Since 2016, our friend Valentina has been making sure that children in Lemoa get the nutrition they desperately need.
Based on known standards for height and weight for Guatemalan children, Valentina estimates that 80% of young children in the Lemoa area have serious nutrition issues. That amounts to approximately 300 children.
The nutrition center was an vision shared by Valentina and our long-time friend Sister Connie. Here are the main components of the project:
Provide healthy food for malnourished children
Educating for their mothers/parents on proper nutrition, and teaching them how to cook the meals prepared at the center
Providing preschool education for the children
Teaching mothers to read and write
Working with mothers to stimulate and play with their babies (they are often carried on their mother's back, which limits child mobility and development)
Initially funded by the Maryknoll Order from New York, Valentina now needs to arrange her own funding for the project. It currently costs about $2,000/month to keep the program running.