• Rented project centre with three class rooms, library, office, covered courtyard, small kitchen and three toilets
• Teaching materials, computers with learning software, games, theatre, music and sports equipment

In contrast to other schools in the city, the Guatemalan curriculum is not only taught frontally, because the teachers demand active participation and practical application of what the young people have learnt. In addition, they consciously promote critical thinking and problem solving. The young people often work in small groups or prepare presentations which they then present to the plenary. In this way, they not only learn to make a presentation structured and understandable, but also lose their fear of speaking in front of other people. This ability benefits them later, for example when it comes to conducting an interview.

The school is a clear antithesis to the rough social conditions and the high level of crime in Chimaltenango. No violence is accepted on the school grounds. The mutual respect of the sexes is lived and the traditional culture of the Mayan people is given a place. The art and cultural offerings and the varied workshops help the young people to learn how to spend their leisure time without violence and with meaningful content. With the existing infrastructure, over 60 pupils can be taught in five classes and one weekend class. The size of the property does not allow class numbers to be expanded. But only with larger and additional classes can specialist teachers be deployed more efficiently and La Esperanza's level of self-sufficiency be increased. This would require a new building on a larger site.

Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America. A special feature of the region is the very high proportion of people of indigenous origin, at around 40 percent. As a rule, these people are less well educated and have less access to lucrative occupations. The country is still suffering from the aftermath of civil war. Since then, many Guatemalans have found violence a sad part of their everyday lives. Drug and gang crime are rampant in urban agglomerations, and land conflicts flare up again and again in rural areas.

More than half of the population - disproportionately the indigenous population - lives in poverty. It suffers from considerable unemployment and precarious health care. The situation of young people is particularly worrying. The government almost exclusively supports primary schools, so that the state's educational opportunities are extremely limited after completion of primary school. Young people with limited financial resources have no access to vocational training or secondary school. Many primary school leavers therefore are at risk of slipping into drug and gang crime or prostitution.

17,7 million inhabitants (estimate 2022)