Saul Paau Maaz is a 30-year old Q’eqchí Maya leader who worked on his parents’ farmland until he was 10 years old. He is currently completing his Master’s Degree in Rural Development at the University of San Carlos in Petén , Guatemala . Paau has worked as a consultant in education and reproductive health and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Pedagogy and Educational Sciences. A writer of poetry and fiction, Paau‘s bi-lingual radio novella, “Between Two Paths,” became a popular radio show. He is Director of the Mayan Association for Peace, a group dedicated to community development, and Executive Director of Action for a Healthy Life, a youth-led organization working to improve the health and lives of young people in Petén. Paau is an Alumnus of the Public Health Institute’s Youth Leadership in Sexual and Reproductive Health Program (GOJoven) and is currently a mayoral candidate in his hometown of Sayaxché, Petén , Guatemala.
The ancient Mayans—and their indigenous descendants in Guatemala—saw the profound interconnectedness of human reproduction and stewardship of natural resources. Whether cultivating a field or bringing a new life into the world, traditional Mayans practiced respectful restraint. But those old ways are being destroyed, and new solutions are needed.
