The K’amolb’e School, in Spanish “Instituto Maya Comunitario K’amolb’e,” (IMaCK) is a non-profit organization created to foster bilingual education and provide educational access in the most remote rural areas and Maya indigenous villages in Guatemala. Kamolb’e is a Q’eqchi’ word that means “leader of progress.” In many ways, this term describes Fredy Oxom, one of the young people that attended Pearson College UWC from 2005 to 2007 and was inspired to put his energy toward social change through education. During his college education, with support from a Projects for Peace Award, he partnered with local community leaders to create a school in his remote village of Nimlah’akok to address impoverished circumstances; lack of government aid, lack of economic resources, lack of access to education, and poor health conditions. Fredy himself is a Mayan Q’eqchi’, and he too battled against these poor conditions to get an education. No middle- or high school education was available to students in this region, until Xchool Ixim was able to open IMaCK in 2010; the only school that serves 7th – 12th graders in the region.
Our Impact
In addition, since its foundation, IMaCK has:
- Engaged 35 small remote villages
- Employed 30 Maya indigenous professionals throughout 11 years
- Matriculated 22 graduates who enrolled in universities
- Matriculated 5 alumni who have obtained a university degree
IMaCK has also raised awareness of the importance of education and helped Maya indigenous students gain confidence and self-identity. Additionally, it has raised the education level of the community members from having minimal primary education to having high school and university graduates.