Regina Xol Ba and her family live in northern Guatemala and come from the Q’eqchi’, an indigenous Mayan people group. More than 1 million Q’eqchi’ live in Guatemala, sharing a rich culture and unique language.

Regina was 16 years old when her father, the primary breadwinner of their family, passed away. After her father’s passing, Regina began to work to help support her mother and siblings. It was a difficult time, and the family struggled to make ends meet.

But things began to change when Regina’s mother began participating in a food security project facilitated by World Renew’s local partner, Association of the Integral Program for Christian Development; the Presbyterian Service Committee of Peten (APIDEC). Initially, Regina was not interested in the project, but over time she observed the positive impact these programs had on her mother.

Motivated by her mother’s success, Regina decided to join the training sessions. She learned valuable skills in agriculture, such as vegetable planting, creating family gardens, food processing, and poultry raising. These new skills opened opportunities for Regina to generate income and help her family journey to food security.

Regina is now 22 years old, with a home and family of her own. She is a proud role model of economic independence for her siblings and her young son. She thanks God for the support of World Renew and APIDEC—and for the knowledge and skills that she gained, which helped her to become self-reliant and economically stable.

Thank you for your gifts that help young people like Regina to acquire new skills, grow in confidence, and become role models in their communities.