Fight Child Malnutrition in Rural Guatemala

The end of the school year is upon us here in Santiago Atitlan! As the year comes to a close, Pueblo a Pueblo staff have been very busy collecting data for the School Health and Nutrition Program. This data collection involved traveling to our partner schools to measure the height and weight of students participating in our School Nutrition Project. The children thoroughly enjoyed being part of the evaluation process, and meeting more of Pueblo a Pueblo’s field staff!

These students, most of whom would not otherwise have access to healthy meals, each receive one delicious and nutritious breakfast every day at school. Having these healthy meals right when they arrive reduces the immediate hunger these children would normally feel, allowing them to better concentrate and participate in class throughout the day and be more successful students in the long-term!

The School Health and Nutrition Program has also been hosting cooking classes to teach children how to properly prepare the produce they are growing in their gardens, focusing on the preparation of vegetables. Most recently, the sixth grade class at San Andres School learned how to cook spinach for themselves – and they loved it! Local mothers have also been learning how to cook more nutritious meals for their kids. At La Cumbre School, ten mothers also took part in creative cooking classes. They learned how to properly prepare spinach from the gardens with spices and herbs such as amaranth and chard. Having the mothers also partake in this learning experience increases the likelihood that their families will have healthier eating habits at home!

In November, our program will host a vacation course at each school garden. The students will learn more gardening basics and plant cultivation, along with basic cooking skills to prepare simple recipes from the various produce in their gardens. It will be a very fun and educational experience for everyone, and we are very much looking forward to it!