Guatemala

DVV International has been active in Guatemala since 1995 and has operated a country office in Guatemala City since 2023.

The educational level of the working-age population in Guatemala remains very low. More than half of Guatemalans 15 years old and over have only completed primary school or have no education at all. According to official figures, the national illiteracy rate in 2022 was 16.6%, and as high as 20.5% among women.

The country‘s education system continues to face serious challenges. Particularly in the area of youth and adult learning and education, insufficient financial resources and a lack of infrastructure make it difficult to access educational programmes, and reduce the quality of the programmes. This applies in particular to young people and adults in rural areas, women and indigenous population groups.

Through their efforts and initiatives to date, DVV International and its partners have laid important foundations for the development of a non-formal adult learning and education (ALE) system in Guatemala. Particularly noteworthy is the establishment of a Vice-Ministry for Extracurricular and Alternative Education, which has its own directorate for extracurricular education.

Main focus of work

• Policy advice: The work of DVV International focuses on strengthening a national understanding of education policy and the expansion of ALE structures and programmes within the framework of “Migration, Education and Development” (MBE). The aim is to anchor concepts and programmes of non-formal ALE that take into account the educational needs of disadvantaged target groups, with a focus on issues pertaining to migration and sustainable development. Another priority is to improve cooperation between state institutions and civil society.
• Sustainable professionalisation of ALE providers: In order to ensure the sustainable qualification of adult educators, the establishment of professional training and further education courses is a central concern. In addition, DVV works to promote the exchange of experience and information in the cross-border region of Mexico and Guatemala in order to learn from each other and strengthen cooperation.
• Educational programmes for disadvantaged groups: DVV International fosters high-quality educational opportunities with a special focus on young people and the non-formal education sector. At the same time, efforts are being made to enable disadvantaged population groups―especially women, indigenous people and migrants―to participate more actively in social and economic life through lifelong learning.

Partners

DVV’s main partners in Guatemala include the Ministry of Education, in particular the Department of Extracurricular Youth and Adult Education (DIGEEX), the National Literacy Committee CONALFA and civil society partners such as the Fundación Tierra Nuestra foundation and the intercultural association of the Salesian Order PRODESSA. Academic partners include the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO), the branch of the National University of San Carlos (CUNOROC), the Guatemalan Institute for (Radio) Distance Education (IGER) and the Catholic private university LANDIVAR with campuses in all regions of Guatemala.