Mentoring facilitates university attendance

KfW supports poorer students in Guatemala with scholarships

Two students in a green area in front of a two-storey university building
Rafael Landívar University in Huehuetenango, in northwestern Guatemala, is one of the best universities in the country.

Studying is unthinkable for many poorer or indigenous youth in Guatemala, especially women. A scholarship program, for which KfW provides funding on behalf of the German Federal Government, encourages university attendance and organises mentoring. The success is clear: the drop-out rate among students of the programme is much lower than average.

Family comes first in Guatemala. Successful pupils, especially those from poorer families, often choose not to study. For them, contributing to family income is more important than educating themselves – even though education provides a long-term way out of poverty.

A mentoring programme therefore supports scholarship holders at the Jesuit University Rafael Landívar in Guatemala in addition to financial support. The mentors will not only advise on academic issues, but also on finding accommodation, dealing with money and health problems.

Since 2019, KfW has been promoting this programme on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). To date, 664 scholarships have been awarded, 70% of them to women. Particular attention is being paid to young people from rural areas. Half of the recipients are indigenous. Until now, this population group has been under-represented in the country’s universities.

Teacher standing in front of students in a class
The students supported here with a scholarship are often the first in their family to attend a university.

Facilitate entry into the job

The fears of the unknown academic world and the responsibility for the family are putting many of the scholarship holders under pressure. They find it selfish to advocate for their own education instead of supporting the family, for example through work that generates income instantly. That is why mentors are so important: they discuss these concerns with the mentees or their parents. This is proving successful: the drop-out rate among students with scholarships is 10%, compared to the university-wide average of 40%.

The project is now being expanded and is also intended to make it easier for people to start their careers in 2025/2026 by offering them career guidance. Scholars will learn about their personal strengths and find out which professions are most likely to be of particular interest to them. It provides training in soft skills, technical skills, and entrepreneurship to help promising students succeed on the labor market and lift their families out of poverty.