Centro Maya Xe’Kiyaqasiiwaan

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The mission of Centro Maya Xe’Kiyaqasiiwaan is to serve temporarily and permanently disabled children and young adults from four Mayan villages by providing:

1. physical and occupational therapy

2. speech therapy

3. functional living skills that meet the educational needs of the childrenin a loving and caring atmosphere. In addition, Centro Maya Xe’Kiyaqasiiwaan provides an activity center and educates the families and the community on disability issues.

The English equivalent for this beautiful name (approximately pronounced sen´ tro  My´ ya  shay´ kia ka si won) is Mayan Center Under the Hill of the Red Man. The building is nestled at the base of the mountain called the Nose which, from a distance, appears to be the nose of a reclining man. A beloved legend tells of the people with red skin who lived on top of the Nose.

The center is recognized in Guatemalan as a Non-governmental Organization (NGO in English; ONG in Spanish) and receives local and government funding for teacher salaries and other operating and program expenses. Other funding is provided by individuals and groups from all over the world, including Japan, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Germany, England, Canada, and the US – and our Quad Cities.

The Centro Maya Project of our congregation funds several programs that operate within the center, accounting for approximately 15-20% of Centro Maya Xe’Kiyaqasiiwaan’s total operating and program budget. Either Jeanne or Bob Nakamaru is on site seven months of the year and oversees these programs. Specifics of programs change from year to year, as needs, funding, and opportunities arise, but these programs are operating in 2009.

• Speech therapy program provides intensive speech therapy in Spanish and the local Mayan language
  Since 2002, Jeanne Nakamaru, a speech pathologist working for Black Hawk Area Special Education District, has provided speech therapy at the center for up to three months a year. She is learning to speak Tzutuhil, the local Mayan language, in order to work with very young children, and she uses Spanish with school-aged children. Jeanne has trained student clinician volunteers from Germany and Centro Maya Xe’Kiyaqasiiwaan staff to continue therapy when she is in the US. As of 2009, about 35 children and young adults have received speech therapy.

• Hearing aid program provides donated, used hearing aids with new ear molds cast locally and purchases batteries
  Quad City audiologists donate used hearing aids for Jeanne to take to San Juan la Laguna. Jeanne makes temporary ear molds on site at the center and sends them to Antigua where the permanent ear molds are produced. The front desk at a local hotel has a donation box for battery funds. As of 2009, about 75 people have received hearing aids.

• Balanced school lunch program feeds children and youth
  Victoria and Maria, two Centro Maya Xe’Kiyaqasiiwaan workers, purchase food every day and prepare a complete lunch for three children who would not otherwise eat.

• Medical assistance program provides transportation to and from appointments (including Smile Train appointments), doctors’ services, prescription medicine, and medical tests
  This important program has provided life-enabling and life-enhancing services, such as heart surgery for a young girl (2006), hospitalization for a woman paralyzed after eating contaminated fruit (2008), and chaperoned transportation on the 4:00 a.m. chicken bus to appointments with Smile Train volunteers for cleft lip and palate corrective surgery (two youths in 2009).

  NOTE:The medical team performing the corrective surgery was Faces of Hope, from Oakland, California, working with Smile Train. Rotary volunteers assisted with logistics.

• Employment program for disabled young adults
  In a program originally developed for three teenaged boys, disabled young adults work part-time at a local grocery store, giving them much needed income and the satisfaction of contributing to their family and community. This program reimburses the employer for wages. As of 2009, of the original participants one is working; one has died; and the third left the program.

• Since 2002, The Centro Maya Project has responded to specific needs.

  • Added electricity for hot water and provided shower heads so the students could have access to hot showers. Most indigenous homes do not have access to hot water, many do not have showers, and no bath tubs exist in these villages.

  • After the community was devastated by Hurricane Stan in 2005, bought food, cooking supplies, and blankets and supplied electricity to over 400 people in an emergency shelter where they lived for one?and?a?half years. Each family had one overhead electric light bulb, allowing the children to do their homework and preventing fire tragedies resulting from open candle flames.

  • Donated a van to transport the children from the other villages to Centro Maya Xe’Kiyaqasiiwaan. The fire department used the van as an ambulance to transport people to the nearest hospital, an hour away.

  • Donated education supplies, toys, musical instruments, and many essentials. In 2004 Kriss Wells and Dottie and Jerry Wala drove to Tennessee, taking 16 boxes of supplies which were then shipped to Centro Maya Xe’Kiyaqasiiwaan by Vine International. Other essentials are taken to San Juan la Laguna in luggage.

  • Paid half the salary of a physical therapist, 2003 – 2008.

  • Set up a website, www.centromayaguatemala.org