The village of Cocolá Grande

Where every bag of coffee begins a bigger story.

High in the mountains of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, lies the village of Cocolá Grande—a community surrounded by forests, coffee trees, and generations of Maya families who have cared for this land for centuries.

Life here is shaped by hard work. Families cultivate corn, beans, cardamom, and coffee on steep mountainsides, often with limited access to infrastructure, employment opportunities, and educational resources. Yet what stands out most is not the challenge—it is the determination of the people who call Cocolá Grande home.

Every harvest represents hope, and every child represents possibility. This is where Café con Causa was born.

2016: THE JOURNEY BEGINS

A community that chose education

In 2012, parents in Cocolá Grande decided that waiting for opportunity was no longer enough. Together, they organized their community with a simple but ambitious goal: give their children access to quality education without forcing them to leave their village. With the support of private donors, volunteers, and partners, they opened a junior high school that would eventually become the first public school in the region to offer all three levels of education—from junior high through high school. Today, students who once faced hours of daily travel can pursue their education close to home while preparing for university, entrepreneurship, and community leadership. Education became more than a school. It became a path toward opportunity.

Milestones

2020: A New Beginning

The first junior high school welcomed its inaugural class of 50 students.

Their remarkable academic performance demonstrated what the community had always believed: when opportunity exists, young people rise to meet it.

2017: EXPANDING POSSIBILITIES

The school grew into the region's first tuition-free public high school, allowing students to continue their education without leaving their families or communities.

For many, university became an achievable dream for the first time.

2020: THE FIRST GRADUATES

Despite the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the school's first graduating class completed their studies in Community Development.

Their success marked an important milestone—not only for Cocolá Grande, but for neighboring villages that now saw education as a realistic path forward.

THE IMPACT EXTENDS FAR BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Beyond the classroom

The impact reaches far beyond the classroom. Today, more than 250 children and young adults from surrounding communities attend the school. Students have access to a growing library, computer facilities, and opportunities to develop real community projects—including environmental initiatives, playground construction, local entrepreneurship, and programs designed to improve everyday life in their villages. Many of these projects are created, led, and sustained by the students themselves. They are learning not only how to build careers—they are learning how to build stronger communities.

A cause that continues to grow

Neighboring Communities

The educational project that began in one village now reaches neighboring communities throughout the region. What began in the village of Cocolá Grande now serves students from eight surrounding villages, many of which previously had little or no access to secondary education.

The map below highlights the communities that continue to benefit from this shared commitment to education, opportunity, and local development.