Vista Hermosa Center

Nicknamed “God’s thumbprint” by the residents of the high-poverty, high-violence neighborhood of Vista Hermosa of Jocotenango, Guatemala where it is located, The GOD’S CHILD Project (GCP’s) Vista Hermosa Center is an inspirationally-designed four-building campus that brings academic education and vocational-technical training to hundreds of local youth and older-than-average students who did not have the opportunity to go to school when they were younger.

In addition, The Vista Hermosa Center brings medical and dental care, crisis intervention, and family support to several thousand children, family members, and community residents from the surrounding region.

Many of the youth and teenagers who study at The Vista Hermosa Center were abandoned as small children, or had previously lived on the streets, belonged to street gangs, or were involved in juvenile crime or prostitution. Upon entering The Vista Hermosa Center, these students leave behind the negativity of that world and engage with others in a highly structured multi-faceted program that provides schooling, complete meals, medical and dental care, counseling, and peer support. In addition, ‘Atkinson Hall’ at The Vista Hermosa Center regularly hosts community-wide services such as Mothers Groups, AA, AlAnon and AlaTeen, professional training workshops for community educators and health workers, and public distributions of donated vegetables, clothing, and household supplies.

New students to The Vista Hermosa Center quickly bond with previously accepted students and realize how to use their new-found tools to create a strong and positive future.

The Vista Hermosa Center is staffed by Guatemalan professional team of teachers and medical personnel, who are assisted by local and international volunteers, and currently also the home to the Integrated School for Working Children (Escuela Integrada para Niños Trabajadores); a networked program of GCP.