our history

For more than fifty years, ALDEA has partnered with indigenous Guatemalans to strengthen communities and enhance the health and well-being of families.

After traveling to Guatemala in 1959, Dr. Carroll Behrhorst founded a vitally needed medical program in Chimaltenango, Guatemala, serving the local Kaqchikel Maya.

The Behrhorst Clinic and “Hospitalito” grew into a creative center for health and development activities, pioneering an array of village-based interventions. Learn more about Dr. Behrhorst and his philosophy.

Since that early work that started in 1959, ALDEA has grown, supporting communities in leading their own health and development initiatives while following Dr. Behrhorst’s guiding philosophy. Learn more about our work through the years and how we’ve reached our present program.