The primarily indigenous western highlands of Guatemala are the second poorest area in the western hemisphere, preceded only by Haiti. The average person lives on less than $2 per day, and jobs are scarce.

Most families survive by subsistence farming, eating what they can grow in depleted soil on small plots of land.

Chronic malnutrition in children under 5 is nearly 70 percent.

Education is limited and approximately 33 percent of the adult population cannot read or write.

Medical services are scarce in indigenous areas, leading to shorter life spans and higher mortality rates, particularly to the most vulnerable, children and mothers.