Nutrition for me and all my friends: Chiapas

During the past 3 months we have continued with the health, nutrition and environmental preservation projects with Tzotzil indigenous families in the Highlands region of Chiapas, benefitting 112 people. Here are a few of the highlights! 

Hydration workshop

In June we held a workshop on the liquids version of the Healthy Plate nutrition model, called Healthy Cup.  In this workshop, families discussed what liquids they currently consume, as well as learned recommendations for water consumption and reduction of sugary beverage consumption.  Families told us that they know they should drink only clean water, but were unsure of the amount they were supposed to drink per day. The most frequently consumed beverages in the communities are bottled soft drinks, coffee or flavored/sweet waters (Xulumó, Namtic and Tabilhucum). After this workshop many families were committed to increasing their consumption of clean, plain drinking water.  

Nutrition workshops

Through healthy eating workshops, families have been taking advantage of their local resources and learning which foods are edible from their local environment like turnip, chicory, berries and chayote.  

Xulumó has had a great greenhouse yield, and begun using broccoli leaves, a food they had not previously known how to cook, in recipes learned with Amextra. In the town of Tzacucum, Chalchihuitán carrots from the backyard garden were used for the recipe for “carrot tinga”.  Try the recipe yourself here! (https://www.myfoodandfamily.com/recipe/125182/carrot-tinga-tostadas) Tinga is traditionally made with shredded chicken, and in this recipe shredded carrots are used as a replacement.  

Improvements in Corn and Fruit Production

MIAF (Corn Interplanted with Fruit Trees) systems have been improved, monitored and installed; pests, diseases and nutritional deficiencies in coffee and fruit trees have been controlled, and organic matter and nutrients/minerals have been incorporated into the soil. 

Pruning was carried out on fruit trees in July and August in order to improve plant growth and development; The application of biofertilizers (alternative to the use of chemicals) in the crops was carried out to improve the productive yield and the care of the environment by producing clean and healthy food.

Thanks to the hard work of our local teams we are on track with our goals for the year, and continuing to build strong relationships in the communities where we work.  Thank you for your constant support that makes these programs possible!

Stephanie Ahlgrain

Amextra Inc. 

"Changing lives, transforming communities"