Nutrition
Over 60% of indigenous Mayan children suffer from Chronic malnutrition & 78% live below the poverty line. Guatemala has the 4th highest rate of malnutrition in the world with no social programs to address the issue. There is hope for helping these children, as malnutrition can be overcome. Change can be attained by providing: parental education, health care and information, & immediate nutritional intervention. Through these things, we secure the right of every Guatemalan child to have the nutrients essentially needed to develop into a healthy and productive member of society.
Education & Superfoods
Introducing the Mayan people to basic concepts of health and nutrition and then providing them education and practical ways to plant, raise and prepare foods, empowers them to become healthy and self-sustaining once more as their ancestors were. DIG focuses on utilizing resources like nutritional superfoods, moringa, chaya, chia etc. that can be grown and harvested locally.
Treating Malnutrition
Malnutrition is not only an effect of poverty, it perpetuates the cycle of poverty. Much research shows that children who are undernourished tend to suffer from learning difficulties and end up poorer. Proper feeding is the first step in breaking the cycle of poverty. Malnourishment of the mothers during pregnancy and nursing, as well as undernourishment of the children in the first 1000 days has a direct correlation to the high incidence of special needs and children with learning deficiencies in the country.
Introducing them to basic concepts of health and nutrition and then providing them education and practical ways to plant, raise and prepare foods, empowers them to become healthy and self-sustaining once more as their ancestors were.
Hand Up, Not Hand Out
DIG addresses these issues directly through The Centre of Hope (Centro de Esperanza) where we provide therapies and rehabilitation opportunities for all. This includes programs for children with special needs, the blind and visually impaired, malnourished children and their families, educational programs for the Guatemalan and indigenous Mayan population focusing on education, health, nutrition and agriculture.