Another article about the rampant poverty and malnutrition in Guatemala ran in a top publication. This time in The Atlantic (read it here). They report that in areas of the country “malnutrition levels top 90 percent, among the highest rates in the world.”
The author explains that, it is more than high food costs and zero infrastructure. The lack of education is a major cause of poverty in Guatemala. “Less than 40 percent of indigenous women in Guatemala are literate. Compared with an overall rate of 85 percent for Latin America. Worst hit by the chronic hunger are the country’s Mayans and other indigenous peoples…”
So how do you help? We couldn’t agree more with President Obama’s statement at the same G8 summit, which the author quoted at the top of the article: “We believe that the purpose of aid must be to create the conditions where it’s no longer needed, to help people become self-sufficient, provide for their families and lift their standards of living.”
We believe the best way to create the conditions where aid is no longer needed—to help people become self-sufficient —is through education. You can help us do that!