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Knowledge is Power for San Juan Mirador Students

7/27/2016

A WASH Student Ambassador at San Juan Mirador

Last time we checked in at San Juan Mirador School, a small, Kaqchikel-speaking community outside of San Lucas Toliman, we were in the very beginning stage of breaking ground on new WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) facilities. The bathrooms at San Juan Mirador were in such poor conditions that students were at high risk of getting sick and missing school.

Before construction, bathrooms are in very poor condition

Thanks to a partnership with the students at Trailside Middle School in Ashburn, VA, and support from donors like you, construction is well underway. During this first phase, Pueblo a Pueblo is building four latrines, two handwashing stations with four faucets, and a urinal. The WASH facilities are set to be completed by early August, which means the teachers and 222 students at San Juan Mirador will soon have access to new clean bathrooms!

Digging wells for septic tanks

Construction in progress for new, clean bathrooms!

Meanwhile, we’ve moved forward with our second round of training for WASH student ambassadors. During this training, the WASH student ambassadors at San Juan Mirador learned how personal hygiene affects self-esteem and academic productivity. Teachers and students were divided into two groups. They then analyzed short stories explaining how poor hygiene habits, like not washing your hands or not bathing, can cause sickness. The stories showed that when students get sick often, they miss more school, harming their academic development and self-esteem.

WASH student ambassadors also learned how to create good personal hygiene routines. For example, students should always wash fruits and vegetables before eating them, and they should boil tap water before drinking it. With this knowledge in hand, WASH ambassadors can encourage their peers to follow these healthy habits as well!

Students and teachers during the second training

WASH Project Coordinator Tomas Mendoza notes that it is “very important to have a group of student ambassadors learn healthy habits, so they can be change-makers for a healthier school environment and improve the overall personal hygiene of their peers.”

Now that they are equipped with personal hygiene and sanitation knowledge and the soon-to-be finished WASH facilities, students and teachers at San Juan Mirador are on their way to healthier and more productive school days!

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Beekeepers "Abuzz" with Plans for the Coming Year

7/19/2016

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A beekeeper in Huehuetenango checks the hives

This year’s honey harvest is finally in, but our beekeeping projects are already preparing for the coming year. And although some groups have finished training, others are continuing to build their skills.

The three beekeeping groups that make up the Aj Tikonel Kab beekeepers association have officially graduated from Pueblo a Pueblo project trainings and are now operating on their own. They have the training and knowledge to properly monitor their hives and continue to sell and market their product. Now, Pueblo a Pueblo’s role is to provide technical support when needed.

Having collected their harvest and processed their honey, the Aj Tikonel Kab beekeepers are in the process of marketing their products. They have been exploring new markets around the lake to sell their honey in local stores, hotels, and in specialty fairs for artisanal and organic products. Most recently, they participated in a national event for small honey producers in Solola, the state departmental capital.

Aj Tikonel Kab beekeepers selling honey at markets

Meanwhile, the year-old group of 10 women beekeepers in La Libertad, Huehuetenango have continued with trainings and have collected their first harvest. But, because of the cold temperatures in the highlands this past winter, there was a shortage of worker bees to gather the honey, leaving the hives weakened. Also, the beekeepers had just begun their trainings and were not yet equipped with the knowledge to effectively evaluate hive health. So this year, the hives did not produce enough honey to sell, and the women are sharing the 40-lb harvest among their families.

Since the cold season, however, the women of La Libertad have completed several more trainings. They now have the skills and knowledge to monitor their hives. For example, they know what to look for when checking hive health, and they can diagnose any problems that arise to either fix the problem themselves or ask Pueblo a Pueblo for technical advice.
The most recent training in Huehuetenango was conducted in April, when the women learned how to harvest and process the honey. They also learned how to divide hives to effectively grow their apiary.

Pueblo a Pueblo’s beekeeping expert, Genaro, made a return visit to Huehuetenango in May to check on the hives and to meet with the beekeepers. He also ensured that the hives were doing well after dividing them in April, and he worked with the women to prepare the hives for the upcoming rainy season.

Now that the rainy season has begun, they will not be collecting their next harvest until the fall. In the meantime, the hives are strong and the beekeepers will continue to learn more skills!

Genaro training beekeepers in Huehuetenango

Beekeepers thanking a Mayan god for their harvest

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Kitchen Renovations

7/6/2016

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The renovated kitchen at La Cumbre School, including new counters and sink

Our School Nutrition project has been very busy the first half of this year. Our hot school meals were put on hold for six months while we took on a huge project in our partner schools: kitchen renovations.

In many of the schools, kitchen conditions were so poor that it was difficult to prepare students meals. At La Cumbre School, for example, there was no proper sink for washing hands, vegetables, or cooking pots. Kitchens lacked equipment like pots and pans, and the pots they did have had holes in them. There were no counters or storage space, so materials were stored on the floor, and the cooks (school mothers) were forced to prepare food on very old tables that were difficult to keep clean. At Nueva Vida School, the kitchen measured only 6 by 7 feet -- in a school serving over 270 students!

Even though the students had access to healthy food, there was no way to guarantee that the food could be prepared effectively and hygienically. After conducting an evaluation of the kitchens at each of our partner schools, we decided to partner with school leadership to undertake renovations at four schools.

Preparing food in the new kitchen at La Cumbre School

Since the beginning of 2016, we have worked with leadership at Nueva Vida, San Andres, Pacoc, and Nueva Providencia Schools. At La Cumbre, we supported the installation of a new absorption well, new counters and shelving, and a new sink. At Nueva Vida, the kitchen was expanded, and a new roof was built to prevent leaks into the kitchen. And all of the schools now have new pots and pans and other necessary kitchen utensils.

Along with kitchen renovations, Pueblo a Pueblo educators have been working with the mothers who prepare the school meals. Mothers have learned to cook more nutritious meals using a variety of new ingredients, like spinach.

We began providing meals again this week, now that the kitchen improvements are finished, and we are very happy with the results--so are the mothers who will be using them!

Pacoc School's renovated kitchen, including new counters and cabinets!

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