MAIA Impact

At MAIA, we believe in the power of supporting one another, learning, and growing to transform our lives and the spaces we share.

For Cristina, a MAIA Impact School Math educator, empowerment begins with something as powerful as recognizing our own worth and trusting in our abilities.

In her daily life, she finds empowerment in facing new challenges, continuing to learn, stepping outside her comfort zone, and persevering through obstacles. She also finds it in the opportunity to accompany Girl Pioneers and share what she has learned, inspiring them to trust in themselves and discover all they are capable of achieving.

Empowerment also grows when our experiences and learning open new possibilities for others. ✨

Learn more about the impact of the educators’ team hard work in the blog: https://www.maiaimpact.org/bloging/education-that-drives-change/

Every September 15, in Guatemala we celebrate our Independence Day.

At MAIA, this date also invites us to think about another form of independence: the economic autonomy of Indigenous women.

Having formal, dignified employment means having greater opportunities to transform our lives and build a future shaped by our own decisions.

Today, 52% of MAIA graduates have formal, dignified employment, moving toward one of our goals for them: strengthening their economic autonomy.

Independence is also built when Indigenous women have the opportunities and tools to make decisions about our present and future. ✨

Learn more about the four goals for the Girl Pioneers in our website: https://www.maiaimpact.org/about-us/

📷: Kelly M Lacy

There’s a phrase we use a lot at MAIA: “Use your empowered voice.”
But what does it really mean? 💭

At MAIA, an Empowered Voice is about much more than speaking with confidence or being heard. It’s about making decisions in our own lives, actively participating in the community, and helping to build a future with equity and opportunity.
That’s why we strengthen three dimensions of voice: physical, emotional, and civic, so Indigenous women and girls can use their voices to transform the spaces around them.

And we see it in everyday moments: sharing an idea in class, respectfully expressing a different opinion, or making decisions about our own lives.
Because finding our voice has never been only about speaking. It’s about knowing that our ideas, decisions, and experiences truly matter. 🌟

Visit our blog to discover the impact of our Empowered Voices: https://www.maiaimpact.org/blog/

Today, September 5, we commemorate the first official International Day of World's Indigenous Women and Girls. 💜

A day to recognize our voices, our leadership, and the contributions Indigenous women make every day, from our communities and territories to the spaces where decisions are made.

It is also an opportunity to celebrate the knowledge, stories, and cultures we inherit and continue transforming for generations to come. ✨

At MAIA, we believe in the power of every Indigenous girl and woman to choose her own path, empower her voice, and transform her reality.

Today, we celebrate all the Indigenous Women and Girls who, through their voices and leadership, are creating new possibilities for their families, communities, and the world. 🌎💜

We are proud to celebrate 14 MAIA graduates who have completed their university technical degrees! 🎓✨

This milestone is the reflection of their determination to transform their reality, create new opportunities for them and their families, and make a lasting impact not only to their lives but also to their communities.

As one of the first generations of MAIA graduates to reach this milestone, they are also showing what can become possible when Girl Pioneers continue strengthening the education, skills, and dreams they began developing years ago through MAIA’s programs.

On average, the mothers of our Girl Pioneers have completed just 3 years of education. Today, our graduates are reaching 14 years of education, opening a different path for themselves and for generations to come. 🌟

And this is not the end of their journey. They are continuing their studies toward their bachelor’s degrees, opening new doors and imagining even bigger possibilities for the future. 🚀

Cheers to a future full of new possibilities! 🎉

When Susana began working as a community development facilitator , she faced a challenge she had never experienced before: earning the trust of women with decades of experience in textile production, while she was only 19 years old.

That challenge helped Susana put into practice what she learned at MAIA: to use her empowered voice, trust her abilities, and lead with confidence. 🌟

Today, she uses that voice to empower women in different communities while pursuing her studies in psychology at Universidad Mariano Galvez. And the opportunities she has found along the way have taken her far beyond the places she once knew. 🚀

📰 Learn more about Susana’s story and get inspired by more MAIA graduates in our blog: The Power of Choosing Your Own Path. https://www.maiaimpact.org/bloging/the-power-of-choosing-your-own-path/

Choosing a different path can be a powerful act of transformation. 🦋

For Rosangela, it meant becoming the first person in her family to attend university. After completing her technical degree in business administration, she is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in del Valle de Guatemala (UVG) while building her career and supporting her family.

For Saudi, it meant choosing a path where she saw underrepresentation for women: studying engineering at UVG and pursuing her dream of becoming a software developer. Along the way, she’s inspiring her siblings and girls in her family to explore their own possibilities, too.

Two different paths, but the same determination to keep growing, learning, and opening new doors. 🚀

📰 Learn more about Rosangela’s and Saudi’s story and get inspired by MAIA graduates in our blog: The Power of Choosing Your Own Path. https://www.maiaimpact.org/bloging/the-power-of-choosing-your-own-path/

Transformation doesn’t end when a Girl Pioneer graduates. It continues through new decisions, opportunities, and possibilities. 🛤️

For Erika, one of those opportunities came through the Post-Secondary Success Program. What began as an internship became a full-time job, while she continues studying Business Administration and building an independence she never imagined possible just a year ago.

Today, Erika is not only discovering new possibilities for her own future. She is also becoming a role model for girls in her community.

Her story is one of four we share in our new blog, where we explore the many forms transformation can take and how each Girl Pioneer can build the path she chooses for herself.

📰 Read and be inspired by the stories of more MAIA graduates on our blog:
https://www.maiaimpact.org/bloging/the-power-of-choosing-your-own-path/

On this International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, we celebrate MAIA graduates who are bringing their first language, knowledge, stories, and identities into universities, workplaces, and the communities they help transform.

At MAIA, 79% of our graduates identify as Maya Kaqchikel and 19% as Tz’utujil. This diversity is not only part of who they are—it is a strength they carry with them as they build their own paths.
For some, that path means becoming the first person in their family to attend university. For others, it means accessing formal employment, developing new skills, or finding new ways to contribute to their communities.

Today, we celebrate Indigenous women who are building new paths and creating space for the generations to come. 💛

The MAIA Alumni Network keeps building connections 🧩

More than 40 MAIA graduates came together for the third meeting of the MAIA Alumni Network. A space designed to strengthen the connections that continue long after high school.
Throughout the day, graduates from different generations shared experiences, exchanged ideas, and, most importantly, looked for ways to support one another in reaching their goals.

Sometimes, that support means sharing a job opportunity with another graduate. Other times, it's passing along information about recommending a training program, or guiding someone through their first university application. Every shared opportunity helps another woman move one step closer to her aspirations.

🙏🏽 This is what the MAIA Alumni Network is all about: building a community where women celebrate each other's successes, open doors for one another, and continue growing together.
Because when one graduate moves forward, she helps create opportunities for many more. 🌟