Manos de Colores – “adultos”

On Saturday from 7am in the morning until 5pm in the evening, the El Nahual Community Center transforms into an adult learning center through the Manos de Colores program, which offers Primary School certification for local adults. There are currently 35 adults registered on the program between the ages of 13 and 45. While Guatemalan law requires that children attend school until the age of 14, many people are unable to pay the fees associated with public schooling or, out of necessity, choose to enter the workforce. The state does little to stop children from prematurely dropping out of school. Those enrolled in the intensive and accelerated program graduate after two years of classes with a government-approved Primary School Diploma.