Medicinal Plants for Managing Menstrual Health

How can you study when you are hungry? Nearly all of the students in the Chajul region of Guatemala suffer from poor nutrition.  And if you’re a girl, how can you attend school while you're not only hungry, but also suffering menstrual problems?

Both these vital issues were addressed in this project conducted for local organizations AMACHAJUL and ACEFOMI. The menstrual portion of the project was presented in the workshop “Women’s Health Education,” using the curriculum created by Days for Girls (DFG).  The first workshop was in April for the women and girls of AMACHAJUL; the second is planned for late summer of 2019 for the women and girls of ACEFOMI. All participants receive a DFG washable menstrual hygiene kit.

Seeds for a Future’s top field extensionists were in Chajul for 5 days of training and hands-on practice in Raising Microgreens and Mushrooms, both of which are supercharged with nutrition. The women and girls requested the nutrition-oriented focus, saying that good nutrition was the best medicine for both menstrual problems and general health.

Students at AMACHAJUL’s CASA Education Center are responsible, along with their mothers, for nurturing and harvesting the microgreens and mushrooms raised at the Center. They will have technical guidance from a local agronomist whose bi-lingual skills (Ixil and Spanish) will help both students and moms become comfortable with their newly-learned skills. The women of ACEFOMI hosted learning visits at their homes, where nutrition gardens, customized to each home’s space and characteristics, were planted by participants under the guidance of the Seeds team,

Both AMACHAJUL and ACEFOMI received a library of resource books produced by Seeds for a Future, including how-to growing manuals, books describing nutritious vegetables, and a book of favorite local recipes enhanced with microgreens, mushrooms and other nutritious plants.  A favorite activity in the 5-day session was cooking practice, where the Seeds team and local women shared recipes and prepared a nutrition-packed lunch.

Both Mushrooms and Microgreens can provide home-grown nutrition, even when local seasons or climate changes make it hard to maintain a Nutrition Garden.  The growing skills learned via this project will help ensure good nutrition for students and family members, helping them succeed at their studies and the hard physical labor required to support their families. The DFG workshops provided valuable health knowledge for women and girls and the DFG washable menstrual kits will help ensure they can live their lives without restrictions.

THANK YOU! for giving the students and families a better chance for healthy lives and better education through your generous support of this project.