Chocolá, Guatemala is an impoverished rural town that has
suffered through centuries of oppression and violence, and most
residents of Chocolá cling precariously to existence. Despite
their poverty, Chocolenses are some of the most friendly, creative
and intelligent people anywhere in the world. The town's primary
need is employment, now and in the sustainable future. The largely
unexcavated ancient Mayan city that lies beneath the town provides
some hope in the form of future tourism, and the rich agricultural
tradition of the area is suitable to cultivation of cacao and
other niche crops.
Amigos
de Chocolá was formed to assist in providing foundations
for long-term social and economic development in the town of Chocolá,
Guatemala. Generally, our planned programs include educational,
financial and medical assistance. From a development perspective,
the town has tremendous future economic potential in eco-tourism
and specialty agriculture.
Our organization was founded in 2005, and so we have just begun
to pitch in.
Education
Our first program entails the awarding of an annual
post-secondary educational grant to a young adult resident of
Chocolá. These grants will allow students to attend Guatemalan
universities in areas such as archaeology, business, agriculture,
medicine, education and hospitality/tourism. Our first grant was
awarded in 2005.
Community
Archaeology
Through our close affiliation with the Chocola
Archaeological Project (PACH), led by University of New Mexico
archaeologist Jonathan Kaplan, Amigos de Chocolá has made
a founding contribution to the start-up phase of the Chocolá
Casa de Cultura. The Casa de Cultura will preserve and promote
the town's cultural heritage, represented by the Maya artifacts
uncovered by the archaeological project.
The
People of Chocolá Need Your Help!
We are currently in the process of developing additional efforts,
but we need your help. There is so much to do and our resources
are limited. Please consider making a donation to helping build
a better world. Send us your pledge by filling out our contact
form or mailing a check or money order to Amigos de Chocolá,
Attn: Thomas T. Reiley, MD, 17229 Rimrock Drive, Golden, CO 80401.
Your
donation is tax-deductible.
