Fight Malnutrition in Rural Guatemala

Kimberly is the daughter of Débora, who will turn 18 in December. She speaks Kaqchikel and plans to start a small business selling granizadas (traditional shaved ice) to save money and pay for her daughter’s education.

Another patient’s mother referred this family to us. Johana, a nutrition technician, tried to locate their home and, after one unsuccessful attempt, found it on her second visit. The first home visit took place in June 2025, when Kimberly was six months old. At that time, she weighed 6.9 kilograms and measured 60.5 centimeters in height, and was diagnosed with moderate growth delay.

By October 2, Kimberly weighed 8.2 kilograms and measured 67 centimeters, showing steady progress toward achieving an appropriate weight and height for her age. Wuqu' Kawoq enrolls with malnutrition in an eight-month nutrition recovery program, so our team will continue conducting monthly home visits to monitor Kimberly’s growth and support her family’s ongoing progress.

Your partnership ensures more children in rural Guatemala grow up healthy and strong. Thank you for walking alongside families like hers.

When a Wuqu’ Kawoq nutrition technician arrived for a monthly home visit to patient Oliver near the town of Tecpán, his mother mentioned that he had diarrhea. The technician confirmed he had diarrhea and fever and referred him for medical evaluation via telemedicine with one of our doctors, who recommended that Oliver go to the hospital. 

Oliver’s parents were unsure what to do. They had heard about bad hospital experiences from others and they were worried about not being able to communicate well in Spanish, as their  first language is Kaqchikel. The technician explained that it would be best to take Oliver to the hospital as he was already dehydrated and staying at home could lead to other complications. 

When the family continued to hesitate, the Wuqu’ Kawoq team offered to accompany them to  provide translation and support. With that, the family decided to accept. Oliver recovered after treatment for diarrhea and dehydration. The experience not only prevented him from becoming more seriously ill but also helped his family and others in their circle see that it was possible to safely seek hospital care when necessary.

Thanks to your help, we provide community education and work with the families of nearly 600 children each year to prevent and mitigate chronic malnutrition and its lifelong consequences.

With gratitude,

Andrea Enriquez

Communication and Development Coordinator