Capgemini Guatemala continues its giving streak

Following the successful implementation of the first three phases, in January 2019 we launched Phase 4 of our “Building a better future for children” project – an initiative that aims to improve primary education by building elementary schools for disadvantaged children in the Ciudad Quetzal community.Please allow statistical cookies to see this Youtube embed

Building a future

On January 19, 100 volunteers from Capgemini Guatemala helped construct and equip three classrooms for Monte Carmelo II School in record time – helping to meet the school’s expanding capacity and growing needs.

This was followed in on January 25 with an activity to provide technology education and help bridge the digital gap for these pupils through building a computer lab. Over 100 pupils also participated in a science fair organized by 85 of our volunteers. As part of this initiative, both pupils and volunteers took part in various science and technology experiments, helping to develop the pupils’ interest in the subject.

Read what our colleagues say about participating in the initiative.

Incorporating technology into education

Guatemala is a country with a population of more than 17 million, characterized by a great ethnic, multilingual and pluricultural diversity, with great social and economic differences and inequalities, which increase every day, and are more visible in precarious and marginal areas, especially rural areas.

The country continues to be a predominantly rural country, with a young population, a high percentage of poverty (57%), and 21.5% of the population in extreme poverty. Poverty is predominantly present in the rural population.

Aware of the reality of our community and as a result of the suggestions of over 50% of our people, since 2015 Capgemini Guatemala has focused our energy on providing the children of the Ciudad Quetzal community with a space with adequate facilities to enable them to develop properly.

We also understand the increasing role of technology in society, and recognize the need to incorporate it in education to strengthen the basic skills children and young people must develop in the 21st century. In Guatemala there are still significant differences and lags between population groups in accessing technology, and effectively incorporating technology is a challenge for the education system.

The “Building a better future for children” project aims to contribute towards efforts made at public institution level to improve educational quality, and has included delivery of two computer labs – one in 2017 and the second in 2019, which represents the first mobile computer lab in the region, which is perfectly adapted to the educational needs of the region’s schools.

In the last four years, the impact we’ve made on the Ciudad Quetzal community is as follows:

• 3 schools
• 17 classrooms built and equipped
• 2,328 children in the community
• 1,044 volunteers participated
• 2 computer labs

Thanks to the collaboration and monthly contribution of several people we collaborate with, the generous donation match made by Capgemini Guatemala, and the kind support of our volunteers we have achieved great things.

I’d like to give a huge shout out and thanks to everyone who made this project possible! Keep inspiring!

Gustavo Tasner  enables BPO solutions and business transformation to our clients in the Americas by developing and leveraging our LATAM capabilities and expertise. Gustavo joined Capgemini in 2005 and has held different roles across Consulting, HR, and Engagement Management. In 2014, Gustavo was appointed head of the Americas Delivery Network.