By Hans Barz | Project leader
The direct beneficiaries of the project are 300 Mayan families (1,500 people) from 13 women's groups organized in 12 communities in three municipalities: Nenton, San Antonio Huista and Petatan in northwestern Huehuetenango, Guatemala.
According to the four work components established in the project, during the second resp. third project quarter (mid of August 2021 - mid of December 2021, mid of December 2021 to mid of March 2022) the below activities were executed.
1. Organizational Strengthening
The activities of this component were mostly carried out during the first quarter; only five group meetings took place in the 2nd quarter with selected groups directives in the municipality of San Antonio.
The monitoring visits planned throughout the project have been affected by the Covid situation due to the rebound of the disease in the region and the restriction measures imposed by the authorities of the different municipalities, who prohibit people from holding meetings with more than 5 people. Monitoring is done via telephone and from time to time by visiting group directors in the field.
2. General Trainings
All three training workshops with group directives were executed in the 2nd quarter one workshop was run during the 3rd quarter.
Eleven workshops out of thirteen were executed by the agricultural technician on the selection and preservation of corn and beans seeds plus techniques for vegetable cultivation as visible above.
During the second quarter, a workshop on natural medicines which covered also the exchange on used natural medicines which are being used in the different communities. This included the exchange on natural medicines to handle Covid.
In 2nd and 3rd project-quarter workshops were held on women's rights and legal mechanisms and procedures for their defense; in light of organized crime, drug addiction and alcoholism. The most affected sector are women's rights, who in most cases do not dare to denounce their perpetrators and remain silent. One of the main causes of this silence, as expressed by the participants themselves, is the lack of knowledge of their rights, which are valid in Guatemala and of the legal mechanisms that must be followed when this type of situation arises; they also spoke of the need to provide this training to their partners, since men often act violently out of ignorance.
The workshop with young women on Reproductive Health and Gender is delayed to Covid.
3. Technical Trainings
Eleven of the thirteen Agroecological practices on Management Techniques of the Medicinal Garden and techniques for the elaboration of medicines were carried out with the different groups. With 2 groups it was not possible due to the increase of Covid. Most of the participants recognize and value the timeliness of these trainings given the relevant role that natural medicine is taking in the region also for the treatment of Covid; as part of this activity, information was exchanged on how to prepare medicines based on medicinal plants that are produced in the region, such as: Ginger tea with garlic, purple onion, juice, oregano and Creole lemon peels, cinnamon; baths and eucalyptus leaf infusions, among others.
12 of thirteen Agroecological practices on Farm Management and poultry care were executed. With one group it was not possible due to the increase of Covid
4. Technical Assistance
As mentioned in the second report local corn and bean seeds were planted by all group members in July. Due to the characteristics of this native creole seeds the harvest was carried out in most places at the end of September and in colder regions in October. The families were quite happy for the good harvest, because unlike in other years, the rainy season 2021 did not show a shortage or excess of rain or pests, so they obtained an average of 4 sacks of corn and 30 pounds of beans.
Many members asked in addition to the planned citrus trees for avocado trees. Since it was understood that a diversity of their fruit trees is valuable we negotiated this with the supplier. This required more time to deliver the trees which happened in November when the dry seasons started. Together with the delivery education was provided how to best grow the trees.
At the beginning of December the poultry were delivered to the groups and the training was provided in 12 practices.
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