Our Homes: NPH Guatemala

Guatemala Facts

Area:
42,042 square miles – slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Population:
18,255,216 (2024 est.)

Languages:
Spanish (official) 69.9%, Maya languages 29.7%, other 0.4%; there are more than 20 officially recognized Amerindian languages

Issues:
Predominantly poor country that struggles in several areas of health and development, including infant, child, and maternal mortality, malnutrition, literacy; soil erosion; water pollution

Discover NPH Guatemala

NPH’s fifth home for orphaned, abandoned and at-risk children was established in rented facilities in 1996. The family moved to their new home, named Casa San Andres, which is situated 4,900 feet above sea level in Guatemala’s highlands, in August 2003.

NPH Guatemala at a Glance

Opened:
November 11, 1996

Location:
Casa San Andres Home is in Parramos, 16 miles from Antigua and an hour northwest of Guatemala City

NPH Operates:
Family-style home, school (grades K – 9), medical clinic, farm and greenhouse, vocational workshops

Community Programs include the Sagrada Familia (“Sacred Family”) Daycare Center, the Father William Wasson Family Center, and NPH OneFamily which provides services to families in need

2023 Impact

626 children and adults supported

125 local people employed

90 K – University graduates

Did you know?

The school year in Guatemala is January – October. The curriculum includes Spanish, social studies, natural sciences, English, arts and crafts, music and sports.
There are five nationally certified vocational workshops: Baking, Cooking, Carpentry, Metalwork, and Sewing.
The Sagrada Familia Daycare Center opened on the NPH property in 2019. It provides care and early stimulation for 2-to-4-year-old children of single parents with limited resources.
The Father William Wasson Family Center opened in 2022. Located 5 miles from the NPH home in Chimaltenango, it focuses on supporting and strengthening families by filling vital gaps in services to help children, people with disabilities, and single mothers. The Center offers free nutrition, daycare, and tutoring for children; speech and physical therapy for children and adults; and training for parents.
In 2023, a total of 95 children and young adults were supported through the OneFamily Program which focuses on keeping struggling families together by providing aid through scholarships, psychological therapy, educational workshops, and parental schooling.
The Chicas Poderosas (“Powerful Girls”) program helps prepare and empower girls by building self-esteem, self-awareness, and confidence.
The Labor Insertion Program gives youth necessary skills to acquire a job that so that they can become self-sufficient and contributing members of society. The program provided job training and education and placement assistance to 89 young men and women in 2023.
The Family Bakery offers fresh pastries made on site, and coffee to help local fundraising. It is staffed by students who gain professional experience and business management skills.
The Smile Shop is an integrated learning store for children and young adults with physical and cognitive disabilities. Participants make and sell healthy snacks, attend to clients, and manage resources, thereby learning skills for independence.

More Information:

• Holiday Celebrations at NPH Guatemala
• Fact Sheet (PDF)
• Home Map (PDF)
• Visitor’s Guide (PDF)
• NPH OneFamily program

How to Help:

• Sponsor a child
• Support the NPH Guatemala home with a Mi Casa! Sponsorship
• Donate now

Learn about the other NPH homes: