Fight Malnutrition in Rural Guatemala

In the last several months, Aldea Maya has been involved in some exciting seminars and competitions. We were asked to be part of a nutrition think tank. We were one of several NGO's to be involved in developing ideas to increase the nutritional status of indigenous Mayans. It was awesome to be included as we are definitely the little fish in the big sea.

Out of this seminar the local hospital decided to run a nutritional cooking competition and asked 7 NGO's to compete. We were given one day to get ready for this event. We had to develop and cook 4 recipes. The criteria was that the food had to be excellent for: a 6 month to 9 month child, a 9 month to one year old child, a one to 2 year old child and a pregnant woman.

Our infant meals all included chaya and our pregnant woman recipe was a delcious citrus, red pepper ,cilantro, onion avocado salsa which is high in Folic acid, an essential nutrient in the early days of pregnancy. We were the only group to put chaya in our meals. Not only did we win the competition but have now been asked to help develop a nutritional cook book with the hospital. 

Our little staff was beaming as we accepted our prize of 2 new large cooking pots.

The students in the Chuk Muk elementary school have been actively involved in garden, cooking and nutrition classes. The grade 3, grade 4, grade 5 and grade 6 classes have been learning about making compost, starting seedling, planting seedlings, watering and harvesting. The students then take what they have harvested and prepare yummy, nutritious meals.

Traditionally this area does not eat many vegetables and has rampant malnutrition. The students are loving the cooking classes and eating food that is totally new to them.

Our next step will be seed collection. The students will then be able to take the vegetable seeds to plant at home. Changing people's eating patterns is not an easy process but this is the first step in producing positive change.

The students in grade 6 participated in a fun project where they learned all about chaya. The students then made their own teaching tools and became the chaya nutrition instructors to their own mothers. All participated in a cooking class and each family received a chaya plant to take home.