About Chahim
Indigenous women leading climate justice

Instagram: @resistenciaplural @chahim95
Location: Cobán Alta Verapaz, Guatemala.

Chahim A’jam Vazquez Leal is a defender of life from the Maya Q’eqchi’ people and of Afro-Romani heritage. Born in Tezulutlán, Alta Verapaz, she practices the ancestral spiritual traditions of her three cultural heritages and draws strength from the land she protects.

“Sometimes I feel that my land wants me to leave because of the violence it suffers. Sometimes my land misses me. But what I know is that my land has always encouraged me to go on and defend life. Just as the earth continues to bear fruit even when contaminated, I try to find strength. My land speaks to me and inspires me to continue.” Chahim A’jam Vazquez Leal

For Chahim, climate justice is inseparable from reparative justice, Indigenous rights and women’s empowerment. It addresses systemic inequalities, honours the memory of Indigenous peoples, and connects environmental protection with social, cultural and economic realities.

Chahim’s project

In some Maya Q’eqchi’ communities, women face multiple forms of violence — the loss of ancestral lands, environmental destruction caused by harmful projects, and threats to their personal safety. Many also experience discrimination for being Indigenous or part of the LGBTIQ+ community.

This project creates safe spaces for 20 women leaders to share experiences, support each other and strengthen their efforts to build dignified lives. Through dialogue and the knowledge passed down from their grandmothers — wisdom that connects life, land, body and community — participants focus on healing, mutual care and defending their rights and lands.

By building strong support networks among women defenders, the project enables participants to organise collectively, heal together, and develop innovative, culturally rooted strategies to face violence while protecting their ancestral lands.

Learn more about the Amos Climate Fellowship →