Uaxactún: Located in northern region of Guatemala, this area is home to a community of almost 800 people with some of the most beautiful landscapes including ruins constructed from the Maya Civilization and home to beautiful wildlife creatures such as spider monkeys, jaguars, and many exotic birds
Types of Concessions:
Xate
Chicle
All-spice
Facts:
Among the first Maya archaeological sites excavated by Sylvanus Morley
National landmark since 1970
Famous Attractions:
Tikal National Park
Famous Mayan ruins and artifacts
The Asociación Forestal Integral San Andres- Peten (AFISAP), one of the forest concessions responsible for supplying xate from the multiple use zone of the Reserve, received the Sasakawa Prize Laureate award in 2010 by the United Nations Environment Programme for their work conserving 52,000 hectares of forest. The significance of their work has saved the wildlife population like the jaguar and also from deforestation.
To learn more about xate, click on the link below
The most well known xate concession lies in the small community of Uaxactún, 12 miles north of Tikal Park. Known for being the ancient sacred place of the Mayan civilization, visitors come to see the famous ruins. They will also see howler monkeys, spider monkeys, deer, jaguars and birds live in the surrounding areas. The town is quiet and peaceful where inhabitants work to extract xate to produce palm plants and also chicle for gum.
Over the past 30 years, this has been the livelihood for the community. For these concession workers, they have seen better living standards through better income selling these plants to the public which has allowed opportunities for women and children to become involved in the business.
Photo courtesy of Megan Butler
This is the case of Doña Reina, who thanks to the income she received from Xate was able to provide her four children with education, one of them is her daughter, Daniela, who is a elementary school teacher.
As she mentions “my daughter is a teacher, who finished her career in the city and came back to the community. She’s been teaching for five years now and makes 1500 quetzales a month, but thanks to bonus the community receives from churches has helped to provide an incentive of 600 quetzales for teachers working in the community, reaching a total of 2100 quetzales monthly”.
This is 40% more than what a teacher working in the city makes. Incentives like this have helped and encouraged people like Doña Miriam's daughter to continue their studies and to help in the development of the community.
Today, 80% of the teachers who teach in Uaxactun are people who have left their community to complete their studies and have returned to work in the community.
This is partly due to the support they receive from churches. Currently, part of the bonus given by churches is being implemented in tertiary scholarships for students who wish to pursue a college degree.
For Doña Magdalena’s son, Jason. A leader of the community, who, thanks to a scholarship he received, has helped him to continue his studies at the University of San Carlos, focusing on Archaeology.
As Dona Reina mentions, “opportunities like the one I had to send my children to college, many other community members also have. Opportunities that we never had before”
These opportunities have greatly benefited the community development.
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