MAYA EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
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Mission Statement
The Maya Educational Foundation (MEF) supports programs dedicated to the educational and professional advancement of Maya people in Guatemala, Belize and Chiapas/Mexico, especially through scholarship programs at university level.
About This Cause
Changing Lives Through Education Since 1992 the Maya Educational Foundation (MEF) has partnered with non-profit organizations in Guatemala, Chiapas/Mexico, and southern Belize in order to provide scholarships for motivated and qualified students from poor Maya communities. Given the obstacles the Mayas face in their own countries --extreme poverty and very limited access to education and health programs--, MEF supports programs that increase educational access and professional opportunities for Mayas from remote areas, particularly for women and girls, and for students dedicated to maintaining their Maya cultural heritage. Though our main focus is on helping students at university level, MEF also includes a number of students at vocational high school level in areas where that is the highest level available to the students and where that will provide employment prospects. In order to preserve Maya culture and history, MEF also partners with two nonprofits that do such work: CIRMA (Centro de Investigaciones Regionales de Mesoamerica), an important resource in Antigua, Guatemala for the conservation of historical and cultural records of the region and Sna Jtz'ibajom (House of the Writer) in San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico. In 2023 MEF is proud to celebrate 31 years of serving Maya students, currently giving aid to close to 500 Maya students. MEF graduates work in their chosen professional fields and build better lives for themselves and their families, and many of them now also help their communities as doctors, psychologists, human rights advocates, mid-wives, nutritionists, nurses, or lawyers. Others are architects, archaeologists or teachers. What all of our students have in common is their wish to advance in their education and to improve their lives. It does not take huge amounts of money to offer them that opportunity in their countries and is worth the investment, we know. With immigration into the USA from these countries at high levels, we are seeing that the MEF university scholarships (US$200 to $300 per student per month) allow young people from poor backgrounds to become professionals and to be able to stay in their country to make a living. - With specialized vocational high-school degrees, many young Maya graduates also can find work as accountants and teachers (scholarships cost $100 per student per month). Studies have shown that each additional year of school attendance makes a difference, especially for girls (lower pregnancy rates at younger ages, increased earnings with more knowledge and marketable skills, and the wish for more education for their own children later on). With the generosity of our donors, we have been able to make a difference in the lives of many and we hope that we can increase the scope of what MEF can do if more people hear about our work and join the cause of improving lives by improving educational opportunities for Maya students who are eager to study and work hard, if just given the chance. With support from our donors we will be able to continue our work into the future and help more students. Donations to MEF are tax-deductible to the extent of the law. MEF is a U.S. 501 (C)(3) public charity, its tax ID#03-0335159. Thank you! For more on our work, see www.mayaedufound.org