Fight Child Malnutrition in Rural Guatemala

During this past month’s Summer Vacation Camp activities, children from Panabaj, Tzanchaj, Chacayá, and La Cumbre elementary schools learned first-hand what Farm-to-Table is all about. That’s right! They learned the A to Z of making a healthy and nutritious salad with fresh ingredients straight from the schools’ organic gardens that they helped tend.  

The lesson started in the school garden, where children and Pueblo a Pueblo activity coordinators harvested fresh vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, parsley, cucumbers and radishes.  All these vegetables were grown in the school garden where students learned how to care for fruits, vegetables and medicinal plants in an organic way.  Children learned how to recognize when a fruit or vegetable is ready to be picked, and they now understand the importance of giving young plants time to ripen and gather the most nutrients possible.   

The lesson continued in the kitchen, where children learned how to clean the freshly picked vegetables with water, salt and lime to encourage healthy and sanitary eating habits.  Once cleaned and cut, children were reminded of the names and benefits of each ingredient that made up their nutritious salad.    

It was a fun learning opportunity for children who got to see the connection between growing healthy vegetables and making a delicious meal full of vitamins with their own harvest!  We were excited to see children leaving the garden camp happy and fulfilled, because healthy students are more likely to succeed in school, develop positively and lead their community to a healthier and better place.