About us: Amalia Jarquín and Start with a Smile Project

Who is Amalia Jarquín?

Amalia Jarquín is a Spanish teacher who lives in Antigua, Guatemala. She was born in Las Delicias del Jobo, a village in Taxisco, Santa Rosa. Her mother, who died when Amalia was 11, taught her that “a book, a pencil and a school can change a girl's future.”

A scholarship allowed her to train as a teacher at the Escuela Normal in Jalapa. Years later she went back to her village to improve the education and the lives of its children. She tells the story herself in a 2023 video.

How did Start with a Smile Project begin?

It began at Christmas 2014 with a simple idea: bring some joy to the children who wait along the road to Tecpán, in Chimaltenango. Every December 24 since then, Amalia has left Antigua with family and friends for the Christmas delivery.

Over time, Amalia saw that helping at Christmas wasn't enough and that the reality of the schools had to change too. So the project also took on the schools of her home village, Las Delicias del Jobo.

Who makes Start with a Smile Project possible?

Amalia, her family, friends, volunteers, donors and partner projects. Some give through GoFundMe, some pack school supplies and toys in their suitcase when they travel to Guatemala, and some join the Christmas delivery or help paint schools.

It's a nonprofit community initiative: apolitical, non-religious and non-governmental. It isn't registered as an NGO and doesn't issue tax-deductible receipts; the FAQ explains what that means for donors.

Where does Start with a Smile Project work?

• Las Delicias del Jobo, Taxisco, Santa Rosa, about 90 km (two hours) from Guatemala City: 7 primary and telesecundaria schools with more than 700 children ages 6 to 16. Families there have limited resources; children walk to school on dirt roads in the sun or rain, and some cross rivers to get there.
• The road to Tecpán, Chimaltenango, near Iximché, where the Christmas delivery takes place.

The project is coordinated from Antigua, Guatemala, where Amalia lives and where in-kind donations are received. Learn more about the community on Help Las Delicias.

What has Start with a Smile Project achieved?

In the schools of Las Delicias del Jobo:

• More than 4,000 notebooks.
• School supplies for about 500 children every year.
• More than 100 desks and more than 120 pieces of school furniture.
• Electricity, a kitchen, whiteboards, roofs, restrooms and painted schools.
• Medical outreach days.

At Christmas, in a recent year the project handed out 500 packages with a toy, a nutritious food item and a toothbrush with toothpaste; with donated toys, that added up to nearly 1,000 gifts.

What's still needed: school supplies, desks, shoes, playground games, backpacks, a computer and the biggest challenge, building a proper secondary school so more teenagers can keep studying.

How does Start with a Smile Project report back to donors?

Deliveries and progress are posted with photos on Facebook and Instagram. On this site you can browse the photo gallery and the two independent news stories about the project, from Prensa Libre (2021) and Guatemala.com (2022), collected on the Press page. If you have a question about a donation, write to us and we'll fill you in.

How can I get involved?

You can donate through GoFundMe or, if you're traveling to Guatemala, bring school supplies, toys or clothes in your suitcase. Check the list on How to help and write to us to arrange the drop-off in Antigua.