Dear Friends,
The past week has been a time of joy and celebration as we warmly welcome the 2025 Luminarias scholarship recipients to Casa Luminarias in San Lucas Sacatepéquez. This remarkable group of young ladies, a mix of returning scholars and new participants, are joining the ever-growing Luminarias family. Together, these 16 girls bring renewed energy, talent, and determination to our shared mission of transforming lives through education.
Did you know that by the age of fifteen, six out of ten Indigenous girls in Guatemala have dropped out of school? Guatemala’s population ranks among the least educated in Latin America, with an average of just four years of schooling. Alarmingly, only one-third of students graduate from sixth grade. The challenges are even more pronounced for women and girls. |
Most Guatemalan youth do not reach high school. 41% percent of all teenagers (13–18 years) are not in school. This rate rises to 61 percent in the Western Highlands, which is predominantly indigenous. |
Our mission is to transform impoverished adolescent girls into exemplary leaders by providing them with holistic support across all areas of their lives. We focus on fostering both their academic and personal development, offering quality education to underprivileged girls who have limited academic opportunities but possess remarkable intellectual potential.
“At Casa Luminarias, we work tirelessly each day to ensure that girls live with dignity and embrace education as a transformative tool for their lives,” shares Sergio Anibal Ichaj Tomas, Director of Luminarias Guatemala. “This is a space where dreams take shape and opportunities flourish, empowering them to shine as beacons for future generations.”
“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Board of Directors in the United States and the generous donors in Minnesota, who have remained steadfast in their efforts to secure and manage the necessary funds. Their dedication ensures that our Luminaries continue to access high-quality, comprehensive education and training.” |
Guatemala has one of the world's highest rates of child malnutrition. Children struggling with hunger and poor nutrition are less able to learn effectively, which particularly impacts the most vulnerable populations like indigenous communities. |
We invite you to keep these young ladies in your thoughts and prayers as they settle into Casa Luminarias—a place where values, faith, and education come together to lay the foundation for a brighter tomorrow. Not only do we have 16 girls starting the program at Casa Luminarias, we have an additional seven who we are sponsoring in University!
These young women are eager to continue their studies, improve themselves, and create a brighter future for their communities. Thank you for your support of our work in Guatemala! |
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