This year, Adelante Mujer is walking alongside six young women in Guatemala as they pursue their dream of becoming nurses. And next year, we hope to welcome three more students into the program. Each one of these students represents not only a future nurse but also a ripple of hope reaching families, communities, and generations to come.
In Guatemala, the cost of nursing school is a steep barrier. Unlike Nicaragua, where government support covers tuition, Guatemalan students must pay for everything—tuition, room and board, food, transportation, and school materials. The total comes to about $4,000 per year per student. For families living in a country where nearly 60% of the population lives below the poverty line, this expense is unimaginable without help (World Bank, 2024).
That’s where you come in.
When donors step forward to sponsor Adelante Mujer students, they don’t just cover classes and textbooks. They put food on the table. They provide safe transportation to and from school. They ensure that a young woman can dedicate herself fully to her studies without having to choose between education and survival.
Why Nursing Matters
Guatemala faces one of the lowest healthcare worker-to-population ratios in Latin America. According to the World Health Organization, countries need at least 4.45 doctors, nurses, and midwives per 1,000 people to deliver essential health services (WHO, 2016). Guatemala falls far below that threshold, with rural areas experiencing the deepest shortages (Pan American Health Organization, 2022). By training more nurses, we are closing that gap—one student at a time.
More Than an Education: A Future Rewritten
For a young woman in Guatemala, the difference between going to college and not going is life-changing. Without higher education, her opportunities are often limited to low-wage, informal labor. With a nursing degree, she gains not only a stable career but also the ability to lift her entire family. Research shows that when women are educated, they reinvest up to 90% of their income into their families and communities(UNESCO, 2014). That means healthier children, stronger local economies, and hope passed down to the next generation.
The Donor’s Role in the Story
None of this is possible without donors. Every gift is a bridge from hardship to opportunity. When you give, you are not just paying for tuition—you are rewriting a story. You are turning what might have been a cycle of poverty into a legacy of healing, service, and empowerment.
Imagine a Guatemalan village where, for the first time, there is a nurse who speaks the local language, who understands the culture, and who is dedicated to serving her people. That is the future your gift creates.
Walking Together
As we look ahead to next year, with hopes of adding three more nursing students, we are filled with gratitude. You are the reason doors open for these young women. You are the reason they can dream bigger, study harder, and walk into hospitals and clinics as professionals who will change lives.
Together, we are not just funding education. We are fueling transformation—one nurse, one family, one community at a time.
Adelante, mujer. Forward, woman.
P.S. Don’t forget…..your donation will be DOUBLED between now and the end of the year, thanks to our generous Rita Thomas and her $50,000 matching challenge! Give today and make your gift count!
References
Pan American Health Organization. (2022). Health in the Americas: Guatemala. PAHO. https://www.paho.org
UNESCO. (2014). Gender equality: Why it matters for sustainable development. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. https://www.unesco.org
World Bank. (2024). Poverty and equity brief: Guatemala. The World Bank. https://www.worldbank.org
World Health Organization. (2016). Global strategy on human resources for health: Workforce 2030. WHO. https://www.who.int