Guatemala has one of the world’s highest rates of child malnutrition, with nearly half of children under five suffering from chronic malnutrition, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). In some rural communities, that number is reportedly as high as 80 percent.
IZUMI Foundation Extends Support for Nutrition Education Project for Three Years Starting July 1, 2023
Since 2017, Hospitalito Atitlán has been partnering with the IZUMI Foundation to address malnutrition of rural residents in the department of Sololá. The program is possible thanks to partnerships with government agencies such as the Ministries of Health and Agriculture, as well as the Secretariat for Food Security.
The project has seen many successes, but malnutrition and food scarcities have been exacerbated by the COVID pandemic and climate change.
History
The program has focused on the “Window of 1000 Days”, the time spanning roughly between conception and one’s second birthday – is a unique period of opportunity when the foundations of optimum health, growth, and neurodevelopment across the lifespan are established.
IZUMI Foundation has funded two project cycles over five years, resulting in significant accomplishments:
- Training 736 health workers to be better equipped to offer preventive nutrition education to mothers and families during home visits and to identify malnutrition.
- Completing 332 cooking demonstrations for health care workers, providing them with recipes to share with clients.
- Conducting cooking classes for 2,561 mothers of children identified with malnutrition, teaching them how to make healthy meals from inexpensive local ingredients.
- Creating and distributing — in the three indigenous languages of Sololá — 15,520 copies of an illustrated booklet covering proper nutrition for pregnant women and children under the age of five.
- Airing radio nutrition education spots in the three indigenous languages — reaching 200,000 listeners.
Strengthening Nutrition Education in Sololá through Comprehensive Interventions
(July 2026 – June 2029)
The new initiative will expand on the previous three phases of program. Some elements will include:
- Strengthening the knowledge of proper nutrition among healthcare workers, young people, and mothers to prevent chronic and acute malnutrition in the first 2 years of life. This includes activities such as:
- Conducting a workshop for 200 healthcare personnel on exclusive breastfeeding and appropriate complementary feeding
- Leading annual health education workshops for 200 youth in four municipalities on nutrition, folic acid, and healthy lifestyles in Tz’utujil, Kaqchikel y K’iche
- Strengthening services at 7 rural prenatal clinics serving 100 women per year through maternal and infant nutrition education
- Providing cooking classes for 100 pregnant women on preparing nutritious foods for infants over six months of age
- Raising public awareness on proper nutrition for healthy babies
- Distributing and following-up of illustrated educational materials: My Healthy Pregnancy, My Healthy Baby, & Safe Motherhood
- Creating and broadcasting 12 radio announcements over 2 years on malnutrition, general nutrition, and breastfeeding
- Fostering community collaboration and increased public awareness of key health issues in Sololá
- Participating in World Breastfeeding Day health fair with NGOs and local stakeholders to provide health services, nutrition education, and outreach materials
- Improve nutrition interventions for malnourished children under 2 years referred by SESAN by
- Establishing family gardens for 85 families in 4 intervention municipalities
- Delivering 3 month nutritional support kits to 75 malnourished children, including food and micronutrient supplements
- Distributing 5 native hens to 30 families to enhance nutrition, producing organic fertilizer, and creating income-generating opportunities
- Conducting formative research on breastfeeding practices in Hospitalito Atitlán and three communities to identify barriers and develop culturally relevant recommendations
Maternidad Segura – Safe Pregnancy
