IICAmigos is a non-profit, non-partisan and non-religious, non-governmental organization founded in 1991.

It was born due to the desire of the students, teachers and administration of the Instituto Central America to be part of the solution of the problems that have affected and continue to affect our Mayan communities. In addition, ICAmigos is motivated by principles of respect for human dignity and social participation in the search for the common good.

To date the ONG has worked intensively in the five current projects, which are: 

1. Reforestation Project (initiated in 1990, before the foundation of the NGO ICAmigos)
2. Bilingual Education (Mayan Language Mam-Spanishl)
3. Rural Education
4. Development of Artisan Groups
5. Literacy and Education Program for inmates of the Women’s Prevention Center of Quetzaltenango.

Through their involvement in ICAmigos the projects have received assistance from collateral projects, such as:

1. Scholarships for students in the Bilingual Education Project

2. Scholarships for students working on coffee plantations in the southern coastal area of Guatemala.

3. Health Education Communication Project in traditional Mayan communities (Preventative Health Project) in San Andrés Xecúl in the Department of Totonicapán.

4. Project to provide equipment, maintenance and medicines to the Health Clinic in Cantón Chitux, Quetzaltenango.

5. Assistance to the Coordinadora Campesina del Sur Occidente (COCASO-Coordinator of Rural Residents of the South East).
    

Our head offices are in the Department of Quetzaltenango, approximately 200 kilometres from Guatemala city. Three volunteer managers, who are associated with I.C.A. and who donate their work and efforts to the organization and its projects, direct the ONG. In addition, we believe that without the support, work and collaboration of our teachers, students and volunteers our projects would not have significant impact. Because of this our organization has sister relationships with several international organizations which send groups of volunteers, who year after year labor for the projects and at the same time for the development of the communities served.

The Philosophy of ICAmigos

Our philosophy consists of involving ourselves in the problems of our communities and organizing to assist and establish urgently needed projects in order to achieve a better quality of life that Guatemalans deserve as human beings.

We offer projects preferentially to rural communities and programs that have community-wide effects, such as education, health, artisan activities, reforestation and organization in areas surrounding Quetzaltenango. Our projects promote economic growth, while culturally and socially supporting the communities to maintain their Mayan culture.