VOLUNTEERING

Orphanages
We work with different orphanages where students can volunteer their time to play with the children and help them with their homework.

New Horizons Women's Shelter
Nuevos Horizontes is a safe shelter for women and their children experiencing domestic violence. New Horizons provides women in crisis with food, shelter, legal advice, parenting skills training, and job placement. Kie-Balam School serves as a source to provide them with volunteers, lead educational seminars and locate funding to further their efforts.

Health Care Services
We are always in need of medical personnel to provide free health care such as regular check-ups, vaccinations, and preventive education to people living in rural areas of Guatemala Many of our students have volunteered their time at the Tierra Colorada clinic in the outskirts of Xela. The clinic provides free check up services to students in rural schools outside of Xela. Kie-Balam has a directory of social services and health care facilities throughout Quetzaltenango and Guatemala. Physiotherapists, gynecologists, and doctors have volunteered through Kie-Balam in the past. Guatemala requires you to present valid credentials before practicing medicine.

Rural Libraries
Library establishment in marginalized and rural areas is one of the primary social projects that the school undertakes. We have worked with 15 libraries in different areas within and around Quetzaltenango and students are encouraged to participate in our library projects. We collect donations in the form of books, toys, helping build book shelving and tables, or direct financial support. Additionally, some students choose to work as volunteers in our library projects as librarians or giving reading workshops and English classes.

Garbage Recycling
Rodrigo Motta, a pioneer in recycling and reforestation efforts, built the first garbage recycling facility in Quetzaltenango. It was built using about 70% recycled materials. This recycling plant is a pilot project for other communities. This plant has helped the city's garbage department to reduce garbage volume. Rodrigo hopes to replicate this project in other communities throughout the country.

Rodrigo is producing organic fertilizers which he makes available to reforestation projects, and hopes to make available to local farmers. He is in need of equipment to continue with his efforts. Kie-Balam collaborates offering educational seminars, locating funds for technical equipment, encouraging local participation, and providing volunteers.

Reforestation
Rodrigo Motta has been actively involved in reforestation projects to further efforts on ecological development throughout the western highlands of Guatemala. The organic fertilizer is used to help these trees grow.

Beyond Barriers
Beyond Barriers began as community-based self-help groups joined together to establish rural libraries, enhance literacy programs, support special education, provide assistance to rural schools, increase availability of health care services, promote garbage recycling and carry out reforestation projects. One of the founding members of Beyond Barriers was Kie-Balam Spanish School. We established a permanent site to organize project development, developed a local and international network and provided funding. Beyond Barriers hopes to network with other similar projects throughout Latin America.

Finca La Florida
Finca Florida is a community of former landless and repressed people, who have won their right to own land after a struggle lasting more than 20 years. Although the community has won the right to land, they still live in poverty..

Kie-Balam is currently donates a part of all lesson fees to Finca Florida. Recently Kie Balam has held fundraising events for Finca Florida in Café Q, and has donated, books, pencils, crayons and paint to the school at Finca Florida.

Click Here to find out more about this amazing community and their mission to remove themselves from poverty through positive, proactive eco tourism projects, volunteering opportunities and finca tours.