About Guatemala

Community of Raxnam

The community of 'Raxnam' is situated in the region of 'Alta Verapaz', altitude 1,300 - 3,000 m, in the North of Guatemala. The municipal council is San Pedro Carcha, 97% of the population are indigenous people of different tribes. The rate of poverty is over 8o%. The inhabitants of Raxnam are Q'eqchi Mayan with their own language, 66% don't speak Spanish and just 3% speak both Spanish and Q'eqchi. There are more than 900 people living in the community (2006), 480 children and adolescent's, up to 20 years of age. Just 62 adults are over 60 years old. The majority of women have an average of 7 children. On average a child/adolescent goes to school for just 3 years (girls 2 to 4 years, boys 3 to 6 years). The illiteracy rate is about 47% (youth).

THE WOMENS CO-OPERATIVE LAS TRIUNFADORAS

Facts

Current Situation

There is a school in the community. The families are small coffee and cardamom producers, they sell their produce and also a small amount of beans. Few families have pigs although most have chickens. The children and adolescents are involved in the daily work of the family - washing clothes and fruit, carrying water, working in the fields, harvesting of cardamom, coffee and maize, feeding the animals, serving dinner for the parents……….. 

Adolescent’s who leave the community go to work in San Pedro Carcha and Guatemala City as cheap labourers. In Puerto Barrios and Peten they work on fincas (farms). If they work in the community they earn 1.5o - 2.00 dollars per day. There are 5 maize mills and 1 telephone in the community.

The electricity is not connected to the houses - the people can’t afford it.

There is no water source.