Adopt-a-Village in Guatemala

Adopt-a-Village in Guatemala is managed by two international Boards of Directors, one located in North Miami Beach, Florida, the other in Quetzalí, Guatemala.  Each Board is legalized under the laws of the country in which it is located and as such are two separate entities.  The Adopt-a-Village in Guatemala Board of Directors is responsible for fund-raising and fiscal management.  AAV’s partner organization in Guatemala, Fundación Para el Desarrollo Comunal de Huehuetenango, sets program priorities and oversees operations in Guatemala.

The hub of operations is the Mayan Center for Training and Development, a unique facility that hosts a small community of teachers, students, and staff in a remote rain forest.  The school focus in agro-forestry training and is the only post-middle school in the northwestern area of Guatemala that has been accredited by the Guatemalan government in this specialty.  It is one of only three centers in the country that offers training in bio-intensive mini-farming.

Adopt-a-Village in Guatemala

Frances Dixon, President. Frances grew up in a sparsely-populated and isolated gold mining town (now a ghost town) in the western foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Canada, where the small community lived snow-bound for much of the year. At the age of 16, she founded her first charity, joining the needs of marginalized teens with those of poor families. Fascinated with off-the-beaten path travel and different cultures, she worked her way around much of the world in a variety of careers, including a stint in Africa with the Canadian Consulate, and later founded two successful businesses, one in magazine publishing. Social justice took root early in her philosophy of life and found its most intense expression through her visionary work in aiding the Maya rebuild their lives after the ravages of the 36-year civil war in Guatemala. She leads a small but highly spirited organization of dedicated volunteers that has given hope to hundreds of indigenous people living in an isolated region on the edge of survival.

Kathy Hiebert, Treasurer. Kathy Hiebert has been a steadfast volunteer since the inception of the organization. She has made two trips to Guatemala just after the civil wars end when hiking was the only mode of travel to AAV´s early projects. She is a child sponsor, heads up the Volunteer Committee and uses her E-Bay skills to find needed school equipment for AAV. She is the current treasurer for AAV. The Mayan, Incan and Aztec civilizations have fascinated Kathy since she can remember. When she found an organization offering opportunities to know and help today’s Maya, she quickly came aboard. Kathy lives in California with her second family, husband Charlie, and seven-year old Amanda, whom she plans to take to Guatemala soon.  

Fran Lenski, Director of Communications. Fran is a retired attorney and seasoned traveler. He has explored six continents, mostly Central America and South America. His long-term vocation as an avid birder led to much of his more exotic travel. Fran and his wife Sue have an ongoing interest in Guatemala. Sue is a Professor of Reading and Literacy at Portland State University and has worked with teachers in Guatemala for the past five years. Fran has visited Guatemala several times and is actively involved in the Adopt-a-Village child sponsor program, both in Guatemala and in the United States.

Mayan Center for Training and Development

Adriel Osman Casteñeda is Director of the Mayan Center for Education and Development  He has a degree in Business Administration; his teaching speciality is in computer training.  As the center’s computer geek, he has great popularity with both the teachers and students.  Computers and Internet service at a school are rare commodities in this part of the country and Adriel’s superior teaching abilities are in high demand.  He serves in the administration of the school in addition to his teaching duties in computer technology.