This project will fund training for three indigenous women leaders on permaculture design which they will teach to the 20 member group in Chumanzana Guatemala. The training focuses on sustainable agricultural practices and ecology for small spaces and will increase the women's knowledge of planting sustainable family gardens. It also will connect them to a wider community of like minded people with whom they can share ideas and good gardening practices.
In order for a Guatemalan family living in Chumanzana to meet the minimum nutritional requirement for a family of 5, they must earn Q131 ($17). This is troublesome situations for the families in Chumanzana as the average family has an income of barely Q50 ($7). Because of this low income, mothers cannot provide healthy food for their family. This contributes to the high rate of malnutrition in the community and puts their children at risk of poor physical and mental development.
The project coordinator and two project leaders from the community of Chumanzana will receive training at the Mesoamerican Permaculture Institute, which will then be replicated with 20 group members, with the goal that each family will have a family garden space to plant and harvest fresh and nutritious produce. The women who receive the initial training will visit the women's gardens in order to provide feedback and guidance with the objective of improving their harvests.
The garden project will support twenty women from Chumanzana in the planting of family gardens using organic techniques. The women will use their produce to better nourish their families. The increased access to fresh produce will combat malnutrition, leading to their children's better performance in school, improved health, and a higher quality of life. The new agricultural practices are environmentally friendly and will lead to an improved environment for everyone in the community.
