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Celebrating 19 Years of Shaping Women Leaders!

We continue working to make quality education a reality for more Indigenous women and girls.

On this 2026 International Day of the Girl, we also celebrated MAIA’s 19th anniversary. It is no coincidence that these two dates coincide. For 19 years, our work has been dedicated to creating opportunities for Indigenous women and girls to exercise their rights, develop their abilities, and choose the path they want to build for their lives. This year, we celebrate not only how far we have come, but also the possibilities that emerge when a girl has the conditions and opportunities she needs to grow and transform.

We don’t just want to celebrate girls. We want to reaffirm our commitment to the rights that belong to them:

  • The right to learn;
  • The right to quality education;
  • The right to be heard;
  • The right to lead;
  • The right to participate;
  • The right to develop their abilities;
  • The right to grow in dignified, safe, and respectful spaces;
  • The right to imagine new possibilities;
  • The right to believe in themselves; 
  • And the right to build the future each girl chooses for herself.

The Right to Quality Education Is Also the Right to Grow with Opportunities

At MAIA, we believe quality education goes beyond the classroom. It also requires an environment that honors the dignity of those who learn—a space where a girl can feel safe raising her hand, asking questions, sharing her ideas, and making mistakes without fear. A space where she can develop critical thinking, strengthen her voice, and learn skills that help her make decisions about her life.

That is why our work goes beyond academic content. Through education, empowerment, and opportunities for transformation, we seek to develop life skills for Girl Pioneers, build healthy relationships, teach them to recognize the power of their own voices, and help expand their opportunities to choose the path they want to build for themselves.

We firmly believe that girls have the right to dream. We also recognize that making those dreams possible requires opportunities and supportive environments.

What Happens When a Girl Has Access to Quality Education in a Dignified Space?

  • She begins to imagine possibilities she couldn’t see before;
  • She discovers abilities she didn’t yet know she had;
  • She learns to question her surroundings so she can choose her own path;
  • She recognizes that her voice matters;
  • She participates in spaces where decisions are made;
  • She begins to build a different future;
  • And new leaders emerge!

As these possibilities expand, so does her potential to transform her family and community. Accompanying them on this journey means creating the conditions that allow each Girl Pioneer to recognize her abilities, strengthen her voice, and develop her leadership in ways that reflect her own identity, experiences, and aspirations.

It is not about telling girls who they should be or deciding which path they should follow. It is about creating the conditions for them to discover their abilities, build their confidence, and develop the skills they need to make their own choices. Along the way, they strengthen their tenacity in facing challenges, their critical thinking in questioning and understanding their reality, and their commitment to excellence in giving their best. They also learn to build support networks, use an empowered voice to express what they think and need, and develop negotiation skills to advocate for their interests and reach agreements.

Over these 19 years, we have seen how opportunities can multiply. A learning experience can open the door to further education. A conversation can help a Girl Pioneer recognize the power of her own voice. A professional opportunity can become a platform for women to strengthen and expand their leadership.

And as these possibilities grow, so does their potential to transform their families and communities.

Growing to Create Dignified Spaces

Just as a girl needs a dignified space to learn and grow, we also need appropriate spaces where the people who make this work possible can continue to develop. Today at MAIA, we are expanding our building to create more spaces for learning, education, and professional development. This expansion will allow us to add classrooms and environments that respond to the growth of our programs, while providing more opportunities for our team to continue learning, developing their abilities, and strengthening the quality of our work. In turn, this will help us ensure access to quality education for more than 240 Girl Pioneers.

19 Years of Creating Opportunities to Grow and Transform

Our work will continue to grow and innovate, creating the conditions and opportunities that allow more Indigenous women and girls to reach their full potential and fully exercise their rights.

After 19 years, we continue to believe in something as simple as it is powerful: when a girl has the opportunity to discover what she is capable of, her impact is infinite!

Relive this special celebration with us:

Empowered Women, an Infinite Impact!

Every year at the MAIA Impact School, we welcome a new generation of Girl Pioneers. It is a transformative journey that changes the trajectory of the future of their lives, families, and the broader community.  

With your investment, these remarkable young women will break cycles of poverty and build a brighter future.

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