Fight Rising Malnutrition in Rural Guatemala

In the village of Paraxquin, in Tecpán, Chimaltenango, where jobs are scarce, some families are able to afford food thanks to money sent home by their relatives working in the United States. Others, such as María’s family, are not as fortunate. María, now 26, became a mother for the first time at 17, and now has four children. Her husband works hard in the fields, through intense sun and drenching rains, while María takes care of the children at home and occasionally weaves to earn extra income. Still, they are not able to earn enough money to meet their food needs and support their children's education.

In addition to their economic difficulties, the family faces other challenges, including the lack of access to clean drinking water. They must go to a contaminated pond to get water for drinking, bathing, and washing clothes.

These challenges and resulting health problems led the community health center to reach out to our Family-Centered Nutrition Program to support the youngest son of this family, 13 month-old Wilson. Wuqu' Kawoq Nutrition Technician Johana searched and found their home, and Wilson entered the program. After an evaluation in July 2024, it was determined that Wilson had a moderate growth delay. 

Since then, the nutrition team has visited monthly to work with Wilson’s parents to support his growth and development. The family's usual diet consists primarily of beans, eggs, herbs, and instant soups. During the monthly visits, the nutrition team has focused on  nutritional education, with the goal of helping the family include fruits, vegetables, and other essential foods in their diet. In addition, the program provides eggs, beans, and nutritional supplements for Wilson.

Despite the efforts, after six months of support, Wilson still had not significantly improved. The family’s lack of economic resources continued to make it difficult to provide a diverse diet of healthy foods, and an episode of diarrhea set Wilson back further, putting him at risk for acute malnutrition. While patients typically finish the nutrition program in eight months, in cases such as Wilson’s, the team continues to partner with the family, adding nutritional formula and trying other strategies until his health improves.

María dreams of seeing her son grow up healthy and attending school. Despite the hardships, she holds onto the hope that, with the right support, her family can improve their quality of life and have a better future.