We are an organization committed to educational transformation.
Our goal is to provide equitable access to quality education, empowering students and shaping the leaders of tomorrow.
About us
The Skills for Success (S4S) program at NDG empowers students with the tools they need not only to succeed academically, but to confidently navigate life. Through a holistic and hands-on learning model, students develop five essential skills: Spanish literacy, Math and Science, Technology, English, and emotional intelligence.
For many of our students, these abilities become stepping stones—opening doors that seemed unreachable and showing them that a different future is possible. Each mastered skill becomes a spark of confidence, a moment where students understand that their effort has value.
By graduation, they not only know how to read or solve equations—they know how to express themselves, collaborate, and dream.
Your support keeps this transformation alive, allowing more children to walk a path filled with opportunities.
Our vision
Transformative change through education.
Our mission
Breaking the poverty cycle through holistic and bilingual education.
Our Values
Holistic development
Promoting students’ academic, social, and emotional growth.
Community and collaboration
Strengthening shared responsibility through local engagement.
Resilience and adaptability
Overcoming challenges with creativity and flexibility.
Impact
Creating measurable and lasting change in students and their communities.
Transparency and responsibility
Always act with integrity and commitment.
Commitment to excellence
Always strive for quality education and operational efficiency.
Our Story
Niños de Guatemala began with a simple encounter. In 2006, Marten Dresen was volunteering in Guatemala when he met a young girl named Mirna, who often walked without shoes. Marten and Mirna became friends, and when he gave her a pair, her gratitude stayed with him. That moment raised a bigger question: what would it take for a child like Mirna to have not only a better day, but a different future?
That question became the beginning of Niños de Guatemala.
Marten, his sister Annemiek, his friend Sander Wirken, and Guatemalan co-founder Carmen Paniagua, turned that idea into Niños de Guatemala. They believed education could open doors that poverty had kept closed for too long.
The idea began in 2006, and Niños de Guatemala was legally incorporated in 2007, based on a shared belief that education could create new opportunities for children, their families, their communities, and future generations. From the beginning, building Niños de Guatemala was a collective effort. Marten, Annemiek, Sander, and Carmen each played very important roles in turning an idea into an organization and laying the foundations for the work that continues today.
The first school, Nuestro Futuro, opened in Ciudad Vieja in 2009. Later, El Porvenir opened in San Lorenzo el Cubo. As students grew older, Niños de Guatemala opened secondary and high school programs so they could continue moving forward. The Hospitality Certification Program later added a practical bridge from school to formal work, helping graduates build skills, confidence, and real employment opportunities.
Over time, the organization also looked for ways to make the work more sustainable. Good Hotel became part of that long-term vision. As a social business connected to Niños de Guatemala, Good Hotel helps support the organization while also reflecting the link between hospitality, opportunity, and social impact.
Today, Niños de Guatemala operates three schools near Antigua Guatemala and supports more than 500 students and 400 families each year. The work is now led in Guatemala by a local team that understands the communities we serve, with support from an international network of donors, partners, and board members.
The story began with one child and one pair of shoes. It has grown into a long-term pathway of education, care, and opportunity.
How we make a difference
Our work goes beyond providing high quality education to disadvantaged students. Once students finish high school, they can continue studying on a scholarship at NDG a one-year Hospitality Certification Program to learn how to work within the hospitality industry, responsible for 80% of the jobs in Antigua Guatemala, to obtain actual job experience with verifiable references for their résumé and to have the opportunity to land a job at the hotels or restaurants where they do their internship. The complete cycle closes the gap needed to break the cycle of poverty.
Want to see how education transforms lives? Watch our videos and discover how Niños de Guatemala empowers students. Breaking the cycle of poverty one opportunity at a time:
