Carlitos is the second son from two young parents who were looking forward to their second child. His mom takes care of the children at home and she takes Carlitos to all his appointments. His father is dedicated to work for wages with the neighbors and working at the cornfield.
Carlitos was born at home with a midwife but as time went by his mother noticed that the breastfeeding was not the same and also that he was not growing the way he was supposed to.One day he got sick and he was taken to see a doctor in the town. The doctor told the Parents that Carlitos had Down's Syndrome. He also had cataracts in his eyes and doctor said that he needed surgery, they also detected a heart murmur in Carlitos and the family was very impressed with the news , they didn't take him back to the doctor.
From that first contact with the doctor the mother and the family did not know that to do with Carlitos so he could grow normally , so the mother began to give him oatmeal but Carlitos had trouble eating it. The family was desperate because they saw that other children of Carlitos' age were growing very well and besides that they had never heard of Down's Syndrome .
Also they were concern about what people In the community was muttering. The family, especially the mother, began to be indicated by people in the community because they believed that when a mother gives birth to a "special" child is because she is suffering consequences from something she did wrong earlier in her life.
All this had the family very tense to the point that they were trying to hide Carlitos at home and stopped attending church and community activities so they wouldn't be not to be pointed out.Carlitos mother knew from a friend about Wuqu Kawoq and looked for the offices to ask for help to understand what was happening with her son. When they just arrived to Wuqu Kawoq Carlitos, was 10 months old and in severe acute malnutrition since his diet was inappropriate for his age so he was immediately referred to the center of Tecpán for nutritional recovery where he recovered very quickly.
Since then Carlitos has had nutritional follow-up in home visits which include growth monitoring, supplementation, dewormer, formulas Nutrition and education, his mother has received nutrition classes from the program. Regarding the Down's Syndrome , he also had medical follow-up since he was 10 months with periodic medical checkups, laboratories and medications, it ruled out the heart murmur and performed eye surgery for cataracts, in addition to the placement of an internal lens which has helped him improve his view.
As time went by the family understood, how a child with Down syndrome develops, how to stimulate him and how to nurture him properly. The family is very close now , the mother says “Carlitos has the support of his paternal and maternal grandparents, his aunts and uncles, he is a very dear child who has been taught to overcome many obstacles in life”
Carlitos currently lives at his grandparents' house with his parents his older sister and his little brother, Esmelin who is the older sister is her teacher she says, since what she learns in school she teaches to her little brother. Ana, the mother says she wants her son to grow well and get ahead, tries to do everything as she is advised so that Carlitos can have a better quality of life.
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Juli is a 1 year 10 month old little girl that lives in the remote village of Paraxquin, Guatemala. Her favorite food is eggs and black beans! Juli is the the first daughter to her parents and Juli's father is a farmer who works in the fields every day, sowing green beans and corn. At times, he will work for others in their fields. Juli’s mother is a master weaver. She weaves traditional women’s blouses on a backstrap loom. Sometimes her mother goes with her husband to work in the fields as well.
Juli was brought to the attention of our nutrition team, after being weighed and measured in one of our co-clinics with the Ministry of Health. We identified her with chronic malnutrition in April of this year. Chronic malnutrition is such a difficult situation for Juli because if we do not attack it quickly, it is irreversible, by affecting Juli’s brain growth and development, it means she will be more likely to be slower to talk, to run, to read and write and more likely to remain in the cycle of poverty and have lower life long earn income. We can change that through our personalized nutrition intervention that works with the child and parents to get their growth back on track.
The Wuqu' Kawoq | Maya Health Alliance team went to visit Juli’s mother to explain our nutrition program and inquire if they would want to participate. Juli’s mom agreed to participate in the six month home-visit program. She said she looked most forward to learning what else she can feed Juli. The program includes monthly nutrition classes for her mother as well as monthly food supplies for Juli, such as: beans, eggs, and nutributter, a supplement to encourage child growth.
We are thrilled to report that right now, Juli has normal weight and height, she is no longer suffering from chronic malnutrition, thanks to the committed effort of her mother. Juli’s mother was proactive in implanting the new diet for Juli, providing her with beans, eggs, and vegetables. Juli’s mother explained that she wanted to do the best for her daughter so she can grow up and graduate from high school, as no one in her family has yet to do. She wants to see her daughter become a professional. She wants to fight for a healthier future for her daughter. Juli’s mother also said she very grateful for being part of the Nutrition program, as she felt respected and listened to by Rosa, our nutrition technician. She felt that the services were personalized and so helpful because every visit was in her home, in her language and provided her with easy examples that she could implement for her daughter. We are very happy with Juli’s progress and we can’t do this without you! Due to your continued incredible contributions you make our life-saving work possible. You create a future for children like Juli. You are helping transform the next generation in Guatemala.
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Candy was one month old when she entered into the Wuqu' Kawoq | Maya Health Alliance Nutrition Program. She is from the remote village of Paquip in the Guatemalan Highlands where rates of malnutrition have historically been greater than 70% among children under five years old. Working with the nearby health center, our local nutrition technician Rosa arranged a visit to Candy's home shortly after she was born. After being weighed and measured, it was determined that Candy was suffering from chronic malnutrition. While her weight was within normal level, she was very short for her age, suggesting that she was at risk for child stunting.
Over the next 18 months, Rosa made regular visits to monitor Candy's weight and provide her mother with support. She counselled Candy's mother about nutrition, helping her to plan out healthy meals using the resources available to her. In addition, Candy's mother began attending regular nutrition classes with other mother's in the nutrition program forming a community of mutual support. She also received monthly supplies of beans, eggs, and nutributter, a supplement to encourage child growth.
By the end of her time in the program, Candy was within normal weight and height for her age. Her mother is very grateful to have been part of the program and for the consistent attention she received from Rosa.
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Hello Friends,
Over the past year we have been busy preparing to launch our community gardens pilot study, which aims to foster community cooperation and provide a sustainable source of nutritious foods for families and children in rural Guatemala. The study will take place over 18 months in partnership with the community of Chutiestancia and the US Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Participants will work together to grow and harvest a wide range of local herbs and vegetables while receiving training and support from the Maya Health nutrition staff. Through community interviews, observation, and child nutrition monitoring we will be able to see how integrating a community garden component into our usual nutrition program affects child nutrition and growth.
We are excited to report that the project is off to a great start! Many families have entered into the program and begun training courses with our local nutrition technicians. In addition, our garden has been constructed the first harvest is growing quickly. Throughout this process, we have continued to provide support and treatment for malnourished children in the community. Soon, we will be able to gather some preliminary results of the study, which will help us to understand our impact.
This pilot study reinforces Wuqu' Kawoq’s commitment to continuous learning and development. By working with communities to execute rigorous evaluation while maintaining a high level of care, we are able to better understand our impact and improve the services we offer to our patients. The results of our study will also be used by the US Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to contribute to a broader understanding of nutrition projects and serve as an example for other organizations working to combat child malnutrition. If all goes well, after the pilot study we will be able to expand the gardens project to more communities.
Thank you so mcuh for your incredible, on-going support! Because of you, we are transforming the lives of malnourished children, their families and the future of Guatemala.
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Anderson was only 20 days-old when he was diagnosed with acute chronic malnutrition. His mother had severely inflamed breasts, which prevented her from nursing Anderson. As a result of these poor feeding habits, he was drastically underweight and at serious risk of stunting in addition to other developmental diseases.
Anderson was quickly enrolled into the Maya Health nutrition program, through which he received two visits per month from Rosita, one of our local nutrition technicians. Initially, Rosita focused on helping Anderson’s mother by providing injections to reduce swelling in her breasts and later offering breastfeeding education. This intervention greatly improved Anderson’s health, but he continued to grow at a slow rate. Once he was old enough to eat solid foods, Anderson’s family began receiving a monthly allowance of eggs, beans, and nutributter (a supplemental vitamin for children). Anderson also received regular parasite treatment, and his mother received nutrition counseling in their home to help her provide a healthy diet for her baby.
Currently, Anderson is fourteen months-old and at a healthy weight. He has a good appetite, and is very active. One of his favorite pastimes is playing with his toy car. Anderson’s mother is participating in a nutrition class provided by Maya Health Alliance at the local health center to continue learning about healthy food options. Their family still receives regular visits and food supplements from Rosita. Anderson’s growth will continue to be monitored until he turns two, at which point he will graduate from the nutrition program. You can see from his pictures that he his growing and thriving, because of your support!
Anderson is one of 1500 children who receive treatment in our nutrition program each year. The need for these services is dire in Guatemala where over 45 percent of children under five years-old suffers from malnutrition. At Maya Health Alliance, our strategy focuses on providing education and nutrition supplements during the first two years of life. A recent study showed that severe malnutrition has been reduced by 35 percent in the communities where we work. These changes will have a lifelong impact on our patients, who will be at lower risk for respiratory, digestive, and chronic diseases. They also will have improved cognitive development and greater earning potential in adulthood. None of this work would be possible without the support of our donors.
Thank you for giving Anderson and other children a chance at a brighter future! We are so grateful for your incredible support!
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