The Idea of an Essay, Volume 2

114 indigenous people of Guatemala “were significantly poorer and less educated” than the people with European ancestry (Booth 155). In Guatemala, public education is theoretically free, but the fees associated with sending a child to school are so high that many poor parents choose feeding their family over educating their children. Another factor leading to an uneducated generation of indigenous people is that “poor access to schools in rural communities and a significant deficit of bilingual instructors posed serious impediments to indigenous education” (Booth 155). The schools that indigenous children attend are not up to normal standards. The displacement of families during the war resulted in an increased number of extremely poor indigenous people. These people often have no way to pay for the expensive school fees. Even if there were a way to send their children to school, the types of schools present in the areas that the indigenous people live in are not up to the standards necessary to provide the students with successful and prosperous adult lives in Guatemala. The war was the cause of an entire generation being under-educated, and the cycle continues; therefore, America has the responsibility to provide financial and other forms of aid to educate these people. Although the Guatemalan government has provided some retribution for these hurting Mayans who lost family members or houses and continues to provide aid to the indigenous people, it is not enough. The Guatemalan government needs help because “it is increasingly difficult these days for isthmian governments [those of Central American countries] to reduce poverty” (Booth 9). There are myriad of problems which factor into the poverty crisis of Guatemala. The small and shaky government of Guatemala is having a hard time providing for its poorest people in this complex situation. Outside organizations like the Hispanic Clarification Commission knows that the indigenous people need help. The HCC “viewed the treatment of Guatemala’s Mayan people as so central to the problem of returning Guatemala to peace that it encouraged the government” to focus on training and preparing the Mayan people for public societal life “and to provide reparations for the injuries done during the violence” (Booth 155). The indigenous people continue to suffer many consequences of the war. Outside groups have noticed a need for aid and retribution to the victims of the civil war. The internal Guatemalan government is unable to