In the community
Mentoring and safe spaces
We support the design, implementation and evaluation of community programs led by Indigenous mentors.
Three decades of legacy in service of Indigenous girls and adolescents in Guatemala.
25,000+Indigenous girls reached
500+rural communities in Guatemala
Cumulative figures for the Abriendo Oportunidades program since 2004.
Who we are
In October 2026, Abriendo Oportunidades begins a new chapter. The program is now led from Guatemala by Fundación Abriendo Oportunidades: a private, nonprofit, apolitical and nonpartisan organization serving Indigenous girls and women.
The challenge
A fourfold disadvantage
From the start, the program has responded to the deep inequity that keeps Indigenous girls, adolescents and women from reaching their full potential. There has been progress, but the structural roots remain.
Age
As they reach adolescence, many Indigenous girls leave school at higher rates than any other group in the population.
Gender
They are overrepresented in early unions and adolescent pregnancies, and their opportunities for decent work are scarce.
Ethnicity
Indigenous peoples were disproportionately harmed during the internal armed conflict, and their representation in decision-making remains limited.
Geographic isolation
In rural communities, public programs and resources arrive with little relevance to local needs, or do not arrive at all.
“Girls thrive when they are mentored by Indigenous women who support them on their path to adulthood.”The premise validated by the program’s evaluations.
What we do
From safe spaces in the community to public policy
With the support of mothers, fathers and local leaders, mentors organized in networks bring public services closer to girls, with a cultural relevance few social initiatives achieve.
Professional development
Escuela de Oportunidades
Internships that open doors for new generations of Indigenous women, and training for public officials committed to culturally relevant public policy.
Public policy
Evidence-based advocacy
We bring what we learn in communities to decision-makers, to amplify the impact of public policy in Guatemala.
Collaborative initiatives
A network that brings together civil society organizations, government and philanthropy so that Guatemala’s education policies have greater impact.
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The legacy
From girls’ groups to Indigenous women’s organizations
Organically, the program gave rise to mentor networks that are now established civil society organizations, such as REDMI Aq’ab’al in Totonicapán and Na’leb’ak in Alta Verapaz.
Pathways
A generation already making decisions
Today, many of the girls and mentors who took part in Abriendo Oportunidades are professionals and educators, and lead far-reaching initiatives in the national government.
Cohorts of girls and mentors show better education outcomes, less exposure to violence and greater autonomy.
How we learn
Research rooted in communities
The program has also led innovative evaluation designs, such as the most significant change methodology, experimental quantitative evaluations and anthropological approaches that engage mentors as researchers, in the Latin American tradition of action research. These evaluations have led to publications that will be preserved in the Foundation’s repository.
Strategic plan 2026–2028
Four priority goals
Trust and community roots are essential in the Indigenous worldview. That is why our goals put the capacities and leadership of Indigenous girls and adolescents at the center.
1. Expand our reach
Bring the Abriendo Oportunidades program to as many settings as possible.
2. Intergenerational leadership
Grow a network that shapes public policy, where Indigenous women set the pace.
3. Evidence for policy
Generate knowledge in the most urgent areas to speed up closing gaps and reducing inequality.
4. A strong foundation
Build an autonomous, transparent and financially sustainable institution.