This past year was a busy one for us! We served 30,301 school lunches, extended health care access to 30 moms and their children, constructed new school bathrooms, and mentored 29 new community youth leaders.
But beyond the numbers, we wanted to take a look into the lives of our beneficiaries, and share some of their thoughts on the programs last year.
But beyond the numbers, we wanted to take a look into the lives of our beneficiaries, and share some of their thoughts on the programs last year.
Meet Maria Magdalena Sican Pacal, mother of a Nueva Vida Primary School student.
Maria Magdalena Sican Pacal
Maria explained that with the School Nutrition Project, Pueblo a Pueblo has provided the huge benefit of school meals for the children.
In the past, the government only provided a small snack. Now, the children also receive a full meal, which benefits their growth. From my point of view, the school meals are better this way because the children are now eating a variety of healthy foods.
And my daughter no longer wastes money on chips or cookies at recess time. Instead, she tells me how tasty the meal was at school and that it filled her up. I can see that my daughter now receives a nutritious and delicious meal each day and is learning about the nutritional benefits of the healthy foods on her plate.
Maria and her daughter
For Maria, the project has also helped her family.
I imagine it has helped other families as well. The project has taught me that I should prioritize preparing healthy foods at home. I have participated in meetings and trainings with Pueblo a Pueblo, and I have learned a lot about healthy cooking and how to provide my daughter with the most nutritious foods possible.
Maria Violeta Rosales from Nueva Vida
We also met with Maria Violeta Rosales, a 20-year-old young woman living in the Nueva Vida community. Violeta, as she’s known, has been part of our Youth Leadership Project since 2015.
I have always been a person with big dreams and aspirations, but until Pueblo a Pueblo crossed my path, I had not been able to fully express myself as I wanted to. The knowledge gained through the Youth Leadership Project has completely transformed my life. I now find myself fearless in everyday situations, and with the tools I have been given, I now know there is absolutely nothing I can’t achieve.
Maria Violeta further explained how for generations, her family, and especially her grandfather, has known about the art and science of planting seeds for food.
Unfortunately, this knowledge was not passed down to me or my siblings, and we were unaware of these age-old practices. Now, I am proud to say that not only do I know how to identify a variety of plants and species, I also know how to plant them!
I have also shared the things I have learned about agriculture with my grandfather and he has put those things into practice. For example, my grandfather used to spend a lot of money on chemical fertilizers. But after I taught him how to use chicken and cow manure, he has seen an improvement in the health of his corn plantations and has been able to save money. We are working together with our past for a better tomorrow.
Ana Ixbalan Chavez
From Nueva Vida, we traveled back up to Lake Atitlan to speak with Ana Ixbalan Chavez, mother of a Chukmuk Primary School student.
Thanks to the support of the Primary Education Scholarships Project, my daughter Juanita can go to school with the necessary tools to study. The project has also allowed Juanita to receive medical care that she wouldn’t have otherwise accessed.
Ana Ixbalan and her daughter, Juanita
Ana Ixbalan explained how before, her daughter wasn’t able to go to the doctor.
We could not afford the clinic. At most, I would go to the local convenience store to buy aspirin or some other basic type of medicine to help ease her sickness. With the health services included in the sponsorship, when my daughter is sick, I can take her to the doctor and get proper medical treatment. Now that Juanita is healthy, she can go to school and concentrate in class. She is doing much better and is excelling in her studies.
Through the stories of Maria, Violeta, and Ana, we see the real impact that our projects are having on communities throughout rural Guatemala. With your support, we were able to equip beneficiaries with the tools and knowledge to lead empowered lives. Thank you for making these stories, and many more beneficiaries’ stories, possible.
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