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Pueblo a Pueblo Blog

Right from Santiago Atitlán to your computer. Your window into our world. Thanks for reading and comments are welcome! ​

A Conversation with Vilma Mendoza: Prioritizing Nutrition in Maternal-Child Health

2/12/2021

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Vilma Mendoza is Pueblo a Pueblo’s Women’s Right to Health Program Manager. In this conversation, Vilma speaks with Communications Coordinator Sarah Marriott about recent changes to the Maternal-Child Health Project. Vilma explains the importance of nutrition in a child’s early years and the lasting impact that this project has for families in Santiago Atitlán.
Picture
Vilma (left) with fellow Maternal-Child Health Project Coordinator Rebeca at a health fair (Feb 2020)
PictureVilma at the 2019 Maternal-Child Health end of year celebration
Can you briefly describe the Maternal-Child Health project– what were its primary goals and what does it offer to participating mothers?

The Maternal-Child Health project supports the health of mothers and their babies by allowing them to access medical services, education, and home visits from Pueblo a Pueblo. These three components go hand in hand because our main goal since the Maternal-Child Health project began has been to improve the health behaviors of pregnant women. Furthermore, our goal has been to support maternal-child health as a means to decreasing the rates of both maternal and infant mortality in the region. To do this, we aim to increase access to qualified providers, medical coverage, and various methods of family planning. As a part of this project, the children also have complete access to medical care, which in rural communities is extremely important. In these rural communities, there are small health outposts but they often do not have all of the needed resources to care for patients. Therefore, having access to a secure health clinic is vital to the health of the mothers and children in our project. 

In your opinion, what are some of the greatest successes of this project? In other words, what would you say is the greatest impact the project has on mothers and children?

One of the biggest successes that the project has had is that the mothers have experienced a growth in knowledge. Apart from the increased access to medical services, one of the biggest successes of the project has been that the children are growing up healthy. And, one of the things that we have seen and what the mothers have told us is that it is easy to go to a medical outpost in a rural area where they will tell you “we don’t have the medicine you need.” Additionally, at these rural medical outposts, there often is not a doctor, only a nurse. But, in this project, the women come to Santiago Atitlán, and the only thing that they have to worry about is their transportation and then they have complete access to the medical clinic here. So, one of the biggest successes is that the mothers have gained access to high quality medical services and medicines. If I had to choose, I would say that there are two main successes of the project –access to quality medical services and health education. Education has been extremely important for our mothers because this has allowed them to change their ways of thinking; it has opened them up to new ideas and helped them grow as individuals.

Recently, yourself and other project leaders have decided to change the focus and duration of the project. Can you share some details about this decision as well as the renewed goal for the project?
First I will comment on the decision as it was made from an organizational standpoint. Internally, in the past years we have recognized that there are not enough sponsors that would like to sponsor our mothers for the five year duration of the project. Additionally, it seems like people do not think that supporting health is that important. However, here in Guatemala, in a country that is still in the process of developing, extreme poverty is very prevalent. We have seen that here in Santiago, it is a priority to support families not only in terms of their general health, but especially in their nutritional health. We can help families by giving them access to the clinic, but if a child is sick with the same condition every month –for example, if a child comes in each month with diarrhea or lesions on the skin, there is a bigger problem. I spoke with one of the doctors at the clinic, and I asked her, “why do we see the same problems every month?” She told me, “aside from a lack of hygiene, there is a big lack of vitamins. If a child comes in this month, I can give them vitamins and medicine and they will get better but if the child doesn't have food, next month they will have the same problem.” So, we have recognized that it is a priority to reduce childhood malnutrition, especially from birth until two years of age. 

Can you say a little bit more about the changes to the duration of the project –the switch from five years to three years?
With a renewed focus on nutrition, we also evaluated the length of the project. The first two years of a child’s life are the most important to ensure that the child grows up with a strong nutritional foundation. This foundation will help the child develop physically and mentally, so that later on, when they are in school, they can perform better. Additionally, we have seen that after the first two years, many of the children do not use the medical services as much. So, for these reasons we have decided to change the length of the project: first so that it is accessible to more mothers and children, and second so that the mothers recognize that nutrition is extremely important. We are not only going to focus on the child's health, but on their nutrition. We believe that this focus within the first two years will set the child up for a healthier life and a higher performance in school later on. Here, we have seen that many children are sick and underweight because of malnutrition. So, if we don’t focus on nutrition, then we are not attacking the problem from its root. For precisely this reason, we believe it is important to adjust the project to focus more on supporting nutrition. As always , our focus is maternal-child health, we have just added a special focus on the nutrition of our children and also our mothers during their pregnancies. When we begin working with pregnant mothers, we see that they are malnourished as well, and if there is no food security during the pregnancy, they are not going to be able to have a health pregnancy nor a healthy baby. So, this is the rationale for the shorter duration of the project and the enhanced focus on nutrition. 

With regards to the sponsorship side of the project, what would you like a prospective sponsor to know?
What would I say to someone who is considering sponsoring one of our mother-child pairs?… well, I would say that here in Guatemala, we need this help. In the rural areas, we need people that want to help families by contributing to their health. I would also like to tell someone considering becoming a sponsor that we, as leaders of the project, are not going to let down our sponsors nor our mother-child pairs. We want to support our fellow Guatemalan families. Here in Guatemala, we have a very precarious health system and a very corrupt government system. This corruption, many times, makes it so that our Guatemalan families do not have the same opportunities. So what I would say is that we need this support, and that they should never think that by contributing to the health of a mother, they are not doing much. On the contrary, this sort of help means so much. What they are doing is contributing a part of their own income to improving the health, the life, of a mother and child here in Guatemala. 

Do you have anything else that you would like to share about the project, the sponsorships, or anything else you would like to mention?
Well, I would just say that we are crossing our fingers that we can find more sponsors for this project. We want to be able to serve more mothers and children in the area, but we need sponsors first. 


become  a sponsor today!
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A Safe Place to Chat: Socially-Distanced Health Workshops for Mothers

10/28/2020

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Picture
Women in Group 3 during this week's workshop on Inclusion!
PictureWomen in Group 1 during the September workshop!
With much of our typical programming still on hold due to COVID-19 restrictions, Pueblo a Pueblo is thrilled to continue supporting the mothers in our Maternal-Child Health Project through socially-distanced, small group workshops!

A key component of our Maternal-Child Health Project is the educational support that mothers receive from participation in monthly health and wellness workshops. While these workshops were put on hold during the months of March-August, in September we were able to reinstate them under careful safety protocols such as mask wearing, hand washing, and socially-distanced outdoor seating.

Our Maternal Child Health Project Coordinator Rebeca explained that after many months without in-person connection, “the women are glad to have a safe place to come and speak!”

The twenty mother-child pairs currently participating in this project are grouped into three groups based on the age of their children (Group 1: birth-1 year, Group 2: ages 1-3, and Group 3: ages 3-5). Over the past two months, Group 1 attended workshops on hygiene and illness prevention as well as early childhood development. Group 2 spent time discussing the basics of good nutrition and common colds and respiratory illness. Group 3 participated in workshops about menstrual hygiene, and just this week, about the brand new topic of “inclusion.” 

Rebeca was excited to share the news of this new workshop topic, explaining her desire to empower mothers with the knowledge to build more inclusive communities. In discussing “inclusion,” Rebeca and the mothers reflected on the misunderstandings that many people hold about individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities. They spoke about the value and contributions of every individual, and as Rebeca described it “planted the seeds” for further conversations about this important topic. Rebeca was proud of how the workshop went, explaining that although this is not a commonly discussed topic, the women were open to learning more, and committed to speaking to their own children and family members about inclusion as well! 

While these workshops are definitely a time to learn more about important health and wellness topics, they are also an opportunity for women to connect with and empower one another. With limited safe opportunities for community building, the connection piece of these workshops is more important now than ever before. 

Rebeca makes sure to leave space at the beginning and end of each workshop for women to speak candidly with one another. She explained that recently, these conversations have offered  women the freedom to discuss their fears related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Building safe and supportive spaces for women has always been a goal of the Maternal-Child Health Project, and we are especially glad to be doing so during these extremely challenging times!

Can you help us continue supporting the women and children of our Maternal Child Health Project throughout the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic?

Donate now
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Keeping Youth Leaders Connected Through The Pandemic

9/15/2020

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Picture
Some of our youth leaders from San Martín! *All photos from pre-COVID-19 restrictions
As we enter the sixth month of COVID-19 related regulations and restrictions here in Santiago Atitlán, each of our community members has felt the impact of lost income, health challenges, social isolation, distance learning, and restricted travel in various ways. While the impact of COVID-19 is definitely felt by all, our Youth Leadership Project Coordinator Hony explains that it has been particularly challenging for adolescents.
​

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University explain that “the greatest impacts felt by adolescents stem from school closures, being in the house, and not getting to see friends and peers” (1). Hony echoed this sentiment, explaining that adolescents participating in the Youth Leadership program have felt isolated, discouraged, and doubtful at different points during these past few months.  

Luckily for our Youth Leaders, Hony is working to find safe and meaningful ways to continue engaging with them as they reach their entrepreneurial goals!
​

Currently, Hony is working with two groups of Youth Leaders, one in San Martín and another in Patzilin Abaj. Both groups are in different stages of their participation in the program; the San Martín group is in their second year, while the Patzilin Abaj group is already in their third. The typical trajectory of our Youth Leadership Project is one year of capacity building and familiarizing participants with organization and leadership through management of an organic school garden. In year two, participants initiate their own project and learn more about modeling a business, drafting a budget, and monitoring and evaluating their progress. Finally, in year three, participants grow their businesses, learn about business leadership and sustainability, and practice using the CANVAS business model.
Students help plant the San Martín school garden
Students learning about gardening at the San Martín school garden
Interruptions due to COVID-19 have left our San Martín group without a fully defined project, and our Patzilin Abaj group (whose project is based on selling chickens) unable to sell due to local marketplace closures. Although these setbacks are challenging, Hony was recently able to meet with Youth Leaders to discuss a way forward. 

For the group in San Martín, Hony plans to conduct the two workshops centered around project ideation, budget planning, and business modeling in an online format. Working with Pueblo a Pueblo to ensure that participants have access to internet and appropriate technology, Hony is very hopeful that these workshops will help get our leaders back on track. He says that although meeting in person and launching the team’s project this year is not possible, they have discussed a new start date for the beginning of 2021!

As for our Patzilin Abaj group, Hony explains that although they cannot sell in the local market right now, the group does have a small savings fund that has allowed them to keep up with their chickens during COVID-19. He spoke with this group of young entrepreneurs about restarting their project when it is safe to do so, and about potentially workshopping new chicken-related projects.
Picture
Paztilin Abaj leaders caring for their chickens
Overall, Hony is excited to have been able to reconnect with our Youth Leaders during this challenging time. Social connection is vital to maintaining hope and supporting mental health during times of crisis, and our Youth Leadership program is working to do just that!
Pueblo a Pueblo knows that empowering young people is vital to breaking the cycle of poverty, and despite recent challenges, our Youth Leaders are well on their way to becoming young entrepreneurs.  


Can you help support our Youth Leaders as they navigate this challenging time?
DONATE NOW
Picture
Students and Youth Leaders at San Martín school garden
References
  1. https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/05/11/covid-19-and-adolescents/

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  • HOME
  • ABOUT US
    • OUR MISSION
    • OUR TEAM
    • BOARD OF DIRECTORS
    • OUR SUPPORTERS >
      • COFFEE INDUSTRY PARTNERS
    • Annual Report
    • FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY >
      • AUDITS & FORMS 990
    • Our COVID-19 Response
  • PROGRAMS
    • WHAT WE DO
    • WOMEN'S RIGHT TO HEALTH >
      • MATERNAL CHILD HEALTH
      • WOMEN'S HEALTH CHAMPIONS
    • SCHOOL HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND NUTRITION >
      • WATER, SANITATION, AND HYGIENE IN SCHOOLS
      • PRIMARY EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS
      • PATHWAYS TO LITERACY
      • SCHOOL NUTRITION
      • ORGANIC TEACHING GARDEN
    • SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS >
      • BEEKEEPING
      • YOUTH LEADERSHIP
      • WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS
  • BLOG
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