A confident leader

Pueblo a Pueblo is Natik’s newest partner. Founded in 2001, it works to improve health, education, and food security in rural Santiago Atitlán.

Since August 2023, Vilma has served as General Director. Though now confident and articulate, she remembers being a timid child who was often bullied. Her mother — denied an education herself — insisted Vilma continue studying. During her final year of high school, a teacher dismissed her potential. That moment became a turning point for her since she chose to speak up and advocate for herself.

After graduating, Vilma worked as a teacher while studying Social Work at university. Through internships, she gained experience in preventative health, environmental risk mitigation, and community education.

In 2011 she completed her practicum with Pueblo a Pueblo and joined as a volunteer in the maternal-infant health program. By 2012 she was hired as Administrative Assistant and soon became Interim Coordinator, supporting a revolving cast of foreign coordinators. In 2015 she formally took over the program, which flourished under her leadership.

The pandemic forced Pueblo a Pueblo to scale back activities amid school closures, funding declines, and staff reductions. When key leaders stepped down, Vilma naturally stepped into the General Director role. Drawing on the team’s collective experience, she helped reimagine and restructure programs to continue serving the community.

Under her leadership, the organization restored its legal standing with the Guatemalan government, established a new locally based board, and reaffirmed its community focus. Pueblo a Pueblo also recently completed the first year of a Sustainable Livelihood training initiative built on a decade of beekeeping education.

The photo above documents a moment the Pueblo a Pueblo team has been dreaming of for a long time: their own beehive wax stamper that will serve the beekeepers who were trained by Pueblo a Pueblo during the past decade and other beekeepers in the region. Vilma is front center. 

Maintaining relationships with donors in another country and not in her native language is a serious challenge. Vilma understands the importance of improving Pueblo a Pueblo's capacity to generate an income that can help subsidize their operating expenses while creating local jobs. 

Vilma continues to forge ahead on a steep learning curve, constantly building skills to strengthen the systems and programs of Pueblo a Pueblo.

Saludos, 

Anita Smart
Executive Director, Natik Esperanza