Asociación Centro de Estudios de Español Pop Wuj
Quezaltenango (Xela), Guatemala

Mailing Address:
Pop-Wuj
Primera Calle, 17-72, Zona 1
Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
Telephone & Fax: 502.7761.8286

Contacts:

chris@timmyfoundation.org

Guatemala@timmyfoundation.org

Website: www.pop-wuj.org

photo by Stevi Waggoner - Ball State University - Guatemala - 3/2007

Are you a Medical Professional interested in learning Spanish and serving communties in need in Guatemala?

You can do both by learning and serving with our partner organization, Pop-Wuj in Guatemala.

CLICK HERE

to learn more!

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Asociación Pop-Wuj is a collectively owned non-profit Spanish language school that promotes community care through a versatile collection of programs.  Founded in 1992, Pop-Wuj was named after the historic scripture of the Maya-Quiché people, “Popol-Wuj.”  Every year, the school receives students from around the world.  The students learn the Spanish language through one-on-one tutoring and are immersed into the rich indigenous Guatemalan culture through seminars, excursion trips, and most importantly community service.  In the surrounding rural communities, Pop-Wuj has projects including a daycare center, stove building within homes, reforestation, and the impressive student scholarship program.  These scholarships provide to over 150 students basic healthcare needs and a complete education.  Several of the students who were educated solely due to the funds of Pop-Wuj have become leaders of their communities and were able to cultivate a strong partnership with Pop-Wuj through the various projects.  In addition, the school recently hired a physician to run a low-cost clinic at the school. 

The Timmy Foundation's relationship began with Pop-Wuj in December of 2005 when a small team of medical professionals traveled to Quetzaltenango to visit with patients and to meet the staff of Timmy's most recent international partner organization (IPO). More recently Ball State University and Butler University have been partnered with the school. Both completed trips to Guatemala this past March and May of 2007. As the Foundation's relationship with Pop-Wuj gathers more depth then supplemental aid is expected to be granted to the school to aid in its endeavors to fight poverty.

Guatemala

Picture courtesy of CIA World Factbook

Background:  Guatemala is located in Central America, the capital is Guatemala City and Spanish is the official language, but is not universally understood in the indigenous population.  Guatemala gained its independence from Spain in 1821 and prior to the arrival of the Spanish was a Mayan civilization.  In the latter half of the 20th century, Guatemala was ruled by various military and civilian governments.  It also experienced almost 40 years of guerilla war. 

The per capita gross income in Guatemala is $1,740 a year, however there is a tremendous inequality in income.  Approximately 75% of the population is below the poverty line.  The currency is the Quetzal and the main agricultural products include sugarcane, corn, bananas, and coffee. 

Socio-economic Statistics (USA comparison in parenthesis):
Population:  12,293,545 (USA 298,444,215)
GDP per capita (Intl $, 2004):  4,486 (USA 39,901)
Unemployment rate:  7.5% (USA 5.1%)
Population below poverty line:  75% (USA 12%)
Average economic aid per year (recipient):  250 million received (USA 6.9 billion donated worldwide)

Health Statistics:
Infant mortality rate:  28.2 deaths/1,000 live births (USA 6.43/1,000)
Life expectancy at birth (m/f):  68/71 years (USA 75/80)
Total fertility rate:  3.82 children born/woman (USA 2.09/woman)
HIV/AIDS – adult prevalence rate:  1.1% (USA 0.6%)
HIV/AIDS – people living with:  78,000 (USA 950,000)
Total health expenditure per capita (Intl $, 2003):  235 (USA 5,711)
Physicians:  1 physician/1,200 people (USA 1/380)

Government:
Type:  Constitutional democratic republic
Head of Government and Chief of State:  President Oscar Jose Rafael Berger (since 14 January 2004)
Elections:  President elected by popular vote for four-year term
Military:  Army, Navy (includes Marines) and Air Force

Climate:  The climate in Guatemala is tropical.  Temperature is cooler in the mountains and hot and humid in the lowlands with average temperature year round being around 68 degrees F.  The rainy season is from May to September.   

Recommended Vaccinations:
Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Malaria, Rabies, Typhoid, and Yellow Fever.  For more information regarding travel to Guatemala visit the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website. 

Recommended Reading: 
Guatemala: Never Again, by Archidiocese of Guatemala.

Buried Secrets: Truth and Human Rights in Guatemala, by Victoria Sanford.

Children of Guatemala, by Jules Hermes.

I, Rigoberta Menchu: An Indian Woman in Guatemala, by Rigoberta Menchu, Elisabeth Burgos-Debray, and Ann Wright.

Crossing Borders, by Rigoberta Menchu.

Lonely Planet Guatemala, by John Noble and Susan Forsyth.

References and Links to More Information on Guatemala:
USAID Website
CIA World Factbook
World Health Organization
Embassy of Guatemala in USA

Guatemalan News:
In English:
Einnews
Guatemala Post
In Spanish:
El Periodico
Pensa Libre
La Hora

Background and History of Guatemala:
Wikipedia Encyclopedia
The British Broadcasting Corporation
The World Bank
History of the Banana Republic:
Wikipedia Encyclopedia
Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA):
Wikipedia Encyclopedia