Lakeshore Campus Information Session: Humber College - Guatemala Initiative

Join this info session to learn more about Humber's partnership with Free Hearts Foundation (Corazones Libres), an NGO working in the Vuelta Grande community of Guatemala.

The community of Vuelta Grande is located on a mountain about 20 minutes away from Antigua, Guatemala. While Antigua is the country’s tourist hotspot and an economic powerhouse, the people of Vuelta Grande live in extreme poverty. The community is made up of different Mayan groups from around the country. Many people migrated to the area due to the 30-year civil war or to take advantage of job opportunities on farms and coffee plantations.

Free Hearts Foundation and founder, Ingrid Juarez-Brenner, have been working with the community to help meet some of the community’s needs. Supporting the organization’s efforts in a fundraising capacity is a German nonprofit organization, Kindern eine Chance, started by Uli Leibrecht—the Director and Founder of CEPA Europe.

Humber's International Centre received funding for Humber’s International Development Institute (IDI) to conduct a Community Needs Assessment in Vuelta Grande and identify opportunities for Humber staff and students to partner with Free Hearts Foundation and the community.

Overview of potential Humber partnership initiatives with Free Hearts Foundation:

• Long-term community development project in partnership with Free Hearts Foundation with a focus on capacity building and training (Vision: build in work placement opportunities for students)
• Short-term micro-projects with a focus educating/training (Early Childhood Education, Skills-Based Training for Income Generation, Youth Economic Development)
• Free Hearts Foundation is open to having Humber students come to Vuelta Grande to complete work placements.

Any questions about the info session can be directed to Jennifer Wilson-Lee at jennifer.wilson-lee@humber.ca