In Spanish, it means ... we are equals.

Somos Iguales is an organization whose mission is to provide educational opportunities to women of the world so they can improve the conditions of themselves and their families.

Many woman and children around the world today struggle to survive without what many of us would consider the barest of necessities.

What if you had to choose between going to school, or earning money so that your family could eat?
Which would you chose?

A few years ago while traveling in Guatemala, Loel Coleman, the founder of Somos Iguales, noticed that young girls who sell tourist items on the streets did not know how to read or write.

Even though government schools are available, many young girls cannot attend because they have to sell handicrafts to earn money during school hours so that their families can have food on the table.

First Reading Class at Lake Atitlan

To fix this problem, a class in reading was started. The class was held during hours when these girls were able to attend. The class had only four students in the beginning.

The first school is in Guatemala, in the village of Panajachel on Lake Atitlan - a volcanic lake in the Guatemalan Highlands. The lake is surrounded by villages of indigenous Maya Indians who hand weave and make traditional crafts as they have done for centuries. See Map of Lake Atitlan at right. It is difficult to believe that such pristine beauty of nature and abject poverty can exist side-by-side, but here it does.

Starting with reading and writing, the goal of Somos Iguales is to expand to teaching English, computer and business skills as well as providing micro loans to improve the living standards for woman and children around the world in poverty today.

There are 2.2 billion children on the planet today. A billion live in poverty.

In many parts of the world, people earn hardly enough to eat and simple basics like running water are often not available. Education is a luxury that cannot be afforded. Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names.

Starting with one small school in one small impoverished village, Somos Iguales seeks to provide education to women of the world so they can improve the condition of themselves and their families.

In Guatemala, almost three-quarters of the indigenous population is poor.

The government gives the natives very little support and the Mayans in Panajachel must eke out a living by selling their crafts to tourists attracted by the area's incredible scenery.

The Somos Iguales school is the only opportunity many young Mayan girls in Panajachel have to learn to read and write because the classes are held when they do not have to be selling to the tourists in the marketplace.

Somos Iguales provides additional support

Besides the school, Somos Iguales also provides some immediate financial aid for food and other necessities by buying handicrafts from the girls and their families.

These handicrafts are then sold by Somos Iguales at festivals and now on the Internet to earn money to support the school. With the education the school provides, these girls will have the opportunity to earn more and break the cycle of poverty in their own lives and the lives of their children yet to be born.

Help us improve the lives of the Mayan women of Guatemala and marginalized women in other parts of the world.

• Please buy some of the beautiful imported handicrafts you see on the website. This money goes directly to support the Somos Iguales school in Panajachel, Guatemala and to expand the outreach of Somos Iguales.
• Tell someone else about what we are doing so they also can help.
• Send a postcard or a link to a friend to tell them about this website.
• You can also make a tax deductible contribution to Somos Iguales. With these contributions, the Somos Iguales schools can expand.

Take part in having a positive impact on the world!!

!! IMPORTANT NOTICE - We are pleased to announce that as of February 2007, Somos Iguales has qualified as a 501(c)(3) exempt organization under the Internal Revenue Code!!

This means that contributions to Somos Iguales are now tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

About Somos Iguales

The Mission Statement of Somos Iguales as written in its Articles of Incorporation:

To provide educational opportunities to women of the world who otherwise might not have access to these in order to create more economic options for them.

Somos Iguales was formed in 2005 as an organization dedicated to providing education to the girls in Guatemala who otherwise cannot attend school. Somos Iguales provides a way to continue the work of the school and raise the funds needed to cover costs of operation.

We feel that everyone has a right to basic education in order to increase the chances of advancement, opening the door to more economic opportunities to raise living standards. The Somos Iguales School began with teaching basic reading skills and is expanding into classes in English and computer skills. We currently have a school in Panajachel, Guatemala. We have plans to establish schools in other countries as we grow as an organization.

This website has been created as a means of selling the beautiful handicrafts from Guatemala, some made by the students of the school and their families, as a way to raise funds for operating Somos Iguales.

We are also in the process of obtaining 501(c)(3) status from the Internal Revenue Service. This will allow tax deductibility for your donations. Approval is expected soon and once received, all contributions made now will retroactively be tax deductible.