By Suzanne de Berge | Co-Founder and Board President
To our community of supporters,
This year, your support helped our team reach a record number of families across rural Guatemala. In communities where 47-70% of children under five are chronically malnourished, your partnership is fueling practical, life-changing solutions. Families who once relied on expensive, nutrient-poor foods are now cultivating fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs, and small animal protein right at home.
Your generosity is planting the seeds of better health, confidence, and long-term resilience for thousands of parents and children.
A Family's Story of Change
When Mirna first joined our program, she struggled to afford nutritious food for her children. Today, her backyard is filled with greens, chaya, peppers, and fruit trees.
“When they teach us how to work, we all win. Now I have what I need in my garden and no longer have to spend money at the market.”
Her story is one of many, and it’s possible because of you.
What You Helped Make Possible This Year
Leaning into the momentum generated in 2025, the past three months are no exception. Since July, with your support, Program members across the communities are reaching new heights.
1. A Record Number of Families Trained in Home Food Production
More households than ever before are taking part in our program, maximizing their weekly 1:1 support in gardening, composting, water safety, kitchen hygiene, and raising small animal protein. Families continue to report better nutrition and more financial stability from selling their surplus produce.
2. Three New School Gardens Took Root
Children at three schools planted, cared for, and harvested their own school gardens, many for the first time. The produce from these crops is integrated into school meals and reconnects students with nature. For many, these school meals are the most nutritious food they receive each day. These gardens are teaching the next generation about the origins of food, nutrition, and self-sufficiency.
3. Growing Knowledge in Micro-Business Development
To support families in creating income opportunities, our team strengthened its training in small business planning, savings practices, and market strategies. With this knowledge, families are improving their financial resilience and household incomes step by step, a key pathway out of poverty.
4. Partnerships Expanded Into New Regions of Guatemala
Your support enabled our team to collaborate with organizations like WINGS, Water4Life, and The M Story to bring clean water, women’s health services, and family support to communities we had never reached before. These partnerships multiply impact and extend our reach to families who’ve been historically overlooked. Since August, 30 additional families within the M Story Community have become Program members. In November, 100 families were trained on hygiene and prepared to receive their water filters. As we close out 2025, our team is actively coordinating additional cervical screenings and family health visits for the months ahead.
5. Releasing Our First Impact Report
In October, we shared our first full Impact Report, which details our team, Program members, impact generated in 2025, and more. Please click the link below to review and learn more!
Why This Matters
The Seeds for a Future model is simple: empower families with skills, tools, and knowledge, and transformation follows.
Gardens feed families every day
Children grow stronger and healthier
Parents save money and stress
Women become leaders in their homes and communities
Families share knowledge with neighbors, spreading the impact
With support from donors like you, we are seeing malnutrition decrease, incomes rise, and resilience grow across entire communities.
Looking Ahead
Families continue to request entry into our program every week. Your generosity ensures we can say “yes” to more households, especially in regions deeply affected by poverty, food insecurity, and climate disruptions.
In the coming months, our team will:
Expand school garden programs
Support families in creating micro-business income
Launch new partnerships in underserved regions
Strengthen clean water and kitchen hygiene initiatives
Together, we are building a future where children grow up nourished, families thrive, and communities break long-standing cycles of poverty, one garden at a time. Learn more by reading our 2025 Impact Report linked below.
Thank You
Your support is helping families not just survive, but truly thrive. Thank you for walking with us and being a vital part of this growing movement for health, resilience, and opportunity in rural Guatemala.
with deep gratitude,
Suzanne de Berge
Links:
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
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