents.
- Support for the formulation and management of a municipal public policy in favor of children and adolescents.
- Elaboration of a diagnostic on the situation of children and adolescents
Strengthening community recreation and culture
With this project, Intervida provides communities with the tools they need to manage their patrimony and to recover those cultural aspects which constitute their identity and values. Towards this aim, the organization promotes the development of traditional recreational activities like dance, festivals, music, literature, language and expressions through local communication media. The objective is to promote participation from all groups and to create cultural services for historically excluded communities.
- Promoting cultural and artistic groups
- Identifying artistic values
- Museums and exhibitions
- Spaces for dialog and debate
- Cultural communication
- Cultural events (anniversaries, patron saint’s days, etc.)
- Cultural management training
- Promoting equality
- Youth leadership
- Supporting public libraries
- Sports and recreational events
- Artistic training
- Basic technical training
- Cultural organization and participation
Creation and renovation of cultural and recreational spaces
This project consists in allocating funds to the construction, renovation and/or equipping of infrastructures with the aim of promoting cultural and recreational spaces in the communities of western Guatemala, especially in rural areas. Intervida also equips these spaces with libraries, cultural centers, art schools, social youth centers, sports installations and playgrounds.
- Cultural and/or recreational center equipment
- Diagnostic of equipment needs for the cultural/recreational spaces
Sponsorship
In response to the poverty affecting the countries in the South, the “Sponsorship” program was created with the aim of materializing the solidarity of the North countries through child sponsorship. The collaborator’s periodic contribution does not exclusively benefit the sponsored child, but rather the whole community in which the child lives.
Uniting our sponsors and children
To form a link between sponsor and child, Intervida establishes first contact between them by sending the sponsor a photo of the child along with a personal profile. This relationship lasts for seven years, while the child is in primary school, or until the sponsorship otherwise ends. An annual “Artwork Collection” campaign is also organized; “artwork” is the term used to refer to the school work which the children elaborate for their sponsors. The sponsors receive a drawing, craft or letter elaborated by their sponsored children in school twice a year. The schoolwork sent is determined by the age and school course of the child.
Artwork Collection
- File Collection
Program of Community Business Development
The aim of this program is to generate and increase the economic income of families in all communities. To do this, Intervida offers community members advanced techniques in production and return on investment which are useful for training rural business associations or individuals. At the same time, Intervida promotes the administration, organization and commercialization of agricultural activities. This requires a process of capitalization and self-management through funding which Intervida organizes according to the identified needs. - Seed capital: Intervida provides an external contribution, or start-up capital to be managed by the group, with profits being reinvested in the process. - Fund for Strengthening Businesses: external funding is provided to formal and legally constituted business which seek to improve their productive and commercial conditions.
Productive artisan-industrial and services development
This project aims to strengthen productive development by trainings young people in various aspects of agricultural. Together with the Culture division, the Production team imparts training courses to future business owners with the aim of preparing them to promote profitable productive activities. The final objective is to promote work and the labor supply in the rural areas.
- Industrial crafts production
- Training to strengthen the commercialization of artisan-industrial products
- Community organization of production
- Strengthening of community organization for production
Productive agricultural and livestock development
The “Productive agricultural and livestock development” project works to equip beneficiaries with the skills needed to increase animal and vegetable production, not only in terms of quality, but also in terms of volume; at the same time, it teaches them how to obtain a maximum yield from the natural resources available. Actions are also organized to strengthen the administrative aspects of productive processes, starting with the identification of those groups with over three years of intervention and which demonstrate a strong level of organization and recovery of the initial capital. These then become beneficiaries of the “Strengthening Businesses” project.
Strengthening businesses
The “Strengthening businesses” project is directed at groups of producers who have been working together for more than three years and who have demonstrated a strong organizational level and recovery of initial capital, as well as strong positioning of their products in their market segment. This project provides them with the technical assistance necessary to create small and mid-sized rural business.
Mother-child health
The “Mother-child health program encompasses all those projects aimed at reducing the high rates of mother and infant mortality. Educational sessions are offered to mothers on good hygiene and dietary practices in order to prevent malnutrition problems among minors and the prevalence of easily preventable infectious contagious diseases. Pediatric care services are also offered to children under 5 years old. Finally, a midwife training project is implemented to avoid bad birthing practices and to guarantee better prenatal and postnatal care for both mothers and children.
Food security
The project seeks to improve the nutritional state of pregnant women and children under five years old. A diagnostic is made on the population’s health status to be able to measure the project’s progress along the way. A personalized plan for nutritional recuperation is established, including provision of those micro and macro nutrients needed to minimize deficiencies. To ensure the sustainability of the process, production is increased, thereby improving families’ economic conditions through new agricultural and livestock products. Good hygiene practices in food preparation and consumption are also taught, incorporating new local products into the daily diet while monitoring the adoption of dietary habits.
- Nutritional diagnosis of pregnant women and children under 5 years old
- Nutritional treatment
- Family livestock farms
- Diversified food gardens
- Training in Nutrition, hygiene and food preparation
Environmental sanitation
The project aims to improve communities’ environmental and sanitary conditions as a strategy for fighting against the proliferation of easily preventable infectious contagious diseases. To do this, the organization works to improve community infrastructures, building drinking water systems, latrines, garbage dumps and drainage systems. At the same time, Intervida organizes educational activities aimed at teaching the population how to optimize their natural resources without endangering them, with special attention on their conservation.
- Environmental health training
- Natural resources training
- Protecting water sources
- Control of water quality
- Construction of basic sanitary infrastructure
Obstetric care
Intervida offers obstetric care to women of child-bearing age and expecting mothers, monitoring the gestation process to guarantee that children enter the world in the best possible conditions. Midwives will also receive specific training on the risk of mortality during childbirth, difficult births, or when a mother is past a certain age or suffers from a chronic illness. Finally, necessary care is provided to mothers and their newborns in order to prevent postnatal complications in the 40 days following birth.
- Prenatal care
- Postnatal care
- Training on obstetric risks
- Training of traditional midwives
- Monitoring of midwives
- Training of the health committee on the identification of the four delays
- Elaboration of an emergency obstetric plan
- Strengthening the organization of local health committees
Pediatric care
The aim of this project is to provide medical attention to young children, following the protocols of the strategy for the ‘Integral Management of Common Childhood Illnesses (AIEPI)’. Among the activities included in this project, we highlight the following: - In each community, a ‘health monitor’ is selected and trained who is responsible for monitoring sick children and documenting each case with a clinical history. - Trainings are organized on the AIEPI strategy for health team staff and volunteers. - All children under 1 year old are vaccinated. - Talks and trainings are organized so that mothers can recognize the warning signs in their children and seek help at specialized centers. - Finally, talks are organized for mothers on preventive health.