Guatemala :: Oxfam GB

What we do: Campaign for change; Emergency response; Development work; Why we do it

Issues we work on: Climate change; Conflict and natural disasters; Health; Education; Debt and aid; Gender equality; The right to be heard; Global Food Crisis; Trade; Private sector

Where we work: Countries we work in

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Guatemala

A young girl spreading out coffee beans to dry in the sun. Photo: Annie Bungeroth

In Guatemala, Oxfam's focus is on sustainable livelihoods, indigenous communities' rights, education and gender equality.

Fighting discrimination

In 1996 a peace agreement was signed bringing an end to a 36-year guerrilla war in Guatemala. Yet many of the root causes of conflict remain and the indigenous Mayan community continues to suffer discrimination.

The Mayan community has long been denied land, resources, and basic human rights.

During the conflict, if a Mayan was caught carrying more than five tortillas at a time they were assumed to be feeding the guerrillas and were shot or taken to the garrison.

Manuel, Santiago Aititlán

How Oxfam is helping

We have been working with the Maya to help them find a new voice for their community – and achieve a say in the decisions that affect their lives. We promote wider education and are encouraging the eradication of armed violence.

Learn more

Read more examples of our work in Guatemala:

ECHO (Humanitarian Aid Department of the European Commission) is a funding partner of Oxfam in Guatemala

Working towards financial stability

The distribution of wealth in Guatemala is highly uneven, with 75 per cent of the country's population living below the poverty line.

Over half of all Guatemalans depend on agriculture for their livelihood. Many communities struggle to make a living.

How Oxfam is helping

Oxfam works with small farming groups and associations to help them find markets for their produce. We also provide training in farming techniques to help farmers maximise their income.

A woman from an Oxfam-supported cabbage-growing association weighing cabbages. Photo: Joe West

We need sustainable projects like [our cabbage growing venture] so that people can eliminate poverty.

Manuela, President of the women's association in Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan

Other development work

Promoting gender equality
Supporting reconciliation between communities in areas of conflict
Education projects
Strengthening the justice system

Oxfam's work in Guatemala in depth

Hurricane Stan

On 4 October 2005, Hurricane Stan hit mainland Central America. Three days of solid rain caused mudslides and flooding across the region. Guatemala was the worst-affected country.

I don't have the courage to return; my house is buried in the mud, but I don't want to lose the land where we lived.

Antonia García, Santiago Atitlán

How Oxfam is helping

Our primary aim was to provide clean water and sanitation for 700 families who were made homeless by the disaster, as well as making sure they understood the importance of good hygiene – often a matter of life and death in emergency situations. We also supported a further 4,700 families whose livelihoods and water systems had been destroyed.

Find out more about Oxfam's Hurricane Stan response