La Choza Chula

La Choza Chula (The Cool Shack) is a dynamic social enterprise (registered Community Interest Company no. 487948) based on the Pacific Coast of Guatemala. We help local children, young people and women benefit from international surf tourism and enable tourists to leave a positive footprint during their travels. Our innovative and creative education and enterprise programmes help break cycles of poverty, inspire young people to dream big and foster youth leadership.

Since 2012 we have:

• Built a library and created a literacy programme within the primary school, allowing over 300 children access to 2000 books and games, creative activities and dedicated reading hours.

• Made the community´s 25 year old dream to build a dedicated secondary school in the village a reality. We worked with 90 volunteer surfers from US nonprofit "Surf for Life" and the community to build 3 spacious classrooms, an office and a storeroom and are aiming to build a computer lab and basketball court soon! This free, state school is the first of its kind in Guatemala with a methodology which focuses on vocational and entrepreneurial training. It allows students to turn ideas into micro businesses, which also generates income for the school. We are building a computer lab this year.

• Helped underachieving primary school students pass their end of year exams through catch up classes, enabling young children to advance to the next grade.
  
• Trained over 20 local young people to design and make their own bracelet collections which are sold internationally, with profits allowing the makers to save for their own surf boards, school supplies and clothes.
  
• Trained local women to handcraft shoulder bags, yoga mat bags as well as surf socks out of typical Guatemalan fabrics that are sold internationally.

• Established an English teaching programme which enables locals to be able to work with tourists.
  
• Established a summer break programme in the library for the local kids to support their continuous learning even in the 3-months summer break through teaching Maths and English, giving art and reading classes as well as offering the library as a space for evolving creativity and having fun.

These are just some of the amazing achievements that La Choza Chula has made in El Paredon since 2012. However to continue making such a positive impact in the community of El Paredon we need more funds to help realise more of the villages dreams! Any penny contributed will go straight back into the project and help continue the work we are doing out in El Paredon. If you are from the UK you can even set up repeat donations meaning you can set up a monthly payment that will do so much for the sustainiblity of the project. For more details get in touch at [email protected]!