About Our Organization
After numerous stints with other non-profits in Guatemala over the years we, a family spread across the US, decided in 2010 to begin the organization initially named Guatemala Housing Alliance. Incorporated in Washington State we received our 501(c)(3) determination in 2011 with the intention of focusing our efforts in the area of Lake Atitlán where we felt housing needs often went unaddressed. In this region systemic poverty is often made catastrophic by occasional earthquakes and frequent tropical storms which take their toll on homes and lives in massive mudslides along the de-forested slopes of the caldera.
In 2025, GHA changed its name to Mayan Eduaction and Support Alliance (MESA) to better reflect its current focus. MESA manages pre-school classes, scholarships from primary through university levels, tutoring, and workshops to empower moms. MESA continues to provide stoves and build cement floors to improve the health of the community.
ALLIANCES
In Guatemala MESA is known as Construyendo Alianzas (Building Alliances) because key to our success has been nurturing collaborations with other NPO’s, NGO’s, Universities, and Foundations working around Lake Atitlan. Current and former alliances include the Universidad de Valencia in Spain, Masons on a Mission, Water4Life, Mexicali Blues, ChildAid, American Women for International Understanding, the Maine Community Foundation, and Frutesol Nicaragua.