Ramona Guzmán Herrera, originally from Aldea Santo Domingo, San Martin Sacatepéquez, Quetzaltenango.
Ramona was part of DESGUA’s educational projects as a scholarship student in 2018, graduating as an accountant in 2020.
She started as a kitchen assistant at La Red in 2021 and is currently a Chef and Head Chef.
With her enthusiasm, courage and energy that characterize her, she has shown that young people can achieve great goals.
She is currently the president of DESGUA, the youngest in that position, bringing her knowledge of ancestral cuisine to the diaspora.
Javier is the son of a Maya Rab’inaleb’ father and Italian-American mother, born in Guatemala and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland just outside of Washington, DC. In his upbringing, Javier was able to travel frequently to Guatemala where he was able to connect with his family and his Maya identity. These experiences shaped his life outlook and led him to learn more about Meso American history and culture during his university studies. In 2022, he was able to connect with Willy and the Popol Nah Decolonizing Time sessions, which allowed him to further delve into his Meso American identity. Through these connections, the Chiltepes Chilerxs project was born.
Willy and Jason, Two immigrants with different experiences met and founded DESGUA, DESGUA’s people power understands the importance of different experiences under the umbrella of socio economic policies that seek to disenfranchise us.
Therefore it is important that we consider the perspectives of migrants, domestic and international, those leaving, and those returned.
The effects of forced migration impact more than the migrant, so we take into consideration their youth, those who have yet to migrate (DESguiros), those who grew up in a land that will always see them as immigrants (Chiltepes Chileros), those who were left to administer homes without their migrant partners (Viudas Blancas/WhiteWidows), and the abuelos (grandparents), elders whose life experiences give us the socioemotional support and the insight we need to endure and thrive in our current challenges.
Willy Barreno, Co-Founder and Guatemala Coordinator, Willy@desgua.org
Willy Barreno took up arms and joined the guerilla movement at the age of eighteen during the Guatemalan Civil War. He fought for and then migrated to Wisconsin in search of a better life. While in the U.S., he worked as a chef and grassroots organizer on indigenous and human rights issues in Wisconsin, New Mexico, Texas, and Illinois. After twelve years of living in the U.S., he decided to return to Guatemala to regain his identity, rediscover his roots, and help create the Guatemalan Dream.
Jason Del Aguila, U.S. Director of DESGUA, Jason@desgua.org
Guatemalan, first generation born and raised in New York City, having traveled to Guatemala frequently as a child, and participated in social movements there as a young adult, Jason’s unique perspective of both worlds, are key to fortifying the links to our future generations and their Guatemalan/Mayan roots.
Inspired to continue to work in solidarity with the people of Guatemala, Jason is committed to cultivating transformative justice in marginalized communities around the world, creating programs to develop community safety practices, restorative justice programs (i.e. Know Your Rights, Documenting abuses, and Court Watching), as well as collaborating on developing educational and economic strategies for sustainability.
Jason’s previous focuses include over fifteen years of running social emotional development programs tailored for adolescents that incorporate the arts, culture and social justice. Working with New York Highschool and College students on advocating and rethinking Free Public Education.
His focus on restoring and preserving historic memory and Mayan identity, brought him to be one of the creative minds behind DESGUA’s origins, and a director of programs today.
Rosita Rabanales is a social entrepreneur and business administrator. She is Guatemalan, from Quetzaltenango, and also a returned migrant.
In her professional and personal experiences she has fought for changes through alternative projects that support the community. Her desire to see social and economic changes have led her to fight for autonomous spaces and projects that promote the collective dignity of the community.
She currently serves as the administrator of DESGUA, legal representative of LA RED, teacher of popular education at the U.A.P.A., and promotes fair trade exchange and reconnection of migrants with their roots through the SACBE project.
Mildreth Barrios is an industrial/organizational psychologist, currently the coordinator of educational projects at UAPA.
The projects include a cooking school and training workshops on digital literacy, migration, fine and emotional intelligence.
Her collaborative personality led her to discover DESGUA as a volunteer, and she has now become the coordinator of educational projects.