The mothers of the Asich village in Guatemala became a force to be reckoned with in 2021. They represented “Resiliency” more than most because of where they started – in the most extreme poverty of any families we have worked with.

  One mother, Magaly, joined the Healthy Start program and was able to start her own pea patch in her village. Through arduous work and determination, her pea patch has not only flourished, but she has learned so much more than growing vegetables. Her family is eating healthy. She is so proud of what she has accomplished, and it shows. Her determination to feed her family and begin the lengthy process out of poverty is shown in her hopeful face, her thoughtful words, and her bold actions. The snap peas, a rare crop grown in Guatemala, are now sent to supermarkets around the world, as far away as the United Kingdom.

  Another mother working hard to give a better life to her children is Teresa Erika (pictured left). She has become a “gold standard” success story in the village of Asich, working towards and ensuring she receives all the various levels of support available to her through the Healthy Start program. Her home has a new floor and roof, she has a water tank system installed to collect and filter rainwater. She is growing vegetables on her plot of land. Her older child, Liliana, was one of the millions of children who experienced malnutrition as a child.

  Teresa Erika was pregnant with her second child, Axel, when she joined the Healthy Start program. And a miracle happened because of her commitment to learning. Axel never experienced malnutrition in the early years of life thanks to proper nutrition and training. Now he is a healthy and thriving young boy.

She shared with confidence,

“Right now I am seeing the fruit of the harvest of everything that I have been taught.”