Touching down at GUA airport, we were met with the welcoming arms of our program leaders. They introduced us to the culture and history of Guatemala and the many experiences we would undergo. At Guatemala City, we unexpectedly found ourselves in the heart of a
by Erwin Colli Chayax, OG’s Hub Administrator in San Juan la Laguna, Guatemala. English Hands that give color, life and meaning to the traditional huipiles of San Juan la Laguna. Doña Isabel Toc Quic is originally from San Juan la Laguna, she is 50 years
by Erwin Colli Chayax, OG’s Hub Administrator in San Juan la Laguna, Guatemala. English Meet Juan Henry Chavajay: a Maya Tzutujil painter and muralist who uses his art to raise environmental awareness and protest political injustice. Juan Henry Mendez Chavajay is a young Tz’utujil Maya
by Erwin Colli Chayax, OG’s Hub Administrator in San Juan la Laguna, Guatemala. English Meet Bonnie Chavajay: a young community educator is showing kids in San Juan that nature, nutrition, and health education can be FUN! Bonnie Maria Isabel Chavajay Cholotio is a young Tz’utujil Mayan
by Erwin Colli Chayax, OG’s Hub Administrator in San Juan la Laguna, Guatemala. English Meet Brenda Sucely Garcia Peneleu. A young Tz’utujil Maya activist from San Pedro la Laguna is using recycling to empower women and clean up Lago Atitlan. Brenda Sucely Garcia Peneleu is
by Erwin Colli Chayax, OG’s Hub Administrator in San Juan la Laguna, Guatemala. English Meet Rodrigo Ponce: an entrepreneur and economist with dreams of a sustainable world fueled by ecovillages. Rodrigo Ponce is from Lima, Peru and is 42 years old. His father, Don Manuel,
by Erwin Colli Chayax, OG’s Hub Administrator in San Juan la Laguna, Guatemala. English Meet Lesly Bizarro, a young indigenous Tzutujil breaks social paradigms through her academic preparation and perseverance. Lesly Maria Mendoza Bizarro is a 23-year-old from San Juan la Laguna. Lesly graduated as
by Erwin Colli Chayax, OG’s Hub Administrator in San Juan la Laguna, Guatemala. English Meet Ana Cholotio Hernandez, a young Juanera businesswoman who combines her profession and her passion for street dogs. Ana Cholotio Hernandez is a young Juanera but has accomplished a lot in
by Erwin Colli Chayax, OG’s Hub Administrator in San Juan la Laguna, Guatemala. English Meet Juana Mendoza, part of two generations of Tz’utujil Mayan artisans preserving the ancestral knowledge and techniques of weaving and natural dyes. Doña Juana Mendoza is a Maya Tz’utujil woman and
by Erwin Colli Chayax, OG’s Hub Administrator in San Juan la Laguna, Guatemala. English Meet Mely Mendoza, a third generation musician who uses her voice to advocate for women’s rights and Tz’utujil culture in San Juan Laguna. Mely Mendoza is a young woman from San
by Erwin Colli Chayax, OG’s Hub Administrator in San Juan la Laguna, Guatemala. For people with disabilities in the towns around Lago Atitlán in Guatemala, opportunities for employment and self-sufficiency are slim. Work is hard to come by, and a lack of support and accommodations
by Erwin Colli Chayax, OG’s Hub Administrator in San Juan la Laguna, Guatemala. English Meet Mrs María Feliciana Ujpan Mendoza. She is originally from San Juan la Laguna and is 53 years old. Mrs Feliciana is a Mayan Spiritual Guide. She graduated from university with
by Erwin Colli Chayax, OG’s Hub Administrator in San Juan la Laguna, Guatemala. English Guatemala is made up of 22 departments and 340 municipalities. There are 25 ethnic groups, of which 22 are of Mayan origin with the other three being Ladina, Xinca and Garífuna.
When we travel, we often remember the people and stories that changed our lives. I’ve been lucky to meet a number of such people in my adventures around the world. In the moment and days and sometimes weeks after a trip, I can’t stop thinking
We talked to Gillian to hear about her OG adventure in Guatemala in 2018. Here are the highlights of her program, tips for travel and reflections! My name is Gillian Fairles, and I’m from Ontario Canada. I am a culinary management student, but my other
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