Who We Are
Namaste is a locally run and registered NGO in Guatemala with 501(c)(3) status in the US. We empower Guatemalan women through financial education, personalized business coaching, and fair access to capital, supporting them to achieve financial security and independence.
What’s the Need?
Guatemala’s high (55%) poverty rate is directly linked to the pervasive gender-based discrimination and violence in the country, which prevent women from fully participating in the economy.
By investing in women, Namaste tackles the root of these problems and breaks the cycle of poverty.
Guatemalan women manage the vast majority of unpaid domestic work,child-rearing, and family caretaking…
Guatemalan women rarely have assets in their names. Without collateral or official employment, it can be…
Women entrepreneurs lack the necessary education, such as financial literacy and basic business skills.
Guatemalan women manage the vast majority of unpaid domestic work,child-rearing, and family caretaking…
over 70% of working women in Guatemala are self-employed in the informal workforce out of necessity.
Guatemala has the highest rate of chronic childhood malnutrition in Latin America.
A Preview of our Programs
An Alternative to Microloans: Namaste's Cuchubal Match Program
A crucial alternative to traditional loans, the CM incentivizes women who have been victimized by predatory lending to master financial skills and escape debt by matching their savings.
Women's Economic Empowerment (WEE) Education
Equips hundreds of marginalized women annually with practical skills to achieve economic independence
Namaste's Creating Prosperity Program
A nine-month accelerator for economically vulnerable women running small, informal businesses.
Namaste's Amazing Annual Conference
Every Spring, Namaste convenes 100 women entrepreneurs for learning, networking, and celebration at Lake Atitlan.
The Impact
For over 15 years, Namaste has empowered more than 5,000 Guatemalan women to escape poverty through business coaching, financial education, and fair access to capital. With our support, these women have doubled their profits, gained financial independence, and reinvested in their families’ education, nutrition, and healthcare.
Our Partners
Strategic partnerships are key to tackling the challenges of poverty and gender inequality. We are grateful to our partners for their shared commitment to advancing women’s economic security.
