The first thing I learned about Guatemala was a piece of economic data that changed my entire perspective on things. 98% of the Guatemalan population lives in extreme poverty, and a majority of school-age kids has no access to education — young girls especially, as they are mostly trained to be good wives and daughters, and they usually marry at about the age of 13. The remaining 2% of the population is extremely rich, and among this 2%, there are also people who try to help others with charity and fundraising projects, by raising awareness and attracting the world’s attention, in order to change things. Francesca and Alessa are among those who are trying to help, the founders of IX Style and Alessa Design respectively, two Guatemalan fashion brands that often join forces to organize events and charity projects. They were the ones who introduced me to the country’s actual reality, helping me understand what the main issues are, and what is currently being done to help people get out of this situation. We got to Antigua after a trip that felt very long, and right when we set foot in our accommodation, we were left completely awestruck by Guatemala’s beautiful nature. Our 100% green home, solely built with recycled material, among which old containers, and entirely powered by sustainable energy, was surrounded by the forest, and located in the middle of a valley of active volcanoes, which erupt every day. Imagine, I could see this beautiful natural per...