Celebrating 15 Years!

Created by potrace 1.10, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2011

We turned 15 on January 1, 2022!  We were born on January 1, 2007 – the day “Wuqu’ Kawoq” on the traditional Mayan calendar. Wuqu’ Kawoq represents medicine and healthcare providers. So we chose that as our name to reflect our mission of bringing quality care to rural, Mayan communities.

Reflecting back on our 15 years, we’ve remained true to this mission, chipping away at the barriers to quality health care in indigenous communities, like language, culture, cost, distance, and discrimination. We’ve served more than 100,000 patients and provided care in more than 215,000 clinic visits. 

As part of our anniversary, we are highlighting 15 essential building blocks that have established the foundation for this work. We are Building Health Together – with patients, communities, NGO and government partners – and you. There’s a popular expression here in Guatemala that captures this spirit: manos a la obra. Literally, hands to the work. Or, let’s do this!

Much work remains. We invite you to join us as we continue to learn and build!

15 Essential Building Blocks

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LANGUAGE

Language

Nearly half of Guatemalans speak a Mayan language but most health care is delivered in Spanish. We provide care in our patients’ Mayan languages, including Covid information that reaches millions of people daily via radio, social media, & video.
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SCIENCE

Science

We use data and ongoing feedback to study what we’re doing so we can do it better & share what we learn.
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QUALITY

Quality

We’re closing health gaps by bringing high-quality, culturally relevant care to indigenous communities in rural Guatemala.
WATCH VIDEO
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INDIGENOUS WISDOM

Indigenous Wisdom

We are guided by and support Maya health workers who infuse knowledge from the many different cultures and communities we serve.
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SYSTEMS CHANGE

Systems Change

We’re working upstream to address the root causes of health disparities, such as access to health care.
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TOP NOTCH TEAM

Top Notch Team

We recruit, train, and support a remarkable team of devoted, capable community health workers, nurses, and doctors.
MEET OUR TEAM
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PREVENTION

Prevention

We use patient education and state of the art diagnostics such as HPV testing to support prevention & early detection.
FIGHTING CERVICAL CANCER
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COMPREHENSIVE CARE

Comprehensive Care

We provide ongoing care for all aspects of our patients’ health from birth to adulthood.
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YOU!

You!

Many dedicated donors and volunteers, along with our fantastic Board of Directors, power our work. Pictured is Kelly Hong, a high school senior who supports our work with the Flour Project.
THE FLOUR PROJECT
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SMART TECHNOLOGY

Smart Technology

We leverage technology like our maternal health smartphone app to make it easier for our team to work effectively.
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EMPOWERED PATIENTS

Empowered Patients

We provide patients with the information, resources, and confidence they need to achieve the best possible health.
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TRAINING

ONGOING LEARNING

Ongoing Learning

Our team receives regular, ongoing training in technical and patient support skills like motivational interviewing.
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COLLABORATION

Collaboration

We partner at local, regional, and national levels to maximize our impact. When Covid-19 first emerged, we convened dozens of partners to share information and resources and coordinate a response.
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WOMEN LEADERS

Women Leaders

Empowering women is key for improving lives in families and communities. Our women-led team partners with mothers, midwives, nurses, and navigators to create better health.
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INNOVATION

Innovation

Our agile approach allows us to continually deploy and adapt new ways to improve our patients’ health. One example is a smartphone application we’re developing to engage Kaqchikel caregivers in providing nurturing care for at-risk infants.
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