Wellness Tourism That Gives Back: How Our Guests are Helping Mayan Elders
Wellness travel is a chance to restore ourselves while building a more caring connection with the places we visit. At Villa Sumaya, on the shores of Lake Atitlán, that connection takes shape through the Mayan Mothers and Fathers Project, which supports local Mayan elders with nourishing food, vision care, and everyday essentials.
How it began
The project began during the pandemic in 2020, out of concern for the most vulnerable people in our village of Santa Cruz La Laguna. Our employees helped identify those most in need. As the project grew, we found that buying food at the local Saturday market was more efficient and kept money circulating within the village. Today, a trusted local Mayan team member coordinates the shopping with local vendors.
Listening and growing
Our first food bags were filled with vegetables and fruit. By listening to our elders’ needs and wishes during regular check-ins, the program has evolved. We keep individual profiles to understand each person’s circumstances. When elders told us they wanted chicken and eggs, we added these items to their baskets.
Home visits revealed other needs. Many elders needed new mattresses, and some were sleeping on the floor. We responded with 44 mattresses, sheets, and blankets, along with four beds.
Today, the food program serves 44 elders in two alternating groups of 22. Every Saturday, year-round, one group receives a food basket, so each elder is supported every other week. Most participants are women, and five are men. We also help local people facing critical illness or urgent hardship as needs arise and resources allow.
Restoring sight
Our vision care began with one brave request. Eufemia, an 88-year-old elder, asked if we could help her see again. Her question set everything in motion. With help from our supporters, we now work directly with a clinic in Sololá that offers social assistance pricing.
Each cataract surgery takes four visits, and we coordinate every step: transportation, home-cooked meals, and a trained chaperone who translates and keeps the elders safe. On surgery day, a family member comes along too, and we look after them as well. Eufemia’a request sparked a chain of healing for many others.
What the project has made possible
Since 2020, the project has brought more than $178,000 in direct support to our local Mayan community, including:
Food baskets every Saturday with expanded holiday distributions reaching all 44 elders
26 custom-fit pairs of eyeglasses
28 sight-restoring operations, including cataract and entropion surgeries, plus medicines to help preserve vision
44 solar lanterns for household lighting
44 mattresses, sheets, and blankets, plus four beds
Warm clothing for 20 elders, from donations brought to Villa Sumaya
Hygiene supplies donated by guests, including hairbrushes, toothbrushes, and toothpaste
$20,000 raised for playground equipment at two local schools
Investing in our village’s children
Our newest campaign is for playground equipment at the Santa Cruz kindergarten and primary school. So far, we have raised $20,000 for the two schools.
The kindergarten playground is already built, giving children a place to play, explore, and connect. Funds for the primary school’s playground are set aside while the school is under construction, ready to use as the project moves forward. We are excited to see these spaces grow into places where the children of our pueblo can thrive.
A community effort
Most of our funding comes from grants we apply for, together with a small number of generous sponsors connected with Villa Sumaya. Retreat groups and individual guests also contribute, and we warmly welcome their support.
Villa Sumaya donates its organizing time and charges no administrative fees. Funds go to food, medical care, essential supplies, community projects, and local help with purchasing and delivery.
How retreat guests can get involved
During your stay, you can learn more about the project and the people it serves. Here is how guests help:
Bring useful supplies, such as warm clothing, hygiene items, or eyeglasses.
Contribute toward food baskets, vision care, or the school playground campaign.
Give online at villasumaya.com/mayan-mothers.
Group leaders, invite your group to give together.
Each contribution supports an ongoing relationship with our neighbors, shaped by listening, personal connection, and care throughout the year.
Wellness that reaches further
For Villa Sumaya, wellness extends beyond personal healing. It includes caring for the wider community and honoring the Indigenous culture that has stewarded this land for generations. On Saturday mornings between 8:00 and 8:15 a.m., every week of the year, we gather next to the church in the center of Santa Cruz to distribute the food bags and talk with the elders. Interested guests and group leaders are invited to come along for this enriching and heartwarming community connection.
To learn about upcoming retreats or to support the Mayan Mothers and Fathers Project, write to us at reservations@villasumaya.com.