In an effort to support the educational development of Chajul’s students and prepare them for future workforce and education requirements, LHI offers an annual Intensive Spanish course during school vacation. Chajul’s population is primarily monolingual Ixil, a language that is only spoken within a half hour radius of the town. Because of this, strong Spanish language abilities are necessary for school (all subjects are taught in Spanish), for success in finding work, and for civic participation.

LHI brings professional Spanish language instructors to Chajul to teach this month-long, 70-hour course which is open to all interested middle and high school students. Through extensive practice with grammar and vocabulary, the course improves students’ communication and comprehension abilities, as well as building self-confidence and the willingness to pursue educational or work opportunities outside of Chajul. Participants also receive a nutritious snack each day to keep them nourished and attentive. Students graduating from LHI’s Spanish courses see dramatic improvements in their abilities to communicate with skill and confidence.

As women are at a particular disadvantage in Chajul, this program serves to provide consistent employment to local women, build valuable business skills of female LHI scholarship students, and preserve and share the traditional Mayan art of back-strap weaving. LHI buys the artisan products at a fair price, and then sells them internationally to raise funds to support its programs in Chajul, thus both directly and indirectly returning the proceeds to the community. This work helps women and students develop business and design skills, thereby allowing them to become more self-sufficient and confident in their ability to overcome poverty.

Students in Chaul often dream of becoming professionals, but have no information about how to pursue these dreams. This program prepares Chajul’s students for their careers and educates them about education and career options. LHI offers guidance counseling, job shadowing, vocational training, panel presentations by local professionals, information about scholarship opportunities in Chajul and around the country, and field trips to these educational institutions. LHI also offers tutoring and other materials for entrance exam preparation, as entrance exams remain a primary barrier to Chajul’s students.

In 2009, LHI piloted the program by conducting a careers presentation for all 9th graders in Chajul and offering high school guidance counseling to all these students. In addition, LHI connected with Fundación Ixil to promote their scholarships to an elite high school/university program in the city of Sololá. LHI successfully assisted 13 students in accessing and earning these scholarships.

Almost every family in Chajul cooks over an open fire inside the home with little to no ventilation, producing a smoke-filled living environment. The dependence on open cooking fires compromises health in a number of ways.

Only one pot of food can be cooked at a time, and these fires require continuous attention. Therefore, families are constantly inhaling smoke that causes respiratory illness, eye disease, and burn accidents; these risks are greater for women and children who spend more time near the fire than men. Respiratory illnesses are the leading cause of death in Chajul. In addition, both girls and boys as young as four years old are often expected to cut and carry heavy loads of firewood long distances, precariously strapped to their heads with a rope. Finally, open cooking fires negatively impact the environment; firewood consumption has resulted in extensive deforestation in the Ixil area, and smoke from the fires results in poor overall air quality.

LHI works with Community Enterprise Solutions, an Ixil-region based international NGO, to sell safe stoves to Chajul’s families at a fair and sustainable price. These stoves, constructed with a chimney to channel smoke out of the house, provide a smoke-free home environment, use only half of the firewood required for an open fire, and cook food more quickly. Safe stoves make for a safer and cleaner home environment, give women more time to earn an income, and allow children more time to play or concentrate on their studies.

Further research into the development of this program, along with potential alternative partnership opportunities, is currently underway to hopefully provide this important resource to a greater number of families in the community.

In partnership with Community Enterprise Solutions, LHI and Philanthropiece have brought a community health-promoting kiosk to Chajul. This kiosk provides the community with access to useful products that can’t be found elsewhere. Purifying water filters, solar-powered lamps, reading glasses, energy efficient light bulbs, and vegetable seeds are all available through the kiosk at fair market prices. LHI scholarship students are trained to be kiosk sales representatives, learning about the science behind the water purifiers, how to give basic eye exams, etc. Their kiosk work increases their self-confidence and leadership skills, preparing them for employment opportunities. The students regularly publicize and conduct kiosk campaigns in Chajul in order raise awareness and sell the products, and kiosk products are always available for sale in the LHI office.