PAVA is the Spanish acronym for 'Programa de Ayuda a los Vecinos del Altiplano' in English it translates as 'Aid Program for Highland Communities.'

The PAVA Foundation became a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in in November 1986. It that supports the work of PAVA in Guatemala. PAVA is a Guatemalan non-govermental organization (NGO) that works closely with rural communities in the Department of Chimaltenango, Guatemala to achieve long-term sustainable development through community-based projects and programs.  A full-time staff based in the Antigua, manages PAVA's programs, providing technical expertise and coordination for infrastructure projects (including potable water systems, bridge construction and school construction), as well as for ongoing programs in the areas of environment (including reforestation, appropriate technology and promotion of conservation and vegetable gardens), and education (including scholarship programs which allow rural Guatemalan children to finish high school and a professional development program for teachers to improve the quality of education in primary schools).