Who was your favourite teacher growing up? What impact did they have on your life and why?
Teachers are the heartbeat of Impact Ministries. They are, quite literally, the hands and feet of Jesus to children in our schools. Vida Teachers are more than just educators – they provide hugs that children may not get at home, prayers through difficult situations, and love and guidance as students grow into godly leaders.
But right now, Guatemala is facing a nationwide teacher shortage. And that affects Vida Schools.
Praise God, we didn’t have to shut down any classes for 2026! We are so thankful for the teachers who choose to minister in our Vida Schools, and for our class sponsors who support them. But we are definitely feeling the effects of the teacher shortage throughout the ministry.
Currently, we’re unable to expand our schools. This includes both the new school in Mestala and upcoming opportunities for new classrooms in Vida Mocohán and Vida Purulhá.
This pause in expansion is temporary. But we don’t want to expand what we can’t sustain.
We’re pleased to see some positive movement in the Department of Education, including a proposal for a specialized Grades 11-13 senior high school program that would qualify graduates to teach in all primary grades. Recent changes to educational requirements restricted our Teacher Training grads – and others in similar programs across the country – to teaching in Grades 2 and under. As you can imagine, this immediately created a deficit of teachers qualified for the older grades. We are hopeful that the proposed program could help ease the teacher shortage.
In the meantime, as we trust the Lord through this crisis, we are working hard to ensure all our classes are supported by a sponsorship cluster of 10 or more sponsors. Class sponsorship is the best way to come alongside our teachers and to continue to provide education to our students amidst the rising cost of education.
Want to learn more about coming alongside teachers by sponsoring a class? Find more info here or join us next month as we celebrate Sponsorship Month at Impact Ministries.
Thank you for caring for our students AND their teachers. And thank you for standing with us as we navigate the challenges of educating children well in a country where need so often outstrips resources.