When we asked our weavers how we could support them, their number one priority was access to education and a better future for their children. In 2021, the Education Fund was established to help children of the Trama Textiles Cooperative learn, grow, and excel. Our primary goal is to provide direct scholarships and essential school supplies to students in need.

The communities that make up the Trama Textiles Cooperative face extremely difficult conditions in accessing education for their children.

In Guatemala, primaria school (grades 1-6) is free and mandatory. However, basico (middle school) and diversificado (high school) require Q2500 per year in tuition. At current exchange rates, this is equivalent to $335 per year. So, it costs around $2,010 total for one child to complete all 6 years of middle and high school. This does not include the costs of school supplies, books, or transportation to and from school.

 

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Each sponsored student receives Q150 ($20) per month or Q1500 ($200) for the entire 10 month school year. This covers around 75% of their school tuition. Research on the sustainability of scholarship programs in developing communities has shown that partial scholarships incentivize parents to continue investing in their children’s education.

Sponsored students are selected based on socio-economic assessments of the families in our communities. In order to receive a scholarship, each student must provide proof of enrollment in school and bi-annual grade reports with passing performance.

 

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

1. Donate to our collective Education Fund

• When completing your donation, you can choose “Contribute Once” or “Contribute Monthly”. A monthly donation will automatically charge to your card on the date from your first donation. If you’d like to cancel your monthly donation, please email us at almaya@tramatextiles.org and we will stop the charges immediately.
• We highly recommend donating monthly, even if it’s only a small amount. Knowing we have consistent donations allows us to plan for how many students we are able to sponsor.
• At the end of every month, we will choose new students to sponsor based on how much money we have raised. A new child will be sponsored each time we raise an additional $1200. This is to maintain our goal of sponsoring each student for the entire 6 years of middle and high school.

2. Directly sponsor a student

• As a direct sponsor, you can choose to sponsor a specific student whose story speaks to you. You will be the sole sponsor of this student for at least 1 full school year (a total donation of $200). 
• Each student available for direct sponsorship has expressed interest in connecting with their sponsor. You can stay connected through videos, letters, and photos facilitated by Trama Textiles. You can read about students in need of sponsors below.
• If you are interested in becoming a direct sponsor, please fill out this form and you will be contacted. If you have questions, please email almaya@tramatextiles.org. 

Thank you for your continued support of the communities, families, and students of Trama Textiles!