The West Foundation’s Impact on Esperanza Juvenil/Boys Hope Girls Hope

Esperanza Juvenil is committed to achieving transformative change by providing access to education and opportunities to a disadvantaged population, reducing educational disparities and giving youth the skills needed to thrive in a competitive and changing economy. Through deep and long-term support, the organization works to guarantee children’s physical, emotional, nutritional, and spiritual health; academic achievement; and the development of fundamental values and life skills.

(From contributing writer Bill Fronczak, CSEP, VP Development, Boys Hope Girls Hope)

The West Foundation has been an incredible partner to Esperanza Juvenil for more than 20 years! Its funding has enabled us to empower hundreds of Guatemalan children and youth through education and comprehensive care services that help them reach their full potential as they move to and through college and independent living.

One graduating class at a time, our scholars are breaking through cycles of poverty as they become part of the only eight percent of our country’s population who graduate from college. This milestone enables them to secure financially stable and fulfilling careers, lift their families from economic distress, and thrive in  healthy and independent lives.

As our world evolves, Esperanza Juvenil continuously adapts to ensure that our children and youth are well-equipped! Moreover, in difficult and uncertain times, such as the ongoing pandemic, long-standing partners like The West Foundation have backed our efforts to increase and strengthen our support to our scholars, ensuring their well-being and helping us continue to deliver quality services, particularly through virtual education and opening the doors of our residencies to more scholars

In 2022, we are serving 164 children and young adults in our Elementary, Middle School, High School and College programs. 119 are in our Residential program, the highest number in the program’s history. To accommodate these numbers, we had to temporarily convert our two school campuses to residences, invest significant resources in technology (equipment and internet) for remote education, find additional resources for utilities and basic medical support, and hire additional residential counselors.

Thanks to partners like The West Foundation, we persevere in providing comprehensive care at our nurturing homes, and our scholars persevere to reach their full potential through access to technology and educational support.

Photo courtesy: Boys Hope Girls Hope. The West Foundation’s Support has played a key role in giving Esperanza Juvenil Middle School scholars vital access to technology.