Where to Donate in Antigua Guatemala: How to Support Rural Schools with Start with a Smile

Where can I donate in Antigua Guatemala?

One direct option is Start with a Smile Project (Proyecto Sonrisas in Spanish), founded by Amalia Jarquín, a Spanish teacher who lives in Antigua Guatemala. Amalia was born in Las Delicias del Jobo, a village in Taxisco, Santa Rosa. The project began at Christmas 2014 with gifts for children waiting along the road to Tecpán, then shifted its focus to the schools in her home village. Amalia, her family, friends, volunteers, donors and partner projects make it happen.

Before you give, here is what it is and what it isn't:

• A nonprofit community initiative: nonpolitical, nonreligious and nongovernmental.
• Not a registered NGO, and it doesn't issue tax-deductible receipts.
• Drop-offs are arranged by message: write to us and we'll agree on how to receive your donation in Antigua.

The Guatemalan newspaper Prensa Libre told the project's story in October 2021 (in Spanish), and you can hear Amalia tell it herself in her video.

What can I donate in Antigua Guatemala?

The project's packing list, written for travelers with spare room in their luggage, has five groups:

• Hygiene: toothpaste and toothbrushes, soap, sanitary pads, hygiene kits and towels.
• School supplies: notebooks, crayons, markers, pens, paints, backpacks, children's books in Spanish and used computers.
• Toys: dolls, jump ropes, toy cars, coloring books and soccer balls.
• Clothing and shoes: clothes, shoes, sandals, socks, caps and sunscreen.
• Food: vitamins, fortified flour and powdered milk.

Current needs include school supplies, desks, shoes, recess games for the elementary schools, backpacks and a computer. The biggest goal is building a proper secondary school so more teenagers can keep studying. Before you pack, read what to bring to Guatemala to donate and what not to bring.

How do I drop off donations in Antigua Guatemala?

1. Message us before your trip. Tell us your dates and what you're bringing on WhatsApp at +502 5562 3313, by email at amaliajarquin@gmail.com or through the contact form.
2. Declare it at customs. Items you bring to give away aren't personal luggage, so list them on Guatemala's Regional Traveler Declaration. According to the SAT, Guatemala's tax and customs agency, they're duty-free if their value is US$500 or less, you haven't used that exemption in the previous 6 months and you've been out of the country for at least 72 hours. Confirm with the SAT before you fly.
3. We arrange the hand-off in Antigua. We'll agree on a day and a way to receive your donation.
4. It reaches the kids. Amalia and the volunteers hand it to the children and post the deliveries with photos on Facebook and Instagram.

Where do donations left in Antigua end up?

The project works in two places. The main one is Las Delicias del Jobo, in Taxisco, Santa Rosa, about 90 km (two hours) from Guatemala City. There it supports 7 schools (elementary schools and telesecundarias, the rural middle schools) with more than 700 children ages 6 to 16. Many walk to class on dirt roads under sun or rain, and some cross rivers to get there.

What donations have made possible there so far:

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

The second place is the road to Tecpán, in Chimaltenango, near Iximché, where the Christmas delivery happens.

Can I donate money if I'm not in Guatemala?

Yes. The GoFundMe fundraiser is organized by a project volunteer in the United States, with Amalia as its co-creator. It's a personal fundraiser, so there's no tax-deductible receipt.

Money covers what won't fit in a suitcase. One recent Christmas, financial support let the project buy 500 gift packs, each with a toothbrush and toothpaste, a nutritious food item and a toy; adding donated toys, it handed out about 1,000 gifts. If you live abroad, see how to donate from the U.S. or abroad and what happens to your donation.

When is the best time to donate in Guatemala?

Two moments matter most:

• Christmas. Every December 24 since 2014, the team leaves Antigua at 6:00 a.m. with friends and family. After an hour and a half on the road, they start meeting children waiting by the roadside, in groups of 5 to as many as 50, sometimes whole families. Learn about the Paint Smiles for Christmas campaign.
• Back to school. In 2026, classes in Guatemala's public schools ran from February 2 to October 30, under Ministerial Agreement 4817-2025, as reported by La Hora (in Spanish). Supplies that arrive before the next school year get used from day one.

You can donate outside those dates too: just message us when you plan your trip.

How can I tell my donation is in good hands?

Wherever you give, check three things: who is behind it, what they've done and how they show results. For Start with a Smile Project:

• A real person with a name and a face leads it: meet Amalia and her team.
• Independent media have covered it, including Prensa Libre in 2021 and Guatemala.com in December 2022. Both articles are on our press page.
• Deliveries are posted with photos on social media and in the photo gallery.

To compare options, read how to choose a charity in Guatemala. Ready to help? Donate on GoFundMe or message us on WhatsApp to arrange your in-kind donation in Antigua.