Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Program Update: Guatemala

In April, Acting Program Director José Luis Zárate visited the Association for Sustainable Development of Paraxaj (ADESPA) in Paraxaj, Guatemala and the Association of Health Promoters of San Pedro (APROS) in San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala.

APROS continues to provide pregnant mothers with pre- and post-natal training through a strong network of locally based, health promoters. Their newest support program for widows has also been very successful. APROS works with over 75 widows from five communities around Lake Atitlán. The average age is 75 and most of them live alone in very poor conditions. The program brings the women together for workshops and activities and provides them with a healthy meal. APROS’ program also promotes the importance of geriatric care and support among the rest of the community. To see more photos from the APROS visit, check out our Flickr site.

The second part of the trip was to a bakery project run by our partner ADESPA. Coffee Kids began working with ADESPA to promote adult literacy two years ago. This year, ADESPA continues the literacy work and has also created a bakery project for the community. Paraxaj produces less than 20% of the bread that community members consume. Much of the bread sold in the community is brought in from other communities and is often low quality and expensive. The bakery project provides a locally based, high quality alternative and additional jobs. To see more photos from the ADESPA visit, check out our Flickr site.