Extreme poverty and dangerous living conditions not only affect the family life within Paraíso, but also the health and education of each family. For this reason, Engadi Ministries strives to also improve healthcare and education resources to children and families there. The majority of children do not finish high school due to an imposed need to work and help provide for their family. In addition, the educational system in Paraíso is struggling due to a lack of resources and necessary materials to provide students a quality education.

For this reason, Engadi Ministries partners with the local school system in Paraíso to improve the quality of education that children are able to receive. There are four elementary schools and one middle school within the neighborhood that are currently partnered with Engadi Ministries. Within these schools, Engadi offers a merit-based school supply programs for the students, classes for teachers, supplies for teachers, as well as physical improvements to the school buildings.

Students attending school in one of the four elementary schools in Paraíso are eligible to participate in a merit-based program that provides necessary school supplies for children who complete all of the requirements. Parents must attend family value classes taught by Engadi Ministries’ Director of Discipleship, David Medina. Children and families must also work together to complete service hours within their community to receive their supplies. 59 children completed the program to receive their supplies for the 2015 school year.

Lack of training and resources greatly impact the quality of education that students receive in Paraíso. For this reason, Engadi Ministries also partners with local teachers to train and equip them. Engadi Ministries’ Director of Discipleship, David Medina provides Biblically-based values classes to teachers in Paraíso. These classes focus on training teachers in values that can optimize their classroom performance and the quality of material that they deliver to their students. Engadi Ministries is also working with education management to provide teachers with needed resources in the 2016 school year to improve the quality of education and experience for children.

Engadi Ministries also works to improve the physical appearance and environment of the schools. Teams from the United States who partner with Engadi Ministries spend a portion of their work week within the local school system cleaning and painting the interior and exterior of each school, since the Guatemalan government neglects these neighborhoods and cannot maintain them properly. This greatly enhances the learning environment for students, as well as providing a more appealing look to the often run-down and poorly equipped schools.