Introducing Lisa to kick off your summer fun(draising) for Guatemalan youth

Greetings to my new Limitless Horizons Ixil family,

I am honored to have this opportunity to introduce myself to you as Limitless Horizons Ixil’s new Associate Director. Because of your support for Limitless Horizons Ixil, we are able to have a wonderful staff of eight in Chajul, Guatemala, and now me–a new staff member in the US. I have been brought onto the team to help our dedicated board of directors and Executive Director, Katie Morrow, achieve our organization’s goals. The creation of my position is in great credit to you–thank you.

When I first met Katie and was introduced to Limitless Horizons Ixil in 2011, I had been working as a marine biologist for 15 years. I earned undergrad and graduate degrees in marine biology, and had been doing research and working in waters around the world. I was working to create positive environmental impacts, but I was beginning to feel the need to contribute to positive social change too. Katie and I met at a handicraft sale, and she told me about the organization and community’s goals for education and development for its youth.

I was incredibly impressed with Limitless Horizons Ixil’s work and accomplishments–particularly striking to me was how the organization had enabled so many girls to be their first in their families to go and graduate from middle and high school.

I was inspired to support in ways that I could while working as a biologist, by volunteering to sell handicrafts in my community, and by making donations. Then, in late 2015, I learned that the organization was seeking an Associate Director. The timing seemed right to make a career change. Before I knew it, it was January and I was on a plane to Guatemala!

Now, five months later, I remain impressed with the work Limitless Horizons Ixil is achieving up in the mountains of Chajul, but now I can say I am impressed with what WE are achieving. I am excited to share my story with you and to ask you to join me in our GlobalGiving fundraising campaign for Limitless Horizons Ixil youth. The school year is ending in the US but it is just midway through in Guatemala, and our programming must continue strong into the coming months.

I have now seen firsthand the impact we are having on Chajul’s youth. I observed a workshop for our young female scholars led by our Managing Director Verónica. She described the physical and emotional changes they are about to experience and distributed the sanitary products they would soon need. Watching these young ladies’ faces showed me how meaningful this workshop was for them.

I also met youth like Josefina, Dominga, and Elicia, three of our Youth Development Program alumni. Last month, these young women became the first of our scholars to graduate from college, on top of being the first in their families to ever graduate from middle and high school. They are leading the first generation of Chajulense women to earn university degrees and are inspiring role models for Chajul’s young students.

I am still a marine biologist at heart and will always be happy to talk about the ocean’s wonders, but now I am fully committed to advancing the work of Limitless Horizons Ixil. Once I met the youth, families, artisans, and staff, I knew I had made the right decision in committing my daily efforts to this work.

I know that most of you cannot leave your career to work directly for an organization like ours, but there are other ways for you to be a part of the social change occurring in Chajul. Many of you CAN make a financial contribution to enable our scholars’ success stories and invest in this community-transforming work. Today, I am asking you to join me.

We are all a part of this movement to create a brighter future for generations of children to have more opportunities, education, and resources than their parents. Dominga, Elicia, and Josefina are clear examples of this change. They are already young Chajulense leaders working to better their community.

I am honored to be a part of this team and a part of these success stories. I hope you will join me by making a contribution to make possible many more successes. Your gift will empower a new generation of leaders and change makers for Chajul.

With gratitude,
Lisa Krigsman, Associate Director,
on behalf of the entire Limitless Horizons Ixil team

P.S. We want to see you gift be matched, so mark your calendar for GlobalGiving Bonus Day on June 15. We will send you a reminder that morning!