The Maya Childcare Trust is a tiny charity set up by a friend of mine who worked in Guatemala and saw what a difference a childcare centre could make to vulnerable families.

I’m a trustee of the UK charity supporting the work of the centre in Guatemala and have visited to see its work myself, most recently in early 2018.

Pre-school children often have to go to work strapped to their mothers backs, often for over 10 hours a day, or else they're left at home with an older sibling - we're talking a 2 and 4 year old being looked after by a 7 year old. This gives them very little chance to develop in the way pre schoolers get to here.

They need a safe and nurturing environment, which they get at the childcare centre
supported by the Maya Childcare Trust. Once the preschoolers are at the Centre,
the older siblings get to attend school and the mothers have a better chance of
getting a better job.

Malnutrition is appalling in the western highlands of Guatemala (just Google it - one of the worst rates in the world, we just rarely hear about it here). The Centre has its own cook, children's health is assessed and invariably improves after they join the
Centre, and knowledge is passed back to the parents on how to improve nutrition
for the whole family.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.