Food Security Guatemala Project #13523

Empower Guatemalan Families With Food & Nutrition

by Seeds for a Future

Project Report | Jul 27, 2020
FOOD IN THE TIME OF COVID-19

By Thomas Hartig | Communication Officer

Proud of her sprout from left over tomato seed

FOOD IN THE TIME OF COVID-19

During the pandemic, starvation is a real possibility for many in Guatemala. But THANKS TO YOUR SUPPORT of the Seeds for a Future Team, over 1000 Guatemalan families have nutritious food to eat. These are families that have worked with the Seeds Team to plan and install their own customized Casa Granja, or Backyard Farm, in which they raise vegetables, fruits and chickens.

The Casa Granja is our scientifically proven organic method of affordable food production. It means better Food Security and Nutrition for the entire family. This success also builds self-confidence, because they are achieving a better life by their own efforts, and their skills and knowledge can be shared in the community.

However, urban and rural families both are now suffering hunger at crisis levels, and the Seeds Team wants to expand its ability to help more families have more food -- in this time of Covid-19, and into the future.

One vital technique is the ultimate in recycling: using seeds or scraps left over from food preparation to generate new vegetable and fruit plants. Tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, cucumbers and zucchini will grow from seeds. Root vegetables will regrow from cut-off tops; onions, leaf lettuce, celery and cabbage will regenerate by planting the discarded base.

Just take some repurposed containers, add sunlight, soil and the right amount of water (and protect your new plants from kids and pets). While anyone can do this, it’s perfect for urban families or those with very small spaces.

Resilient and flexible, the Team's current work pattern reflects all restrictions and mitigations necessary to avoid catching or spreading the virus. With face-to-face work restricted, the Team has created photo-filled booklets that explain the concepts and techniques of the Casa-Granja. With the booklets, lots of phone consultations, AND YOUR SUPPORT, the Seeds for a Future Team can coach more families in growing nutritious food to help them survive the Covid-19 crisis.

Please share this report with friends and colleagues you think would be interested in doing something positive to help others during the pandemic.

On behalf of the entire Seeds for a Future Team, and all the participating families,

THANK YOU for your strong support during the time of Covid-19. We hope you and your family will stay safe.

Nutritious greens growing well in a container

Kitchen seeds = new plants: tomato, peppers, etc.

Oyster mushrooms are very tasty and nutritious

On the way to new tomatoes for the kitchen

Links:

Seeds for a Future

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Mar 30, 2020
Every little thing counts in a crisis!

By Thomas Hartig | Communication Officer

Food for Rural Families

Dear Friend!

We sincerely hope you, your family and all your friends and neighbors are well, staying healthy and staying positive during the difficult situation now confronting our world.

The COVID-19 pandemic reached Guatemala in mid-March. The President closed the borders, cut off travel and shut down internal public transportation, restaurants, commercial centers, public & private schools and major events -- even the world-famous Holy Week celebrations!

We urban residents sometimes forget that COVID-19 is also a threat in rural areas. While they may seem less “at risk”, villages are among the least able and least prepared to deal with this highly contagious virus.

In the local market, prices already have increased by 160% to 280% for rice, potatoes, onions, tomatoes and other basic foods. Growing food at home becomes even more important for rural families during this exceptional time of crisis!

Seeds for a Future's Field Extensionists will be working from home until at least the end of March. By phone, they continue to provide their assigned families with both vital coaching and an important sense of community and support. They also advise families on the importance of household hygiene and the risk of infections in public places.

With social distancing and isolating at home, it may seem pretty hard to find a way to do something positive that contributes to the world-wide effort to overcome this pandemic. YOUR CONTRIBUTION to Seeds for a Future will support poor rural families who also have to stay home and who are working hard to feed their children. YOUR DONATION will also help pay our Field Extensionists' salaries, so they can continue to work with the families, even during this lock-down.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH !!

Nutrition

Animal Protein

Tasty Vagetables

Links:

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Jan 27, 2020
Basilio loves nature, and spends his holidays learning with Seeds!

By Thomas Hartig | Communication Officer

Basilio visiting one of our participants

13-year old Basilio, one of Jacinto and Remigia’s 4 children, loves nature, animals and plants. His family is about to complete the 12-month “Casa-Granja” Backyard Farm program with Seeds for a Future. Congratulations!!!

When they started back in February 2019 they had the dream to make more out of their available spaces & resources, and to grow nutritious vegetables and small food animals. They had heard about Seeds for a Future's self-help program and asked to join.

Now, both parents say that they feel happier and healthier working in the nutrition garden, raising ducks and eating better food. They spend less of their scarce cash in the market because they have learned to raise nutritious vegetables and protein foods at home, and they even sell some of their harvest or share it with friends and neighbors.

Basilio’s interest in plants and animals led him to participate as often as he could in the weekly coaching visits of the Seeds Team to his family's home. After finishing fifth grade in November, he eagerly asked his parents if he could spend his school vacation weeks in a “Casa-Granja” internship with Seeds for a Future and they were pleased to agree.

Basilio spent his holiday vacation happily learning skills he can use and share throughout his life. He accompanied the Seeds Team on coaching visits at many participant households and learned to observe the spaces and resources in and around the homes which could be used to produce nutritious food. At the same time, he learned important and practical information about soil composition, planting distance, identifying and controlling pests, and, of course, nutrition facts for different herbs, vegetables and animals.

Visiting various families of the community with the Seeds Team allowed Basilio to see a range of different experiences in growing food, and learn how the basic skills and information supplied by our team of Extensionists are customized to maximize success for each family. These “intellectual inputs” were combined with learn-by-doing activities, at both his family's home and Seeds' Demonstration sites, for a complete internship experience.

Seeds for the Future thanks Jacinto and Remigia for giving their son this learning opportunity -- to be part of our Team and to use the holidays for something so important, both for his personal development and the development of his family and community. Perhaps in the future, Basilio will be one of our expert Agricultural Extensionists!

Basilio's parents and sisters

Basilio learns how this family raises its poultry

Observing leaves of pest

Links:

Become a rural family sponsor

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