The small Guatemalan village of San Juan La Laguna is only accessible by one lone road or by boat.

While townspeople began using Facebook on phones a few years ago, there are only a few Internet cafes in town, and they charge, so the village’s sole library is the only place to log on to a desktop for free. There, librarian Yisrael Quic uses Facebook to inspire digital literacy and the preservation of the Mayan language.

Using a Facebook Page, and most recently, a Facebook Group dedicated to communicating in the local Mayan language, Yisrael is fighting to bring one of the most valuable parts of his community’s history into its future.

This was featured as one of 10 stories celebrating Facebook’s 10th anniversary and a decade of connections made possible through the platform.

Directed by: Landon Van Soest
Field Producer: Marina Fernandez Ferri
Line Producer: Joaquin Ruano
Director of Photography: Zak Mulligan
Editors: Bryan Chang, Landon Van Soest
Original Music: T. Griffin
Agency: Rain