A place to meet - informal education in rural Guatemala

Sammanfattning: The education system in Guatemala is facing a lot of difficulties with low educational standards, a lack of teachers and facilities and a curriculum not equal or adjusted to the needs of all students. The largest problem occurs outside the system - children who don’t get access to education due to poverty. The largest group out of school is represented by Guatemala’s indigenous population in rural areas. In this project I aim to address those difficulties and create a space where education can be accessed outside of the official system. The project takes place in Xenimajuyu in the Guatemalan highlands and the outcome is designed for a Swedish-Guatemalan NGO that operates in the area. In this work I am focusing on the theoretical background and the process of creating this place as much as the outcome and result. The proposal is a combination of out and indoor facilities for education as well as a building that will be used as a living facility by the NGO’s future volunteers. This proposal is not to be seen as a solution to the current education problem in Guatemala but rather as an acute treatment to the disease. I do not suggest informal education solutions as a replacement to the official system but I do want to highlight how other ways of education are possible.