Guatemala
FOCUS: Immediate nutrition needs of children, and development of self-sustaining food processing and distribution services
PARTNER: Grupo de Soya Santa Maria (GSSM) – “Karen’s Soy Nutrition Program (KSNP)”
LOCATION: Relleno Sanitario (sanitary landfill), Zone 3, Guatemala City
DATE RANGE: March 2010 – Present
SCOPE: Representatives from Plenty are working with local residents, through their organization GSSM, to provide soy milk and bakery foods fortified with toasted soy flour for more than 300 undernourished children living in extreme poverty outside the walls of the Guatemala City Dump.
The purpose of KSNP is to address immediate nutrition needs of children, help parents better understand the nutrient values of foods, and create good sustainable employment opportunities for local residents. During 2012 Plenty will be supporting efforts of GSSM to establish a small soy foods processing kitchen, and retail outlet where they can sell high nutrient low cost foods to the public. GSSM will use part of their profits from sales of nutritious foods to sustain nutrition supplementation services for undernourished children, and education activities for families living at one of the largest industrial, residential and hospital waste dump sites in Central America. Learn more here.
Karen’s Guatemala Child Nutrition Project from Peter Schweitzer on Vimeo.
FOCUS: Development of self-sustaining nutrition and employment program
PARTNER: Unidas Para Vivir Mejor (UPAVIM – United to Live Better)
LOCATION: La Esperanza, zone 12, Guatemala City
DATE RANGE: June 2005 – Present
SCOPE: UPAVIM is a women’s association with more than eighty members. Plenty has helped UPAVIM to establish a soy processing center from where they are making foods for 240+ children in their charge, and providing quality low cost soy milk, yogurt, ice cream and related products for the community. UPAVIM also makes the soy milk that is distributed to children receiving nutrition supplementation services from GSSM at the Guatemala City dump site. Plenty is continuing to provide technical support for the women at UPAVIM as they work to improve quality control and marketing skills related to operations of their soy center and bakery.
During 2012 this women’s group is trying to secure contracts with a couple elementary schools, and begin distribution of their soy milk and ice cream to one supermarket. UPAVIM manages pre-school and elementary school programs, and operates a medical clinic for community residents. The majority of UPAVIM members produce and cooperatively market hand crafts to earn a family income.
FOCUS: Production and distribution of non-gmo soybean and native dry legume seeds
PARTNER: Amado DelValle and Proyecto Ayuda Mutua (PAM)
LOCATION: Chimaltenango, Guatemala
DATE RANGE: April 2010 – Present
SCOPE: Plenty is working with Amado DelValle to multiply and distribute non-gmo soybean and native dry legume seeds to farming families who want to include the production of these foods in rotation with plantings of vegetables, corn and root crops. Mr. DelValle is working with teachers and students at two agriculture colleges, in the Departments of Solola and Chimaltenango, to test seven seed varieties, and with community based organizations and small farmers to expand the availability of non-gmo seeds.
During 2012 the non-profit organization PAM will be helping Amado to expand production of the non-gmo seeds in Chimaltenango. Plenty and Mr. DelValle are also working with the University of El Salvador School of Agriculture to multiply and disseminate non-gmo soybean seed varieties.
FOCUS: Improve family food security and help farmers mitigate soil erosion problems
PROGRAM: Solola Food, Soil and Water Program
PARTNERS: Instituto Mesoamericano de Permacultura (IMAP), Escuela Formacion Agricultura (EFA), Amado DelValle
LOCATION: Department of Solola, Guatemala
DATE RANGE: June 2011 – Present
SCOPE: We have learned from past experience that improvement of ground water holding capacity, and mitigating erosion of top soil should be included within any effort to sustain and/or enhance crop yields of village based agriculture land holdings in the highlands of Guatemala. Plenty is working with local partners to implement an integrated plan for helping very low income farming families improve their productive capacity while at the same time addressing soil erosion and water retention problems. Forty families, living in four villages around Lake Atitlan, are being supported with material and technical assistance as they work to build terraces, install water catchments, plant trees and increase production of dry legumes, grains, and vegetables that families depend on for their survival.
FOCUS: Increase access to high nutrient low cost foods, and expand good employment opportunities
PROGRAM: Maya community owned-operated soy foods processing and distribution
PARTNER: Asociación Desarrollo Integral de Belen (ADIBE) – Belen Integrated Development Association
LOCATION: Molino Belen, Solola, Guatemala
DATE RANGE: 1995 – Present
SCOPE: Plenty provides technical and material support to help the people of Molino Belen improve operations of their soy processing center. The community produces, packages and sells soy milk, tofu (soy cheese), ice cream, toasted soy-corn pinole (a cereal drink mix), soy flour, and fortified bakery foods, as well as a skin cream and hair shampoo made from the whey of the tofu/cheese making process. This Maya village received assistance from Plenty in first establishing their soy foods processing center during 1979. The soy foods center is owned by the community and managed by a non-profit organization, ADIBE, that was established by the people of Molino Belen in 2003. Income derived from operations of the soy foods center is used to fund other important initiatives, including expansion of the village water system, providing foods for undernourished children and providing scholarships to help youth attend school. The community has also used their soy foods processing center to produce and distribute high nutrient foods for families left without anything after hurricanes and flooding.
In 2012 Plenty Austin representatives will be working with the soy center staff to install and learn to use a hydraulic soy milk press, and improve their soy milk packaging operations.
El Salvador
FOCUS: Addressing immediate and long term nutrition and employment needs of two communities
PARTNERS: El Cuenco, University of El Salvador (UES) Schools of Medicine/Nutrition and Agriculture
LOCATION: Department of San Vicente, Bajo Lempa, San Salvador
DATE RANGE: May 2011 – Present
SCOPE: Early last year Plenty was asked to participate in an effort to improve immediate nutrition for children, and long term food security and employment needs of people living in the communities of San Carlos and Rancho Grande. During 2012 Plenty will be working with the non-profit El Cuenco, representatives from UES and community leaders to establish plantings of non-gmo soybeans and foods rich in vitamin A/beta carotene (moringa, chaya, celga, chipilin). We will be conducting workshops to help families learn how to make soy products at home and include high nutrient foods within traditional meals. UES, El Cuenco and Plenty will also be working with the communities to secure funding that will make it possible for local residents to establish sustainable food processing and marketing businesses.
FOCUS: Self-sustaining nutrition and employment program
PARTNER: Programa de Soya San Ramon (PSSR)
LOCATION: San Ramon, San Salvador, El Salvador
DATE RANGE: May 2011 – Present
SCOPE: Plenty has donated small equipment and materials, and provided technical support to help the women at PSSR improve their soy food processing capabilities. PSSR provides nutritious meals five days a week for 180+ undernourished children and adults living in San Ramon. Over the next couple years Austin representatives will be assisting PSSR as they work to improve family nutrition awareness, and increase sales of soy milk, toasted soy flour and other high nutrient foods to the community. This non-profit wants to use income derived from sales of their products to sustain family nutrition education activities and food supplementation services for undernourished children and elderly residents of San Ramon. In addition to its food supplementation services, PSSR provides computer literacy classes for youth, and has worked with UES and Plenty in conducting food processing and related education workshops for communities in Bajo Lempa.
