Frequently Asked Questions

Why do you call yourselves "Long Way Home?"
The name Long Way Home was conceived as a symbol for the daily journey of a rural Mayan farmer. Traditionally, the farmer leaves home at dawn to till the fields all day with his young children who are often not able to attend the local school because their share of labor is necessary for the family's economic survival. Quite often, a family of ten might bring home a daily income of three dollars, eating only tortillas with salt as the nutritional mainstay. In such cases, children, parents, and grandparents are regularly seen carrying heavy loads of firewood tied to their backs as they return home from a long day of work in the fields. Long Way Home stands for the difficult life that Mayan children and adults endure without schooling or venues for building self-esteem and excellence.

What is Long Way Home?
Long Way Home is a 501(c)3 non profit organization run by a group of dedicated volunteers and staff who give their time, energy, and resources to help at-risk youth, particularly indigenous Americans. LWH was founded in 2004 by a small group of development workers who have been touched by the generosity, industry, and open-mindedness of the less fortunate. We help young people by recognizing our global responsibility and fostering small-scale community development.

Is Long Way Home religiously affiliated?
LWH is not affiliated with any religion. We welcome involvement from people of all faiths.

What kind of work does Long Way Home do?
LWH's first project partnered with community leaders to build a park for the families of San Juan Comalapa, Guatemala. The park features a plant nursery from which LWH runs a reforestation project. Other work includes promoting green building and alternative construction, and we are embarking on the construction of a school that will be built using these alternative construction techniques. LWH partners with Engineers Without Borders to bring running water to rural villages near Comalapa. We build wood burning stoves for families who cook over open fires and water storage tanks for those whose running water is inconsistent. LWH volunteers also work with the local schools teaching about environmental conservation and using trash as construction materials.

How can I get Involved?
There are a variety of capacities where your help is needed. To work for LWH, experience in alternative construction, agriculture, forestry, natural resource management, youth development, appropriate technology, community organization, program development, or non-profit management is helpful but not necessary. In fact, the best thing about working for Long Way Home is the opportunity for practical experience in doing things you might never have thought you would learn how to do. Like building a house out of used tires, constructing a water filtration system, or bartering for materials in an indigenous language.

In San Juan Comalapa, we offer internships for course credit and volunteer work opportunities. If you are interested in coming down and working in one of these capacities, visit our internship or volunteer program pages for more information. We also have a few full-time and part-time staff positions available.

If you do not have time to volunteer, you can support the LWH mission by making a donation. Your financial assistance can be for general LWH work or it can be applied to a specific project, sponsoring the construction of a classroom for example.

Can my school or church group volunteer for Long Way Home?
Absolutely! LWH projects are designed to minimize costs, which means we have a high demand for labor. We welcome any group willing to work hard to donate their time and expertise to our projects.

Where are Long Way Home's projects?
LWH is headquartered in San Juan Comalapa, Guatemala. All current LWH projects take place in the 23 villages that surround Comalapa.

What is Comalapa like?
San Juan Comalapa is set in Guatemala's scenic Western Highlands region. Amidst pine trees and cornfields, the area is mountainous at 2350 meters with an average temperature of 18C. The name of the local indigenous language and people, Kaq'chikel, means "wear your independence." The people take pride in their roots and most women wear the traditional dress of hand woven blouses and ankle length skirts.

Comalapa is internationally known as one of the centers for the three major Mayan painting movements of the 20th century. Paula Nicho Cumez, Oscar Peren and Ivan Gabriel are some of the most famous resident artists. Many Comalapans make a living through the production of weavings, handicrafts and paintings.

According to the Census completed in 2007, there are 39,000 inhabitants in Comalapa's urban area and surrounding 23 villages, 95% of which are indigenous Kaq'chikel. The majority are farmers, their livelihood depending on the land. The primary crops are corn, beans and squash. The community, with help from the governmental agencies and Project Chuwi Tinamit (CCF), has brought electricity and water to a majority of its population.

Does your volunteer housing have electricity and running water?
We lived without electricity until April 2005, then with electricity on-and-off until late in 2006. We have had dependable water and electricity since the Engineers Without Borders Parque Chimiyá water project in January 2007. All LWH recommended family stay homes have electricity and running water.

Is it expensive to fly to Guatemala?
Depending on your departure city, round-trip flights can cost as little as $250 or over $500. As with any flight destination, checking the internet frequently can help you find the best deals.

How far is San Juan Comalapa from Guatemala City? Can I commute?
Guatemala City is one hour from Comalapa by car, two hours by bus. Commuting is possible if you're not prone to motion sickness (picture a sharply winding mountain road as you near Comalapa). There are affordable housing options in Comalapa that might be more appealing than a commute from the Capital.

How are Long Way Home projects funded?
LWH was initially funded from firewood that was cut and sold as a fundraiser by volunteers in Oregon during 2004. Executive Director Matt Paneitz also saved his pennies in 2004 in order to be able to pay LWH expenses out of pocket for a little while. Now LWH is assisted by its volunteer and internship program contributions and individual donations (word of mouth). LWH's running water projects are funded by the Engineers Without Borders teams that implement them. We are working toward being funded through grants, but such funding is a bit tough for a new organization that lacks a long track record.

How can I develop a long-term relationship with Long Way Home?
There are numerous opportunities to develop long-term relationships with LWH. The implementation of ongoing projects allows for volunteers to participate year round. Work is continuously available and volunteers have the opportunity to return at any point to participate and help with community development work. There are also opportunities to promote Long Way Home in your local town by raising awareness and funds. Since we are headquartered in Guatemala, LWH is always on the lookout for local projects that can involve other organizations, like Engineers Without Borders, with whom we welcome long-term relationships.

How do I Contact Long Way Home?
Long Way Home has offices in the United States and Guatemala. Email contact button is at the top of the page.