Maya Educational FoundationRoute 106, P.O. Box 38, South Woodstock, VT 05071, USA

mayaedfund@aol.com • www.mayaedufound.org

Tel: (802) 457-1199 • Fax: (802) 457-2212

Board of Directors

Marilyn MoorsPresident

Brenda RosenbaumVice President

Armando J. AlfonzoTreasurer

Elisabeth S. NicholsonSecretary

Isaac Cohen

Christine Eber

Susan Feinberg

E. Robert Greenberg

Carol Hendrickson

Christopher H. Lutz

June 2007

Dear Friends and Supporters,

We at Maya Educational Foundation want you to know what a difference you have madeover the years in the lives of Maya people in Guatemala and Mexico, with your outreachand donations, volunteering and suggestions. We send our heartfelt thanks to you for yourfaithful support which makes it possible for MEF to continue all its ongoing programs for2007.Today, we would like to draw your attention to two projects in Guatemala that MEFadopted recently, keeping with the mission to help with the education of students in under-served regions. MEF has pledged funds to support a scholarship program for ColegioPaxil in Nebaj, in the Ixil region that suffered great violence during Guatemala’s Civil War,and to help the Maya Traditions scholarship program in the Lake Atitlan region and otherhighland towns.

Started by a group of dedicated community members and supported by the indigenouscommunity, Colegio Paxil is one of the few accredited private schools offering 7th thru 9thgrade (básico) education in the region. Colegio Paxil emphasizes preservation of indigenousculture and racial integration. Scholarships are a must for poor families who cannot affordthe school fees, uniforms and supplies for their children. At this point, MEF’s goal is tosupport up to sixty students for three years, at a cost of $150 per student per year, which isless than half of what it costs to support a student elsewhere in Guatemala. MEF is alsoaware of a glaring lack of books and supplies at the school and is arranging to providetextbooks and computers.

Tradiciones Mayas de Guatemala (Maya Traditions) is a fair-trade producer and a non-profit social service organization based in Lake Atitlán, Guatemala and San Francisco,California. For over ten years MT has worked with indigenous weavers in the highlands ofGuatemala, paying fair wages and improving the quality of life of the weavers. Amongother initiatives, MT provides educational workshops for the weavers and scholarships forthe weavers’ children. Over 150 students receive small stipends for school supplies everyyear. The need is so great, MT alone cannot fill it. MEF would like to support thirty highschool scholarships at an annual cost of $300 per student in Nahualá, Sololá,Chichicastenango, Santa Clara La Laguna, and San Juan La Laguna. Jane Mintz, founder ofMaya Traditions, explains that through a community service program, scholarship studentsgive back to their communities by teaching their families how to read and write Spanish sothey can communicate with the outside world.

We urge you to please consider these two worthy projects and send your contribution toMEF to help them. It is a tangible way to make a difference in the lives of many students,and to impact the well being of various indigenous communities.

Thank you!

Maya Educational Foundation

Luis is a a graduating student, raised by a single mother

after his father was killed during the war. He struggled

greatly to get an education,Here Luis is shown concluding

two months of community service work. Using his native

language, Quiche, as well as Spanish , he teaches the women

concepts of human rights; with particular focus on the

rights of women and children.

This group is exceptional because most have learned to read and write through years of literacy workshops . Most women in

rural communities never had the opportunity to go to school and many cannot speak Spanish to communicate outside their village

Student communityservice ...giving backto their owncommunities

Colegio de Educación Bilingüe Intercultural “Paxil”

What is Paxil?

In the Ixil language, Paxil means “to spread”, “to reproduce.” It is also a sacred place for the Maya where,according to historical oral accounts, the four colors of corn—black, red, white, and yellow— were discovered.This site is located in the village of Xo’lk’uay, Chajul, Quiché. To this day Maya spiritual guides visit Paxil toperform diverse ceremonies related to the planting, growing and harvesting of corn.

Colegio de Educación Bilingüe Intercultural “Paxil” is a non profit educational center operating in the townof Nebaj, Guatemala, with the financial support of parents and friends who share the philosophy of preservingindigenous culture and promoting racial integration. The school offers 7th-9th grade education to young peoplefrom rural communities in the Ixil region. Colegio Paxil seeks to expand their education with a technological,bilingual, and intercultural orientation. It follows a program that reflects contemporary education, keeping theteenagers within their geographical, cultural, and social environment, and allowing them to acquire up-to-date andcontextualized knowledge. The school has been in operation since 2003.

3o Básico

In the classroom 1o Básico

2o Básico

Let your valuable contribution help MEF support these two programs.

MEF is a 501(c)(3) public charity. All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.

Yes! I want to support the Maya Educational Foundation scholarship programs

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06/07