Gift of Food

Mother Teresa taught that if you can’t feed 100 people then feed just one. 

Malnutrition is rampant in Guatemala, but the current need for food is even more acute.  Because of Tropical Storm Agatha in the summer of 2010 and the destruction it caused to the corn crop and land, the corn shortage has now begun in earnest.  Guatemala now has to import corn from Mexico, driving the cost of corn up and making it scarce. 

Instead of worrying about what to cook for dinner as we do in our country, many families in Guatemala worry about IF there will even be food for dinner.  Some days only a plain tortilla and some salt is all the food a child may eat for the day.  Even children often work under the hot sun for meager amounts just so they can buy some food to eat for the day.

One of the ways we can help is by providing sponsored food baskets to those most in need.  A typical food basket might include chicken, incaparina (a fortified cereal), squash, carrots, fruit, beans, rice, corn and whatever else has been identified as most needed.  This all comes in a reusable plastic basket.  Mayan Families, our host group for our service trips, buys the fresh fruit and vegetables from other families in their programs to help support those families too. 

As many of you know, Nuestros Niños is going to Guatemala this summer on a service trip to help with various programs.  One of our goals is to provide a minimum of 10 food baskets to 10 families while we are down there.  Each basket is only $35.  Think of how easily you often spend $35 on refreshments at a ball game or a new pair of jeans.  Then think of how much a basket of healthy food would mean to an entire family that has no food to feed their children.  Normally my biggest problem at dinnertime is what we are going to fix – not IF we are going to have food to provide to our family…

Please consider a sponsorship of $35 to provide nutritious food to a family (by June 5^th).  We will gladly take a picture and card from your family to the family that receives the basket – and provide your family with a picture and information on the family that receives it. 

Protein and nutritious food are vital to a child’s ability to learn.  Though we can’t feed everyone, we can start by feeding one…

blog by: Sharon Grussing

Chickens!

Last week our oldest daughter came home and informed us that her teacher has told them to have eggs for breakfast this week.  Why?  Because they are taking their state standardized yearly testing and need to have protein from the eggs to help their minds and bodies with the testing. J

Hmm…kind of interesting since one of Nuestros Niños projects is to provide chickens to families in Guatemala!  The whole reason is to provide protein to families.  Some families literally have nothing to eat.  I have seen children whose black hair has turned blonde due to the malnutrition.  Others subsist on tortillas and salt.  Some will scourge the woods for edible plants.  By supplying chickens, it provides a nutritious food source – EGGS.  If there are extra eggs, families can sell them at the market to provide a source of income.

The chickens provide a sustainable source of protein.  They are easy and inexpensive to care for – making it a good choice for families.  I remember going into homes on our first service trip in 2008 and thinking how strange, but cute it was to have baby chicks running around by my feet. 

Now I can appreciate what a life changer these chickens can be for families.  Malnutrition is prevalent in Guatemala.  As we have all heard – protein and nutritious food is vital in our ability to be ready to learn in the classroom!

At first we planned on providing 10 chicks to each family, however, it has been determined that it is better to provide 3 chickens to each family.  The chickens are more likely to live in the harsh summer rainfalls than the chicks – and they are already providing eggs.  Many families have an egg or two by the time they have walked to their homes.

Families are identified as good recipients for the chickens, and then arrive early at the Mayan Families’office  anxious to receive this precious gift.  Recipients are instructed on how to take care of the chickens by the staff.  The children and adults on the service trip scoop chicken feed into bags to be given to the families. 

Then the fun begins!  Our kids get to figure out the best way to catch the chicken and move it into the receiving family’s basket.  For some kids, it seems like they have been doing it forever.  For others, it is a treat to see them master the feat and gain the confidence to catch the chicken.  Each family receives three chickens from Nuestros Niños.

 

Our goal is to provide 30 families with 3 chickens each.  Each chicken is $10 – so for one family to receive 3 chickens it is $30.  If you are interested in providing a family with chickens (or even one chicken), please let me know!  A nutritious food source is a great gift to give a family!  If you are interested in giving a chicken in honor of someone at Easter, I have little fuzzy chickens that could be given as a representative gift.  (See picture below.)