Maya Youth

Mayan youth and teenagers find many ways of using their leisure time productively. Some of these ways are education, work, and recreation.

Education: Some young Mayans get opportunities for a higher level of education beyond primary level. These young people are considered elites in their villages. Usually in these rural communities, older people encourage them and help students to try their best. In society they are supposed to show more responsibility and discipline.

Work: Maya teenagers who don't get an opportunity for higher studies usually find jobs such as masonry and carpentry. These people are also respected for helping to construct and develop the community. Other youths who don't find jobs simply help their parents in the fields and at home.

Recreation: Both studying and working young people engage in recreation. After coming from school or after coming from work, youngsters find a ways to relax and have fun such as playing ball (football, basketball, or volleyball), swimming, talking to friends, or reading and drawing. By doing this the young people develop themselves both physically and mentally, and become conscious of the outer world, which prevents them from getting into using drugs (smoking and drinking) and also helps them keep out of trouble.

Analysis Of Maya Youth

We support the participation of youth in culture, traditional ways of life and preservation of our land and resources. In some villages youth have undertaken activities like gardening, painting the school, starting a library, fund-raising for projects like a block-making machine and getting involved with farming, poultry and pig raising. In many villages, however, there are no activities for the youth, and some villages have only sports as an activity.

Many young people have either one parent missing while growing up and have no role model to look up to. There is no one to put them to work. They are forgetting their culture. For example, they refuse to speak their language and are ashamed of their clothing style and music. Education is a problem because the only high school is in Punta Gorda Town, which is far from many villages, and it does not teach our children about Maya culture and language.

We see education as necessary to preserve our culture. So it is mandatory to help our youths understand the importance of Maya culture.

1. Establishment of a high school in San Antonio or San Pedro Columbia. This high school will teach languages (English, Mopan and Ke'kchi), mathematics, vocational and technical courses as well as arts and crafts.
2. Establishment of long-term income-producing activities in the villages other than agriculture, such as small factories to press jams from local fruits.
3. Land must be made available for the use of young people.
4. Training and education for youth in youth dynamics.