Worthy Village

Worthy Village is a 501c3 non-profit organization whose mission is to build pathways out of poverty for women and children in Guatemala by providing economic opportunity, healthcare, and education. To accomplish this mission, we have established partnerships with more than 50 skilled women artisans living in the impoverished villages surrounding Lake Atitlan. Our artisan partners sell their wares to tourists, but profits are not sufficient enough to pay for basic needs. Despite years of chronic instability and civic strife, Guatemala is a place of fiercely resourceful people who honor traditions, welcome visitors, and speak candidly about their lives. Sadly, women are among the most marginalized communities there. Unleashing their economic potential is central to growing their voice, improving their lives, and ultimately, strengthening their communities. We are guided by the belief that our artisan partners know best what they need to help change their circumstances for the better. Over the past three years, our team has made dozens of trips to Guatemala to meet with these women, hear their stories, and gain a better understanding of how we can best impact their lives. Fair wages, access to basic healthcare, and income to support their children's education are among their highest priorities. We have been able to commission a collection of products and pay our artisan partners a fair wage for their work. We then established an online marketplace for this collection. Profits enable us to continue purchasing products, thus providing our artisan partners with a stable source of income. Surplus profits go towards supporting two key initiatives: healthcare and education. Worthy Village runs healthcare and educational initiatives in Guatemala. We bring teams of doctors and nurses into impoverished villages of Guatemala to provide free healthcare. We teach and distribute the Worthy Village Healthcare Book in schools, orphanages and community centers. The book educates on proper hygiene, health and disease transmission prevention: life-saving topics in these rural communities of Guatemala. We are able to provide wheelchairs and walkers to the elderly and disabled, and distribute toothbrushes and toothpaste to thousands of individuals in need each year. Worthy Village holds dozens of volunteer trips annually, bringing individuals from the U.S. into Guatemala to do this work and have a life-changing experience. These groups range from young college students to well-established business professionals. While visiting orphanages and schools, sharing meals with locals, and having the opportunity to teach hygiene practices to communities in need, we see our volunteers flourish and grow in ways unimaginable. We believe in sharing with others what originally drove us to do Worthy Work.