QUETZALTENANGO

Quetzaltenango is the second-largest city of Guatemala, located in the south-east of the country. It is an important industrial, cultural, commercial and tourist center, located 200 kilometres east of the country’s capital and 80 kilometres from the Pacific Ocean.

The city of Quetzaltenango covers an area of 1951 km2 and lies at an altitude of 2,380 metres above sea level. The climate is temperate in the highlands and humid by the coast. Quetzaltenango has 106,528 inhabitants (2,000 estimate), of which 67% are of Maya K’iche descent and the rest of Ladino descent. Inhabitants speak Spanish, K’iche and Mam.

Although a large city, Quetzaltenango has a countryside atmosphere, surrounded by corn and vegetable fields. The economy of the city is based on agriculture, and it is a center for distribution of vegetables. Surrounding Quetzaltenango are several K’iche and Mam villages and other sites of interest, including beautiful churches and other buildings in Colonial architectural style. The area is rich in geographic beauty and variety as well, including several volcanoes, thermal springs, valleys, mountains and rivers.

As regards education, it is estimated that for each 10 children in Quetzaltenango, 8 go to school, 4 finish third grade, 3 finish sixth grade and less than 1 continues in secondary school. For each 100 girls, 25 finish sixth grade, while for each 100 boys, the number is 28. Furthermore, only 37% of children between 5 and 6 years old receive educational attention. Likewise, only 24% of adolescents between 13 and 15 years receive educational attention (information from the General Directorate for Bilingual Education, Ministry of Education).

In the Las Rosas neighborhood, it is estimated that 45% of families cannot support themselves, and about 40% of families are broken up by alcoholism, premature marriage, domestic violence and high levels of both poverty and extreme poverty. When it comes to health, the majority of women are served by midwives, because the Las Rosas neighborhood lacks a health center and places for children to play. An estimated 60% of the population (parents and youth) suffer from alcoholism. Extreme poverty affects 70% of families; it is estimated that fathers earn an average $7.64 US per day, and mothers earn an average of $5.09 US per day, and the majority of parents work up to 10 hours a day or more. Many children and adolescents start working at a young age, whether it be in the fields, in the informal economy, as domestic workers, or in other jobs. These jobs postpone their chances for formal education.