Primeros Pasos is a Guatemalan women-led non-profit organization that has provided comprehensive health care to the rural communities of the Palajunoj Valley in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala since 2002.
Primeros Pasos aims to provide reliable and affordable local health care to adults and children in the Palajunoj Valley of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Primeros Pasos originally started as a children's clinic with the mission to serve students in the 10 primary schools in the Valley. However, the general population remained without a high-quality source of health care. In 2005, with increased funding and volunteers, Primeros Pasos began to see walk-in patients, including children not enrolled in school and adults. On average, Primeros Pasos sees over 4,500 patients annually.
OUR VISION
To be a comprehensive institution that provides high-quality health and educational services in order to generate change, successfully impact, and improve the quality of life of the communities of the Palajunoj Valley through shared social responsibility among governmental, non-governmental, health, nutrition and education-based organizations, companies, individuals, and international organizations.
OUR MISSION
To improve the quality of life of rural communities in the Palajunoj Valley of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala through the implementation of integrated health education projects and by offering access to medical, dental, and nutritional services with highly qualified professionals.
“Stunting causes a fail in the cognitive, social and physical development; it provokes great and irreparable consequences in adulthood, leading to serious maternal reproductive outcomes, low school achievement, decreased productivity, unsatisfactory income and subsequently perpetuates poverty.”
— Begum & Dewey, 2011; EDESIA, 2016; He & Thomas, 2015
OUR PRINCIPLES
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Our programs and impacts are diligently monitored and evaluated to ensure our operations advance our mission and vision.
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We are committed to demonstrating to our supporters and donors that our work is effective and efficient and our financial management is properly evaluated.
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Our beneficiaries are the main focus of each project, and we aim to involve them in every step from development to implementation.
FISCAL SPONSOR
As Asociación PASOS (PRIMEROS PASOS), we are not registered in the United States, but we have a fiscal sponsor (Inter-American Health Alliance - IAHA, EIN 20-1021313).
The Inter-American Health Alliance (IAHA) is a U.S.-based 501(c)3 non-profit that was founded in 2004 by former Primeros Pasos founders and volunteers to support our operations.
Tax sponsorship is a formal arrangement or agreement between a public charity organization (under the 501(c)(3) code of the Internal Income Tax Service, IRS) and a group, project, or individual. This arrangement allows the 501(c)(3) organization to offer fiscal and administrative sponsorship to projects that do not have the 501(c)(3) classification so that they can receive contributions from foundations and individual donations deductible from their taxes.
For more information, please visit www.interamericanhealthaliance.org.
WHERE WE WORK
In Guatemala, various social, political, economic, and educational factors influence the ability to access quality medical care and proper nutrition. At Primeros Pasos, we aim to help communities overcome these barriers and health disparities.
The Palajunoj Valley is inhabited by 25,000 people who consider themselves indigenous. The region has been identified as having some of the highest levels of poverty and extreme poverty in Guatemala. Ninety-five percent of the inhabitants of the Palajunoj Valley are indigenous Mayan K'iche' and Mam speakers. There are no high-quality roads, no electricity, and limited access to potable water. The Palajunoj Valley is an agricultural sector where eight communities grow corn and beans. In Las Majadas, Bella Vista, and Chuicavioc, the communities produce flowers and vegetables that supply the markets in the city. Despite being 10 minutes from the Historic Center of Xela, the rural communities of the Valley remain without basic services and live in areas surrounding the municipal dump.
Chuicaracoj is one of the communities that is part of the Palajunoj Valley, and for the last 25 years, they have been living on the land that serves as a municipal dump. According to data from the Environmental Services office of the municipality, 240 tons of garbage are collected daily by the sanitation train in the different urban areas of the municipality.
For more than a decade, the garbage has not been treated at the site; it remains there, and on occasion, it is set on fire. The people of Chuicaracoj are in a constant struggle to ask the authorities to find another site to use as a garbage dump because the odor and unhealthy conditions cause gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses in the surrounding area.
The issues faced by the people of the 10 communities are not only limited services and the dump, but also the exploitation of natural resources by mining companies that extract materials from the mountains surrounding the Palajunoj Valley.
NEEDS ASSESSMENT
In 2016, Primeros Pasos conducted a needs assessment and interviewed members of 423 homes. The average household consisted of 6 people with an average income of $130 USD per day per person. Below is a brief description of the disparities that continue to affect our communities. For more information, please read through our needs assessment report.
THE FAMILY
SCARLET SAMAYOA
General Director
Scarlet is a nutritionist from Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. She was the Director of the Nutritional Recovery Program from 2014 to 2017. In July 2019, Scarlet rejoined our team to provide leadership and strategic direction as General Director.
"The love and dedication that both staff and volunteers put into the work is what impacts every person who visits us. Everyone goes home with a smile and a good perception of the clinic. It's wonderful, and that's why I love being part of the Primeros Pasos family.”
MARÍA JOSÉ CHAJON
Director of Development, Partnerships and Volunteer Coordinator
Maria is from Guatemala City, but Quetzaltenango has been her home since 2016. She joined Primeros Pasos in 2020 as the Volunteer Coordinator. In January 2021, she began her collaboration with Development and Partnerships, joining the two roles with much dedication and hard work.
"I like knowing that my work has a good cause, which is to help the people of my beautiful country.”
DIANA DE LEÓN SOTO
Nutritional Project Director
Diana is from Salcaja, Quetzaltenango. She obtained her degree in Nutrition at Rafael Landivar University (Quetzaltenango campus). Diana joined the Primeros Pasos team in 2021.
"I love being part of the Primeros Pasos family because we work in an integral way with the patient, providing caring and friendly attention to each person who visits us. The biggest goal of the Primeros Pasos family is to take care of patients with love. For that reason, it is wonderful to belong to this great team.”
DR. FRANCIA ANGEL
Dental Project Director
Dr. Francia is a dentist with more than 20 years of experience. She was born in Guatemala City, but Quetzaltenango has been her home since 2006. She has been working with Primeros Pasos since 2014.
"I like to work with Primeros Pasos because I can help the communities with their dental checkups, from pain and restoration to prevention work, with special attention to the children.”
MARTA ISTAZUY
Dental Assistant
Martita is from Llanos del Pinal, Quetzaltenango, one of the communities in the Palajunoj Valley and where Primeros Pasos is located. She has been working with Primeros Pasos for more than 10 years, starting with the family in 2008.
"I like to work with Primeros Pasos because I can help Dr. Francia provide low-cost treatments for people with limited resources.”
MARÍA FLORINDA MEJÍA
Maintenance Manager
Doña Flori is also from Llanos del Pinal and is Martita's mother. She has worked with Primeros Pasos since 2004, more than 18 years – half a lifetime!
"I like working at Primeros Pasos because I can provide my service to the institution through its maintenance, making sure everything is always clean and beautiful for everyone, both for the staff and for the patients who visit us daily.”
DR. LAURA SIGÜENZA
Medical Project Director
Dr. Laura is from Quetzaltenango. She is a Physician and Surgeon who graduated from the University of San Carlos de Guatemala - Centro Universitario de Occidente (CUNOC).
"As a work team, we have the desire and the power in our hands to help all people by providing better living conditions through quality healthcare and health education involving prevention, with the goal that each patient who visits us from the 10 communities of the Palajunoj Valley can take their FIRST STEPS to a better quality of life.”
GUADALUPE IXCOT
Finance Coordinator
Lupita is from Quetzaltenango. She has an Accountant Auditor degree from the University of San Carlos de Guatemala - Centro Universitario de Occidente (CUNOC). Lupita joined Primeros Pasos in 2020.
"I am pleased to be part of the Primeros Pasos team so that, together, we can achieve our goals based on concrete objectives that dignify human beings, especially people in rural areas.”