Poverty in Guatemala: A Child’s Perspective on Extreme Poverty and Hope
Poverty in Guatemala is not just a statistic, but a daily reality for millions of families. Many children face hunger, limited education, and unsafe living conditions.
After our family lived in Guatemala for three months, my daughter wrote the words below. I have not changed a single word. This is her voice — her experience and her truth.
Seeing Poverty for the First Time
When I was 10 years old, my family moved to Guatemala. It was there that I was exposed to extreme poverty for the first time. I saw girls my own age, selling fruit and tortillas instead of attending school because their families couldn’t afford it. I saw hungry kids digging through the garbage for food. I had the privilege of sharing my lunch with students in my class who had come to school hungry.
What Poverty Really Means
What comes to mind when you hear the word poverty? I think, unsanitary, malnutrition, unclean water, homeless individuals, shoeless children, and hungry people. Now, I want you to take what you thought and imagine that on a larger scale. There are millions of people around the world facing this reality, but it’s not acknowledged, and I think that needs to change.
The truth is, poverty is everywhere, just more debilitating in some countries, like Guatemala, which ranks 4th in most malnourished populations in the world. In 2020, due to the world wide pandemic, the United Nations saw an increase to 124 million individuals living in poverty. That means organizations like Be Humanitarian are going to be more vital to fighting hunger than before.
Seven Summers of Learning
For 7 summers I was able to go on a Service Vacation to learn about life in Guatemala. I got to wash all our dishes and clothes by hand and hang them out to dry. If was a rainy day, we would re-wear our clothes until our next outfit was dry.
I have so much love for my country and I’m so grateful I got the opportunity to see something that opened my eyes to the reality for millions of people. Travel has changed the way I look at life and the people who lack appreciation for the small things; like clean water, a free education, and electricity in their homes.
Although it is hard to see poverty first hand, I learned a lot and I am relieved to know that organizations like Be Humanitarian are fighting to end malnutrition and end hunger with education and self sustainability.
Justice Baxter-Spears
How We Fight Poverty in Guatemala
At Be Humanitarian, we work to address child hunger in Guatemala through education and long term food security. Our programs focus on:
• Early childhood nutrition
• Garden towers that allow families to grow food at home
• University sponsorships
• Volunteer Service Vacations
Learn more about our mission here:
👉 https://behumanitarian.org/about-us
Explore global poverty data from the United Nations here:
👉 https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/ending-poverty
Join a Service Vacation in Guatemala
Travel changes perspective. Empathy grows when we step outside our comfort zone. We become more aware and compassionate through experience.
If you would like to experience this work firsthand, join us on a Volunteer Vacation to Guatemala:
👉 https://behumanitarian.org/volunteer-vacations
