Two middle schools in Guatemala have received computers for the first time thanks to a new grant and the help of a couple of generous CoEd supporters! Board members and P&G alumni Ben Chapman and Mario Contreras helped CoEd receive a $15,000 grant for Computer Centers from the P&G Alumni Foundation Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation.

Procter & Gamble and P&G are trade names of The Procter & Gamble Company and are used pursuant to an agreement with The Procter & Gamble Company. P&G Alumni Network is an independent organization apart from The Procter & Gamble Company.

Ben and Mario are deeply connected to both P&G and CoEd. Ben retired from P&G in 2000 after spending 33 years in product development, research development, and packaging. He was awarded 32 U.S. and international patents during his tenure. A Guatemalan native himself, Mario retired from P&G in 2014 after working in Brand Management and Sales for 17 years. Both serve on CoEd’s board on the Finance and Development committees.

Ben spent 33 years in product development, R&D, and packaging at P&G.

Mario (left) spent 17 years in brand management and sales for P&G

The $15,000 grant has been put to work at Cantel and El Rosario middle schools, where 448 Guatemalan students are now receiving life-changing technology lessons in their new Computer Centers. While many of the students had never before touched a computer, soon they will graduate middle school with the technological skills and training necessary to compete for better jobs in Guatemala. What’s more, the 62 computers for the center were all purchased in Guatemala, benefitting the local economy. In February, dozens of CoEd supporters travelled to Guatemala to officially cut the ribbon on these two centers and celebrate with the communities of Cantel and El Rosario. It was quite a celebration!

There was dancing…

There was ribbon cutting…

There were fun photo ops!

And as always–lots of learning.

CoEd’s self-sustaining Computer Centers provide the skills for young people to transform their own lives from poverty to opportunity by improving their traditional and technological literacy. To date, CoEd has established 46 Computer Centers (serving more than 13,000 students) in the indigenous Mayan communities of Guatemala’s Western Highlands. And, a recent study showed that 95% of program graduates have found employment or furthered their education. Are you impressed yet?

60% of entry-level jobs in Guatemala require computer skills.

One Computer Centers Program graduate, Roberto, credits CoEd’s Computer Center with giving him the skills needed to land a job at Banrural, a large, national chain. “I have a steady income and know I will be able to support my family,” Roberto said. “It isn’t like that with my parents and so many others in my town. Some of my friends who didn’t have access to CoEd programs are farmers, and others went to the U.S. to see how life is there. Now they work in the fields or as gardeners. That could have been me.” Instead, Roberto has set his sights on becoming a regional manager for Banrural.

“I have a steady income and know I will be able to support my family. It isn’t like that with my parents and so many others in my town. Some of my friends who didn’t have access to CoEd programs are farmers, and others went to the U.S. to see how life is there. Now they work in the fields or as gardeners. That could have been me.” — Roberto, program graduate

Thanks to Mario, Ben, and the P&G Alumni Foundation Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, the students at Cantel and El Rosario are now on the same successful path as Roberto. Do you want to help put other students on the path to success?

Find out if your workplace has an employee matching gift or corporate sponsorship program!

or…

This project was funded in part by a grant from the P&G Alumni Foundation Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation.