The Rosetta Foundation and Hope Guatemala raise awareness for indigenous communities

Guatemala is a country of many facets, characterised by a rich natural beauty, a powerful identity and a strong indigenous culture. Although there is a general lack of knowledge about the country’s reality, no account of Guatemala’s past can omit its troubled history: dominated by a series of dictators, the country was immersed in a 36-year-long civil war.

Hope Guatemala, a small Irish charity active since 2005, was founded to raise awareness and understanding of the problems Guatemala faces and to provide financial assistance to aid development and support for the relief of poverty. They work closely with a sister charity in Germany, and had some difficulty translating documents from Spanish into English and German, so The Rosetta Foundation offered to help. “It’s been a very positive experience from the very start”, says Hope Guatemala representative Sean O’Connor about the collaboration.

Since then, The Rosetta Foundation has translated a number of documents for Hope Guatemala projects, including the Nutrition Center for Children (CERNE), and projects for the development of eco-tourism and development work in a Mayan community in Nebaj. “The Rosetta Foundation has helped Hope Guatemala disseminate our goals and plans, which would have been very difficult if we didn’t have the proposals translated”, says O’Connor.

Hope Guatemala is a grassroots organisation comprised solely of volunteers, with no management or administration costs. Its activities are funded through the effort of its volunteers without any International Organisation or Government funding involved.

With this partnership, The Rosetta Foundation hopes to support Hope Guatemala’s vital work with indigenous communities by spreading their message in other languages. The Internet may provide global access to information, but in some cases it is translation that makes it accessible to those who need it.

Raquel Ligero