Luminarias

05/15/2026

Luminarias Karate Program

At Luminarias, we offer a range of extracurricular activities to support our girls’ personal development. One of our most transformative programs is karate.

Karate builds strength, confidence, focus, and discipline, qualities that carry far beyond the mat. As part of the program, our girls train with dedication and participate in competitions that challenge them to put their skills to the test.

In March, that dedication paid off. Angelina, Marisol, and Sandra competed in the Copa Kaibil Balam karate tournament and took first place in the kata division.

It was an incredibly proud moment for our entire Luminarias family, and a powerful reminder of what becomes possible when girls are equipped and empowered to rise to a challenge.

This is what growth looks like.

05/15/2026

Meet Some of Our Luminarias Girls

Mayra has discovered a love of music since she arrived. Now she plays guitar and marimba.

Marisol wants to become a teacher or a lawyer, so she can stand up for people who've been abused or taken advantage of.

Desi had never played a musical instrument before, but now she has picked up guitar and ukulele. She feels she has found a big family at Luminarias.

Sandra loves the trips and activities Luminarias offers and dreams of becoming a teacher or a doctor so she can take care of her family and children who don't have one.

Marelyn loves English, art, and singing, and after watching too many young people in her community fall into drug use, she's thinking about a career fighting drug trafficking.

Rosy joined our community this year and is just beginning her Luminarias story.

Each of these girls is choosing her own future. Your support makes that possible.

Learn how you can help: https://www.luminariasproject.com/

05/13/2026

05/11/2026

Shining a Light Within,
Lighting a Way Forward
for Guatemalan Girls

We are on a mission to break the cycle of poverty and adolescent pregnancy in young Guatemalan girls. Help us empower girls to reimagine their future and become the women they aspire to be. https://www.luminariasproject.com/donate

05/10/2026

Meet Melanie - and Happy Mothers Day!

05/09/2026

This Mother’s Day, we honor the extraordinary Indigenous mothers of Guatemala whose courage, sacrifice, and love are shaping a new generation of young women. ❤️

Many of the girls in the Luminarias program are the first in their families to pursue higher education and leadership opportunities — dreams made possible because of mothers who work tirelessly, often under incredibly difficult circumstances, to give their daughters hope for a brighter future.

These women are weavers, farmers, caretakers, and protectors of culture and tradition. Their strength is quiet but powerful. Their love changes generations.

Today, we celebrate not only mothers…
but the future they are helping create.

“The Strength of a Mother. The Hope of a Daughter.”

Happy Mother’s Day from all of us at Luminarias. 🌸

Anne Bartel

05/09/2026

Honoring Rafaela

This Mother’s Day, we’re honoring the courageous women who pour their lives into building a brighter future for their children.

Women like Rafaela.

Rafaela has spent her life working in the fields and building a business with her husband so her daughter, Marlyn, could afford an education. When Marlyn was accepted into the Luminarias program, Rafaela kept cheering her on.

“We as parents are always there supporting her, always encouraging her to keep fighting in life. She shouldn’t have to go through what we went through,” Rafaela says. “I say this from the bottom of my heart, because how many of us would have loved that opportunity, but our parents couldn’t give it to us? That’s why I support Marlyn so much.”

Today, Marlyn is in her second year of university, studying to become a nurse so she can give back to her family and community.

Rafaela is endlessly proud of her daughter, and she keeps showing up for her family even as she battles diabetes and ongoing health struggles.

“I work day and night with my husband, running our business, to support our family,” she says. “As I tell my family, as long as I’m alive, I have to keep fighting. When God says it’s over, well, I’ll stop fighting. This is my gift.”

To Rafaela, and to every mother whose love and sacrifice light the way for the next generation, thank you. Happy Mother’s Day.

Marlyn Morales

05/08/2026

Honoring María, Brenda's Mother

At Luminarias, we are privileged to witness the love and sacrifice of mothers who dedicate their lives to building brighter futures for their children.

Mothers like María.

When her weaving business didn’t bring in enough to support her daughter Brenda’s education, María took on extra work doing laundry and cleaning houses. When even that wasn’t enough, María and her husband began searching for scholarship programs, and that’s when they found Luminarias.

Though it meant Brenda leaving home, María is overjoyed to see her daughter pursuing her dreams. “It is a great help that she went,” she says with a smile. “Sometimes it is hard to be separated, but it is for her own good. She wants to grow and become something great.”

Today, Brenda is on a path toward a new life. She’s studying hard, building deep friendships, and growing in confidence every day.

This Mother’s Day, we honor the mothers who, through love, hard work, and sacrifice, have fought for their daughters’ bright futures.

05/08/2026

Supporting Holistic Development

At Luminarias, we invest in every part of our girls’ wellbeing.

Through music, the arts, creative writing, debate, and chess, we nurture their minds. Through sports, spiritual devotions, and our on-site psychological clinic, we support their bodies and hearts. And through a close-knit community built on genuine friendship, we give them a place where they truly belong.

Our goal is simple: to help every girl who walks through our doors grow into a strong woman of character, one who knows her worth and has the courage to pursue her dreams. Because every girl deserves the chance to write her own story.

At Luminarias, we’re here to help each girl build the future she dreams of.

Learn more at: www.luminariasproject.com

05/07/2026

Amalia explains to us what it meant for her daughter, Angelica, to be in our program last year.