"Planting the seeds of a better future" is a campaign that aims to help Mayan families in the Huista region of Guatemala establish a sustainable, reliable source of quality food that goes far beyond their immediate needs. Donations will be used to provide the seeds, materials, knowhow and support to help these families establish their own subsistence gardens, providing food, health and hope both today and in the future
Life for people living in the rural Huista region in western Guatemala is, in the best of times, precarious. This is an agricultural region that is vulnerable to irregular rainfall, causing both severe droughts and flooding. Recently, the economic situation has deteriorated, and the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the challenges. Many people in Huista, especially traditional Mayan families, are facing the real risk of famine.
By providing seeds, training and technical knowledge, each family supported will have the means to grow nearly 0.1 acre of corn (maize) and half an acre of beans using local, native and Creole seeds; to start 1 small family garden that includes vegetables and medicinal plants, which can be used to produce medicines; to plant two citrus trees (orange and lemon); and to raise 3 fattening birds (chompipollo, or Creole chickens).
This is not a one-time donation of foodstuffs to cover a short-term emergency. Rather, together with our local partner Association for the Sustainable Development of the Mancomunidad Huista (ADSOSMHU), we are building a sustainable foundation so that these families can improve their livelihoods by growing, tending and harvesting their own crops as the basis for their food needs. A well-nourished, healthier population is the first step toward a better future in the Huista region.
