Nutrition > Projects > Nutrition Education > Reduction of chronic malnutrition in Guatemala
Overall Objective:
To reduce chronic malnutrition in Guatemala through an educational model that encourages a behavioral change, in addition to strengthening leadership and sustainable development in each community where we get involved.
DATOS DUROS
544
volunteer mothers
in the Cascading Groups
48
communities
benefited
The situation at a glance
The 48% of Guatemalan children suffer from chronic malnutrition, including the five children of Rosa Santiago. The number has doubled during the last 13 years, becoming an alarming situation for the country because it could trigger a wide variety of diseases.
Taking action
Malnutrition affects the youngest even more: most of the tissue and organs form during early childhood, laying the foundations for people’s physical and intellectual development. In order to respond to this need, we partnered with Food for the Hungry Guatemala to implement the Reduction of Chronic Malnutrition in Guatemala project in municipalities of the Ixil region (Nebaj, Cotzal and Chajul), focusing on the improvement of quality of life of children up to 5 years old.
Knowledge transmitters
Along with other mothers, Rosa took part in the Cascading Groups, bi-weekly sessions led by Food for the Hungry where she learned to improve her eating habits and the importance of healthy eating during and after pregnancy, as well as following up on children’s nutrition. The mothers became leaders of the community, in charge of the transmission of knowledge among their neighbors (from 8 to 12 for each leader) through individual visits. In addition to this training, mothers received Nutributter, a supplement for their children’s diet.
CATARINA BRITTO
Cascading Groups Volunteer
“It’s been a real blessing for me to be able to do partake at these activities so that the children in my community have a better physical development.”
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