In the state of the Yucatán there are more than 800,000 indigenous people, the Maya. They live in rural communities spread across the peninsula. They and the rural poor total 953,000 people!

The Yucatán is an unforgiving land, more rock than soil. The Maya live mostly on what they produce and make with their own hands.  It is -- an unlikely spot for such a life. Yet, for dozens of generations the Yucatán Maya have struggled to endure this difficult and harsh environment. Their lives are filled with hardship.

Most of the pueblos are rural, remote and not served by the medical community. Where clinics and doctors are available, the cost of doctors and medicine is beyond the financial reach for the majority of families.

Today Maya men do as their ancestors, cutting back the forest, burning the slash and then planting corn and beans. Provided the weather cooperates and the destruction by insects, animals and birds is small, the harvest may provide for enough food to feed a family, their animals and with luck, some left over to sell or barter for other goods.

In the villages, Maya women attend to children, their homes and when times are good, to a small flock of chickens, a turkey or even a pig. They cook on open fires with firewood cut from the forests. Clothes are washed in an open trough. Most homes have dirt floors and there is no bathroom.

Food is not always plentiful. Often it is only tortillas and beans. Most children are malnourished and have parasites. Adults suffer from many acute and chronic diseases as a result of poor diet and hard work.

Today, A Promise of Health is making a difference in the villages where we work. These people now have primary healthcare and many are participating in programs to improve their lives. It is exciting to see looks of hope replacing those of despair! We invite you to learn more about how you can help.