Safe Passage | Camino Seguro

Students work at an individualized program that accommodates their outside commitments to work and family. The curriculum is designed by CONALFA, Guatemala's literacy initative.

Nearly 70 mothers, fathers, and grandmothers are learning to read and write in our Adult Literacy Program, with the goal of earning a sixth-grade diploma, in a program accredited by CONALFA, the Guatemalan committee on adult literacy. The classes are taught by Guatemalan teachers and long-term volunteers. All are passionate and committed teachers who have developed close working relationships with their students.

The men and women are positive role models for their children and grandchildren, as they show them that with hard work and determination, goals and dreams can be reached at any age.  Every day, with every class, they live the words "Nunca es tarde," meaning, "It's never too late."

The program has nearly 50 mother graduates and 9 father graduates, most of whom have scholarships to continue their education beyond the sixth-grade level. Some are taking nursing classes, while others are advancing their computer skills and studying for pre-university degrees.

According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics' April 2007 Assessment, approximately 69% of Guatemala's population is literate, and the figure is lower among women and rural people.  Guatemala's literacy rates are among the lowest in the western hemisphere. 

Fathers began studying at Safe Passage in 2009, with classes held at night to accommodate their daytime work schedules.

To contact the Adult Literacy Program Coordinator directly, email adultliteracy@safepassage.org.