Guatemala

Save the Children has been working in Guatemala since the 1976 earthquake, when we provided urgent humanitarian assistance to affected children and families. In 1983, our country office was permanently establised.

Located in Central America, Guatemala has a population of almost 17 million people, of which more than 6 million are children and adolescents. Guatemala has one of the highest prevalences of chronic child malnutrition in Latin America and the Caribbean, affecting 46% of children under five years old and 68% of indigenous and rural population.

Public investment in children is low and centralised, limiting access to basic health and eduaction services, especially for rural and indigenous children.  Less than 50% of children who complete primary school achieve acceptable levels in reading and mathematics. 

70% of rural indigenous children live in poverty.  Humanitarian crises, violence, environmental degradation, and climate change lead to lack of livehoods, food insecurity, and unsafe migration.  

Health and Nutrition: We´re improving the health and nutrition of children and their families in the Western Highlands by providing the tools, training and understanding of healthy diets necessary to prevent and treat malnutrition.

Food Security & Livelihoods: We work at a community level to strengthen resilience and sustainable livelihoods, which includes providing life skills training to farmers. 

Child Protection: With civil society, we´re promoting changes and improvements in legislation and public policies on child protection. Our goal is to ensure that all children are protected. 

Education: Our education work focuses on the early years and supporting reading and writing initiatives, including intercultural bilingual education.

Humanitarian Response: Through our ongoing programmes, we´re working to provide humanitarian aid to migrant children and their families.

Children, Adolescents & Youth: We work with children, adolescents and youth to ensure they realise their rights by giving them a voice and a platform to engage with local and national leaders.