History
In 2002 Marilee Wingert, a Californian who has been involved with the Mayans since 1974, visited the AMIDI chicken project. A friend involved in rural development recommended she pay a visit because the AMIDI members had, against many odds, built a business from scratch: securing a low interest loan, clearing and leveling the land by hand, skidding concrete blocks on burlap bags up a hillside to build safe coops for their egg-laying hens. She was deeply moved by the cohesiveness, mutual respect, work ethic and heart of the AMIDI members. Soon after she worked with Slow Food Sonoma County to nominate them for the International Slow Food Award, citing their sustainable farming, social awareness and poverty. They won, returning from the award ceremony in Italy to Pachay las Lomas with the 1st prize.
Marilee felt compelled to return to the village and to explore ways to develop a long term relationship of support for AMIDI. During her return visit, the women sat in a large circle, and Marilee asked them to share their dreams. Every member spoke. The women, many of whom are illiterate, all agreed they wanted to send their children to school to break poverty’s hold on their village. They needed assistance because public education in Guatemala is not free and, therefore, is unaffordable for the poor.
That heartfelt conversation gave birth to the scholarship program, with Ana Maria enthusiastically organizing a committee in Pachay and Marilee, now on a mission, leading an annual scholarship drive in the U.S. Slow Food Sonoma County North , a non-profit, helped initiate the project by volunteering to process the tax deductible donations without charging administrative fees. One hundred percent of all money donated through Slow Food Sonoma County North goes to AMIDI projects in Guatemala.
Marilee felt compelled to return to the village and to explore ways to develop a long term relationship of support for AMIDI. During her return visit, the women sat in a large circle, and Marilee asked them to share their dreams. Every member spoke. The women, many of whom are illiterate, all agreed they wanted to send their children to school to break poverty’s hold on their village. They needed assistance because public education in Guatemala is not free and, therefore, is unaffordable for the poor.
That heartfelt conversation gave birth to the scholarship program, with Ana Maria enthusiastically organizing a committee in Pachay and Marilee, now on a mission, leading an annual scholarship drive in the U.S. Slow Food Sonoma County North , a non-profit, helped initiate the project by volunteering to process the tax deductible donations without charging administrative fees. One hundred percent of all money donated through Slow Food Sonoma County North goes to AMIDI projects in Guatemala.
The Program
|
The AMIDI Scholarship Committee - composed of hopeful, uneducated women - adopted these guidelines:
A recent study of poverty in Guatemala confirms that, by creating the scholarship program, AMIDI has made a life-changing decision for their children. Statistics from the study indicate 61% of primary school graduates and 91.5% of high school graduates move away from a life of poverty. The scholarship program currently supports 36 students:
|
  |
Most of those who have graduated from high school have already found employment close to home, breaking the pattern of poor, indigenous youth leaving their village for unskilled jobs in the city. AMIDI’s high school graduates are role models: articulate, self-assured and dedicated to strengthening their Mayan identity. Their gratitude knows no bounds.
Successes
 Maria Soledad Chali Colaj now works as the chief bookkeeper in a Peace Accords program to provide assistance to Mayan victims of the civil war. She also attends the university and would like to earn a masters degree in business administration.
|
|
