Education for 500 children in Guatemala

I hope all is well with you. As we enter the final month of a very successful year here in Latin America we are pleased to launch the 2025 Phoenix Appeal today to coincide with GlobalGiving’s part-matching campaign which is now live. This year’s Appeal aims to raise funds for our local teachers' salaries, secondary school and college scholarships, classroom materials and food programmes in Guatemala, Ecuador and Perú in 2026.

From now until 1200 EST, 1700 UK tomorrow, 3rd December (0400 Eastern Australia on 4th December) all individual donations up to US$2,500 (£1,900) will be enhanced with a proportional share of a half million dollar pot. Last year this proportional share equated to 25% extra on donations so it is an excellent opportunity for the projects.     

Donations to last year’s Appeal contributed to almost a third of the $50,000/£35,000 day-to-day spending on all our projects so far this year helping us provide access to education for over five hundred children in Latin America including Guatemala.

With your generous donation to this year’s Appeal, we aim to increase the number of students to six hundred in 2026 across all our projects including 500 in Guatemala. You can donate directly to this page and thank you so much in advance. 

Thanks to last year’s Appeal four hundred children from several communities in Guatemala had access to primary, secondary and college education with scholarships and classroom materials this year. Four of our 2024 graduates who excelled in their final exams earned places with a national bank as part of their apprenticeship scheme.

We started supporting fifty students with varying disabilities in a small school on the lake where we helped with eye tests and glasses for one partially sighted student. We aim to increase our support for the school in 2026. 

All the children and families we support from different communities around the lake live in extreme poverty. They are unable to purchase even the simplest classroom materials, never mind the monthly costs of further education. Weeks are spent visiting different communities to identify the families in most need to make sure all our scholarships are awarded to the students who really need them.

As part of the scholarship programme the parents of the students got involved in litter clearing around the lake during the year. Several tonnes of litter were collected from the shore which was then sent to the local government for recycling and landfill.

The scholarship students were also involved in our annual reforestation programme planting hundreds of trees which helps offset Phoenix’s carbon footprint in all our countries.

Work was undertaken on building a new centre for our Plan Costura (sewing business) which aims to provide training and income for dozens of women, especially single mothers.  

Finally, we celebrated Day of the Child for all the students which included plenty of food and games that everyone could enjoy. The mothers got together to prepare and cook all the food. It was a great day in all the schools which up until now had rarely celebrated to this extent and we will now aim to celebrate their day each year.

Thank you so much for anything you can donate today to this page to take advantage of the part-matching. Your donation will help make a tangible difference for hundreds of families in 2026 and thank you so much in advance.

Have a great December. 

Cheers

I hope all is well with you. It has been a great few months on the projects thanks to your continued support for which we are extremely grateful. 

Our secondary school and college students have had a great school year so far and hope to emulate last year’s graduates who have secured employment. Four of our graduates who excelled in their final exams have earned places with a national bank as part of their apprenticeship scheme. 

Our primary school students continue to remain in the classroom thanks to the materials scholarships we provided this year. Being in school is not only about education though also getting involved in cultural events and being recognised for their efforts.

The headmaster of one of the primary schools we support was personally congratulated by the President of Guatemala for his work and dedication with rural communities. Our reforestation plan continued with our scholarship students getting involved in planting hundreds of trees in the surrounding area to offset our carbon footprint from our work in Latin America. 

Work continues on the Plan Costura sewing business centre which will provide training and income for dozens of mothers in the future. Progress has been slowed by some intense days of rain over the past month though the electricity has been installed.

Once again, thank you so much for your continued support to help us make all this happen and we’ll update you once again in the next couple of months.

Cheers