Overview
Bible Society Australia is supporting the Bible Society of Guatemala to provide a literacy project which aims to improve reading and writing skills among children in rural Guatemala, in three native languages. By providing culturally relevant biblical materials and training teachers, the initiative fosters enhanced community development through education in their mother tongue, as well as spiritual growth, and ethical values.
In Guatemala, the need for a literacy project targeting the Q’eqchí’, K’iche’, and Boca Costa K’iche’ languages is critical, particularly in rural communities facing significant educational challenges. With an illiteracy rate of 18.5%, which translates to approximately 2.3 million individuals lacking basic reading and writing skills, the urgency for effective educational interventions is clear.
This project aims to meet the needs of children from first to sixth grade by instilling ethical values rooted in their cultural and spiritual heritage, doing so by promoting literacy and addressing their lack of access to specialised biblical materials. By using their mother tongue, the program enhances comprehension and engagement, fostering a deeper connection to learning.
The integration of biblical teachings encourages moral development and reinforces cultural identity. The need for literacy is more pressing, as the translations of the biblical texts in these languages are near completion. Literacy skills will ensure that the community is ready to engage with the Bible in their languages when they become available.
Statistics:
- 73.28% of K’iche’ de Totonicapán speakers are non-literate
- 55.36% of Q’eqchí’ speakers are non-literate
- 90.6% average percentage of Christians across the three language groups
If the appeal is oversubscribed or the project changes due to unforeseen reasons, we will reallocate remaining funds to similar projects.
