Los Planes and Paxub’, Santa Lucia Utatlán, Guatemala
Maybeline Chavajay Cotuc began work with ViviendasLeon in late 2022 as our human training program director. During the following six months she had met with and interviewed more than 30 families and launched our first human training program in the Los Planes and Paxub’ communities of Santa Lucia Utatlan. By July she had risen to the role of country director while continuing to carry out the training program through the end of 2023. By mid 2024, she had hired our first agronomist in Guatemala, Yamileth Alonzo, and is now overseeing our new sustainable farms program.
Maybeline is from San Pedro la Laguna, Sololá. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from the University of San Carlos de Guatemala in Quetzaltenango and is working toward obtaining her license as a social worker. In her previous position with Vision Guatemala, she facilitated a health program in 2019 focusing on training women and adolescents in the department of Sololá on comprehensive health issues including reproductive education, health and nutrition. From 2020-21she was the coordinator of the program developing new programming, assuming administrative responsibilities and developing alliances with medical clinics.
Maybeline Chavajay:
“I enjoy collaborating with women and adolescents from other communities to learn more about other cultures around me (Sololá has at least 3 major indigenous language groups) and talk about important topics such as comprehensive health, sex education and mental health. I consider these important topics for women, ensuring that little by little we can break with various taboos we have grown up with. I want to be an agent of change and contribute my knowledge in the different spaces where I am involved.”
