Our projects are located in the two communities of San Juan La Laguna and San Pablo La Laguna, which are situated along the shores of Lake Atitlán in the highlands of western Guatemala. The two towns and surrounding areas have a total population of approximately 20,000 people. Almost the entire population of these two communities are Tz’utujil Maya.

In these communities, a large number of people live in extreme poverty, which is defined as earning between US$2.00 and US$5.00 per day for a family of 4.77 individuals. Poverty affects 97% of the population in San Pablo and 76% in San Juan, while the rate of extreme poverty is 79% in San Pablo and 29% in San Juan.

The main source of income for these two communities is agriculture, including the cultivation of coffee, corn, green onions, and other crops. San Juan is known for its artisans, such as weavers and painters, which attract tourists; in contrast, San Pablo has virtually no tourism.

Guatemala is facing a serious issue of chronic malnutrition among children aged 5 years and below, with its rate being the 6th highest in the world. In addition, access to quality healthcare services in the communities is extremely limited, and even though each community does have a government health center, which is the only option for most people, is often understaffed and lacks the resources and medications to be able to treat even the most common illnesses. Meanwhile, private healthcare is very expensive and therefore out of reach for most in the community.

Acute respiratory infections and intestinal parasites are the leading causes of death in Guatemala, both of which can be easily treated with proper detection and adequate resources.

ODIM aims to improve the quality of life of members of these communities through our primary healthcare services and educational programs. We focus on empowering members of the community and our vision is for the Maya to have a hopeful future for themselves and their children.