Visiting our Global Partners in Guatemala: Maya Health Alliance field report

My journey to Guatemala

Last month, I set out on a journey to visit Population Connection’s amazing Global Partners in Guatemala. The experience was both inspirational and transformative, and a powerful reminder of why their work is so important. I came back feeling deeply inspired, full of gratitude, and more connected than ever to the communities and people driving change in areas of reproductive health, family planning, sustainable development, and regenerative agriculture.

The purpose of my visit was to both gain a deeper understanding of how each organization operates day-to-day and to gather stories that highlight their impact in specific communities. It was also a chance to connect directly with the people they serve—whose voices, experiences, and insights are the heart of this work.

What struck me most was how multifaceted and deeply rooted our Global Partners’ work is. It’s not just about distributing resources or implementing programs—it’s about trust, relationships, and listening to the needs of the community. From clinics to remote community visits, every service is locally informed and shaped by people who truly understand the communities they serve. I had many wonderful conversations with staff and community members, and I’ll be sharing a few stories here.

Maya Health Alliance: culturally sensitive healthcare

A few days after my visit with WINGS, I met with Andrea, the Communications and Development Officer for Maya Health Alliance. Maya Health Alliance (also known as Wuqu’ Kawoq) is one of our partner organizations based in Guatemala that provides high-quality, culturally appropriate healthcare to Indigenous Maya communities.

Andrea drove me to their headquarters in Tecpán, about an hour outside of Antigua, and then to two communities to follow up with residents who had recently received family planning services. As we traveled in a SUV up windy, mountainous roads with beautiful views, occasionally passing goats and cows, I spoke with Glendy, a Community Health Worker who ordinarily uses tuk-tuks to reach these communities on her own. (Tuk-tuks are small, three-wheeled motorized vehicles commonly used as taxis for short trips). Glendy grew up speaking the Mayan dialect of Kaqchikel with her grandmother and now uses it to communicate directly with community members who seek family planning information and services.

“Everything we do here at Maya Health Alliance is important,” Glendy passionately explained on our drive. “We provide family planning service and cancer screenings, and we educate women about their health so that they can make their own decisions about their bodies.” Maya Health Alliance is one of the only organizations in Guatemala that provides women-centered health care services entirely in Mayan languages. Maya culture and identity maintain a strong presence throughout Guatemala, and over 22 Mayan languages are spoken here. Yet almost all health care services are offered only in Spanish, effectively excluding millions of Guatemalan citizens from accessing care. According to Maya Health Alliance, “Many Indigenous people would rather die at home than be treated in a hospital where no one speaks their language or respects their dignity.” Andrea shared with me that most Indigenous people will not go to national hospitals and refuse to receive public health care services because they are likely to be victims of racism. “Without speaking the language, they are not able to make decisions on their own about their bodies or their health,” she went on to explain.

 “Our work is important because we are providing health care services to underserved communities. We are supporting over 11,000 patients per year, and we do it in Mayan languages. Our team members—backpack nurses, physicians, drivers, and other staff— work together to provide profound changes to the communities we serve.”

– Andrea, Communications and Development Officer, Maya Health Alliance

Maya Health Alliance employs Community Health Workers to provide high-quality, culturally grounded care to Indigenous Maya communities throughout nine Guatemalan departments (similar to states or provinces). They offer care in Kaqchikel, K’iche’ and other Indigenous languages, and they partner closely with local leaders, midwives, and families to ensure that health solutions align with community values and traditions. “We offer women’s health, family-centered nutrition programs, maternal and infant health, and diabetes care, and we integrate these services,” Andrea told me during an interview. “So, for example, when we work with a patient on nutrition, we ask them if they’d also like to participate in our family planning programs. In this way, we work with community members to integrate all of the services we offer—not just one—so that they can have the best health possible.”

Everything is connected

Integrated development strategies are incredibly important because everything’s connected—health, education, economic stability all influence one another. When nonprofits take a holistic approach like this, they can create meaningful, long-term change that truly transforms communities.

Another key to their success is representation. Andrea said, “Our model is community-based, meaning that 85% of our team members are Indigenous women who live in the communities they serve. So, they are transforming their own lives and also the lives of the communities.” Community-based care like this helps build trust and understanding within communities and promotes cultural competency, or the ability of individuals and organizations involved in community development to understand, respect, and effectively engage with people from diverse cultures, beliefs, and backgrounds. The fact that most Maya Health Alliance staff members are from the communities where they work speaks to the ability of this organization to more deeply understand the local context—not just the surface-level customs, but also deeper beliefs, power structures, and historical factors. This dynamic helps to emphasize the value of local knowledge and respect for Indigenous practices while ensuring that development initiatives are shaped by the voices of all stakeholders, especially marginalized or traditionally excluded groups, including women, Indigenous peoples, and youth. By centering the voices and knowledge of the people they serve, Maya Health Alliance builds trust and delivers care that is not only effective, but deeply respectful and sustainable.

Visiting community members

“When we work with Maya communities, we face two main challenges: lack of education and machismo—a very important problem here.” Glendy went on to recount a recent instance during a home visit where she had to provide a long-acting contraceptive method (LARC) secretly to a woman whose husband didn’t approve. “I had to work quickly and quietly so that I could help her before her husband came home,” she told me in a serious tone. “So, you see, our impact here is very important. We are helping women to prevent unwanted pregnancies and take care of their own health, because having one baby after another can be very damaging for their bodies.”

Our first site visit was to a community north of Tecpán called Paraxquin. We met with a young woman named Irma, who had received a contraceptive injection within the past three months. Glendy explained that injectables are the most popular form of contraceptive in Paraxquin because they are well-known methods and people feel safe receiving them. The purpose of this visit was to make sure Irma’s shot was working properly and that she was satisfied with the service. She welcomed us into her home, which, unlike many other homes in her community, had a gas stove and refrigerator—appliances she was able to acquire in part because of the remittances her brother sends from the U.S.

“I want to take care of myself, because it’s difficult with three kids already. So, these services are really beneficial for me.”

– Irma, Maya Health Alliance beneficiary

Irma first got pregnant at the age of 17, and now, at 22 years old, has three children. As the sole provider for her family after her husband’s passing, she now sells fruit on the side of the road. Irma’s two youngest are enrolled in Maya Health Alliance’s nutrition program.

Our second site visit was to the home of a woman named Cristina, a 27-year-old who was also receiving follow-up care for a contraceptive injection. Cristina has three kids and a husband who works as a farmer in the “campo,” a colloquial term for “countryside.” She said that she opted for the injection because she didn’t want another baby, explaining that she had her first baby and then her second quickly after, prompting her to seek out family planning services. She was referred to Maya Health Alliance by her friend and has received full support from her husband—something many women in the community lack.

Both community members welcomed us with warmth and genuine openness, eager to share their stories—an unmistakable sign of the deep trust and positive presence that Maya Health Alliance has built over time. On the drive home, I couldn’t stop thinking about the magnitude of this work. Thanks to the dedication of Maya Health Alliance and its incredibly hard-working team, people are receiving care they’d otherwise go without. But it’s more than just medical care—they express being healthier, happier, and more supported. They’re being heard. It’s deeply moving, and I’m endlessly grateful for the experience.

Before dropping me off, I asked Andrea if she’d like to say anything to members of Population Connection about Maya Health Alliance. She replied:

“I would like to say to our partners and donors in the U.S. that your support is making a profound impact in Guatemala. Without you, we couldn’t help these Mayan communities to have access to basic health care services.”