More than 100 young people have had the opportunity to continue with their studies in this community. Thanks to the support of everyone that has believed and supported Café con Causa.
Our Cause
Meet the community
Cocolá Grande is a village nestled in the mountains of Huehuetenango, within the municipality of Santa Eulalia, about 18 hours drive from Guatemala City. The villagers, including both parents and children, engage in subsistence farming, mainly growing corn and beans. To generate income, they cultivate cardamom and coffee, which are transported along an 87 km dirt road leading to the nearest commercial village. Due to limited job opportunities and other developmental challenges, the families in Cocolá Grande typically earn around $90 USD (Q700) per month.
A community that strives!
Despite the obstacles and adverse conditions, the people from the community believe that education is the most important pillar for their children development and future of Cocolá Grande. They are hard working families that strive to be better and never lose their optimism.
Aware of the gap derived from the lack of educational preparation and looking for a way to bring more opportunities for future generations, in 2012 the school parents organized and started working so that a junior high school could be established. They managed to receive private sponsorship to get the school year started and in 2020 came the first generation of graduates .
2016
Starting the the Junior High School
In its first year 50 students enrolled in the different grades. Young students surprised everyone by maintaining a grade average of more than 82 points during the school year, which demonstrated their strong interest and willingness to study and take advantage of the opportunities they are being given.
2017
Starting the High School
The first public High School (with no tuition cost) was opened in the whole region of Santa Eulalia, Huehuetenango, Guatemala. Students now have the opportunity get a short community development career and head to a University.
2020
The first class of graduates
Despite the challenges unleashed by the COVID-19 pandemic in the school sector, six young students graduated with a specialty in Community Development. They are now seeking new opportunities to advance their profession and promote community development
Under this spirit of entrepreneurship, the small school of Cocolá Grande has significantly impacted the educational development of various communities. This is the only school in the area that offers all three levels of schooling, which is why more than 250 children and young people from nearby villages attend, who previously did not study because they had to travel 3 to 5 hours daily, round trip. The school now also has a computer lab and a physical library with more than 300 books on different learning areas. The high school students have already developed more than five projects in their community, including a cleaning and recycling project, the creation of a playground and entertainment area for primary school children, and the establishment of a local food enterprise that allows them to generate profits and reinvest them in the school.
During 2020, Cocolá Grande started to admit young students from much more distant communities that do not have the opportunity to access free local education, creating more economic possibilities in their villages.
Despite the challenges of distance learning, the youth of this village remained committed to studying, as did the teachers who sought ways to innovate and maintain a connection with their students.
By 2021, children and young people returned to the classrooms they had missed so much; these spaces allow them to dream and provide them with the tools and knowledge to achieve their goals.
Map of communities neighboring Cocolá Grande
In the map shown below, is the location of the eight neighboring communities of the Village of Cocolá Grande that has also benefited from the implementation of this educational project.
