Food creativity: healthier families in Guatemala

So, it is April already, and we still need to tell you what we did in December 2023 and until today! 

Christmas Celebration in Concepción Pinula

This was our biggest and greatest food delivery ever in Concepción Pinula! Well of course we had to finish the year with a great delivery and collaboration. In between huge amounts of pineapples, broccolis and cabbage, special kits for the “ponche” (like a Xmas fruit punch), and a HUGE activity for children (and presents - more than 400 presents), this Christmas Delivery was spectacular and so special. 

We partnered with NutriVesa which provided the childrens activities and workshops, with music, entertainers and xmas presents. The adults, mostly women were greeted with Xmas themed ambiance, and sweet taste into the Christmassy spirits with spices and fruits. 

New participants joined and our list have been growing non-stop. And this month, we also celebrated the New Board of Directors for two more years. 

 Change of Government, change of winds: let the spring be here

We participated in the “Coalición por el Motagua”, a coalition led by the new Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (MARN) in Guatemala, where Lorena, Celeste and Ricardo from our Board of Directors participated, especially Lorena and Celeste in the behavior change table. This will lead into joint actions and goals, especially in the reduction of plastic and plastic waste and pollution in communities, distancing them into ultra-processed food which comes in plastic packaging and correct waste bins and into circular economy.  

Moreover, Fernando also from our Board, presented in the Presidential Palace, the history of development planning in Guatemala through SEGEPLAN. 

We are extremely motivated to collaborate with the new government, and help the seed bloom.

 Momo and Japan

So we started this year a very ambitious and daunting (beautiful motivating) endeavour into peaches. Peach Fuzz is the colour of the year, and we are brining each day an educational campaign of how to say the word “peach” (the fruit) in one language per day, during this whole year with 366 days, therefore 366 Peaches! We also research the relation of the country with the peaches, and have learnt so much, and hope you are too! And of course, it is a way to remember our dearest dog Momo who passed away last year - she was only 1 year old.

We also participated in the FoodEx Japan, the largest trade show of Food and Beverage in Asia, to deep dive into the food buzz, and to connect with local farmers and distributors of peaches to continue tracing the momo route and stories of those connected with the peach.

We’ll bring more pictures in the next report too :)

Wa’ik is back at full throttle! 

This second part of the year was our busiest in strengthening our work towards healthier families in Guatemala through local, regional and global food creativity.

FOOD IN PINULA

It was so thrilling to return to Concepción Pinula with such a massive food delivery. This time around we outdid ourselves with the team in the village, where we connected directly with the smallholder farmers and brought about 500 pineapples, 200 broccolis, 200 lb of potatoes. To continue with our seed delivery, we now brought 1000 beautiful seedlings of chili, bell peppers, lettuce, colliflower, beets, broccoli, onions, tomato, spinach, cabbage and cucumber to promote family gardens and home orchards with healthy and organic food, grown by themselves for self-consumption. 

More than 200 families came by to take part in our activity, especially where children had a dynamic origami workshop. And this came up on the spot, since we forgot to bring glasses for the clean water filter (Ecofiltro and Wa’ik collaboration) we gave two years ago to the community. So, in order to drink water, we made water cups out of paper with origami! And very sturdy ones too! And we also finished with a “paca”, a second-hand clothes fair for women and men. 

We can wait for the next Xmas food delivery!

DEMOCRACY IN GUATEMALA

Guatemala’s democracy has been extremely fragile since this year’s election, as the corrupt system - including the current administration - have taken action to neglect and obliterate the electoral institutions and public vote. As a response, populations have taken the streets to stand by our democracy and the official second round results. 

With that, we also support and safeguard our democracy, and support those who have been actively present to fight corruption and promote democracy. We brought food, drinks and clothes to the indigenous populations who peacefully demonstrated in Guatemala City, as a means of shelter and care for our democracy. 

Moreover, on August 20th, the day of the second round of presidential elections, we planted our Democratic Garden with some of the seedlings we had from the food delivery, celebrating a new spring in our country. 

UNIVERSAL PLATE

As the political situation was very tense in October for the week of Universal Plate (week prior and during World Food Day on 16 October; and still today continues to be), we decided a different approach to merge collaboration with the current situation in Guatemala, and do our best in the efforts to maintain our democracy, instead of letting it fall into corrupt authoritarian rule. 

We sought so many fruits from the zone 1 market, and along with partners, prepared 200 fruit bowls for all of those who were peacefully demonstrating. They were distributed by Don Mariano with this fruit truck. This was our approach for the Universal Plate, supporting our democratic stability and value, as well as healthy local foods, supporting markets and food sellers. Thank you!

WORLD FOOD FORUM

We returned to the World Food Forum in Rome, Italy, now as a side event organizer! We hosted the session on 17 October on “The Food Opportunity in Latin America”. We are so grateful for this great moment, where we had an in-person and digital audience all around the world. Big thank you to the 30 people who attended the session in Rome and our dear panelists Bibi, Fernando, Adonay, Ana, Celeste to pursue action after this session.

Here, we explored the potential of Latin America in holding a great opportunity to transcend into food systems transformation due to its great diversity and ancestral food tradition. However, to make this a reality, responsible leaders are needed to implement this, together as a core to closing gender gaps, inequality of food, socio-geo-economic malnutrition, and strategic design for action within an uncertain climate. This dynamic workshop united actors towards the next level for regional/global impact, where we deep dived into three breakout groups: gender, gastro-nutrition, and agriculture. 

We also participated as speakers in a session organized by The Real Food Systems on “Youth influence on food systems; Strengths, limitations and Solutions Mentoring as a tool for capacity building”, with Marie-Claire, Sakwa, and Elujulo, moderated by Jeffrey.

The World Food Forum is a week-long event during the World Food Day week, uniting youth, investment and sciencie & innovation. We met and re-encountered food collaborators and friends from the food world and also from Latin America and Guatemala, as the Global Indigenous Youth Forum was taking place simulatenously at the FAO HQ during this Forum. 

SALAZON 2023

Third consecutive year that of Salazón and its support to Wa’ik! This year, Salazón anniversary festival hosted by SAL.GT at 14 grados took on three extraordinary days with 26 chefs who prepared their version of SAL’s speciality, one chef per hour.

Big thanks to Peter, Guiselle, the crew of SAL and 14 grados, and the chefs: Pablo, Alex (La Trama), Kai and Cacho (Omakaise and Bonito Ramen), Fulvio (La Cantina del Tigre), Sergio (Sublime / San Roman), Pao (Sweet Brooklyn), Debora (Diacá / La Capirucha), Nils (L’Apéro / Miettes), Jorge (La Maison), Willy (OI), Mario (Barriga Llena), Luis (Bendito Fuego), Diego (Flor de Lis), Alexander (El Xolo), Juan Luis, Néstor (La Frutería), Jiwon (Mogoyo), Roberto (Kaeru Ramen), Nicolas (Ana / Niquito), Fer (Nanik), Daniel (Toi Doi / Nene Malo), Peter (Sal), Pablo (Mercado 24), Lorenzo (El Pulté), y Rodrigo (Kombu / Nana). 

Thank you to the ones who came and ate, while supporting Wa’ik! Altogether more than Q15K! Bravo, the biggest one yet! This moment is without a doubt one of the highlights of Wa’ik, as it merges with restaurants (many of which have been internationally recognized and other well loved by their clients), many food lovers who support our causes, and a get-together of friends and supporters. Thank you a bunch!

LATAM 50 BEST RESTAURANTS 

We made it to Rio de Janeiro for the The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in Latin America! We are so grateful to receive this invitation for the second time (last year in Mérida, México). We are part of the 50Best community, having received in 2021 a spot on the inaugural 50Next list, with Bibi as a Trailblazing Activist. 

We are honored and thrilled to have had the chance to celebrate these successful moments with the best restaurants in Latin America, but not only that, but friends and colleagues who we have worked together with, especially their support in Wa’ik (think Salazón and many years before!). 

It was so wonderful as well to be part of the #CentroAmericaUnida movement, where Central American restaurants have created a bond. Congratulations to those recognized in Guatemala: Sublime, Mercado 24, and Diacá; Costa Rica: Sikwa; Panamá: Maito, La Cantina del Tigre, and Intimo; El Salvador: El Xolo; for making it into the list!

Moreover, we also participated in the 50Best Talks “O poder da comida” / The Power of Food, where we heard from Alex (D.O.M), Sergio and Jocelyn (Sublime), Adoni (Mugaritz), and Dolli (Espacio de Dolli). Big congrats to Giulia for hosting and moderating the session (and thinking a lot of our dear friend Laura enjoying her honeymoon!). 

Congratulations to Refettorio Gastromotiva for their opening in Rua Lapa 108! We were fortunate enough to partake in their pre-opening with renowned chefs cooking the first meal. Now, their sustainable business model involves opening up for lunch with paying customers, and this will then subsided the free dinners given out to people who live on the streets and hindered access to income, housing and healthy food. Congratulations David and so glad to see Rafa here.  

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM STINT

Bibi is back from her year at the World Economic Forum, leading the food challenges at UpLink, the open innovation platform of the Forum. She and the team led the successful Food Ecosystems in Arid Climates and Smarter Climate Farmers challenges. Both Challenges were within the top 3 Challenges that gathered the most submissions (food and water in the house, with quality and quantity!), where the Smarter Climate Farmers Challenge was the most successful of the year, gathering an extraordinary 246 submissions in only six weeks! The Challenges also brought together multiple partners to be part of the co-design, communication, and support programme thereafter.

Here, 10 and 12 entrepreneurs were selected as Top Innovators and are now one step closer in scaling! Big thank you to the wonderful teams and individuals who genuinely supported, the innovators, and also to the UpLink team for their farewell donation towards Wa’ik!

COP28

In preparation for COP28, we came together with Andrew from the Center of Earth Ethics, to participate in the session “A Transformed Food System: Unearthing Regenerative Values”, together with our fellow panelists: Steve - Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, Lucy - EIT Food, Bibi la Luz - Eat Better Wa’ik, Marta  - NOW Partners, Susan - World Resources Institute. 

The synthesis and points raised during this session was presented to many colleagues around food, climate and values to be presented at COP28

NEXT UP: XMAS AND UPCOMING YEAR!

The following newsletter you’ll find out more on how we did on our Christmas delivery and so much more for 2024! We are about to start a new Board of Directors for the next two years, thank you to all the previous and new board for your support!

Thank you again for the support and love. Recuring thank you to Landy, Chris and John. Big thanks all the way to the Alps with  Ana & Yusuke; and Jean Luc and Andre.

Happy holidays and see you in a prosperous and more peaceful 2024. 

** Note: we have amended this report to only include the first names of individuals who are mentioned here**