Last of our intern’s posts … this one on Chaya
A continuation of the reflections of our summer intern, Becky Zorn.
As Miracles in Action works to educate indigenous Mayans about nutrition, we are constantly looking for nutritious food which can be grown and incorporated into their diets. Chaya is a leafy green plant which is a staple to the diet of Mayans on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. It is easily grown and one serving contains as much protein as an egg, in addition to vitamins A and C, folic acid, calcium and iron.
I’ve been working on a few chaya projects since I arrived in Guatemala. It is difficult to encourage new eating habits within the Mayan communities, so Miracles in Action has started asking our partners to grow chaya and use it as an additive in food. The leafy vegetable (similar to spinach) can be integrated into prepared food items such as beans and caldo (soup). Some of our partners have community gardens where chaya can be grown and women are taught how to cook with the plant. We hope that by taking small steps, we can encourage the Mayans to have a more nutritious diet which will promote long-term, sustainable health and development. For more info on Chaya, visit www.ECHOnet.org
We at Miracles in Action appreciate all of Becky’s contributions this summer, and wish her well as she begins her graduate level studies at the University of Copenhagen in September.
More project work with Becky
A continuation of the reflections of our summer intern, Becky Zorn.
This week I went out into the field with Yvonne Sinclair, head of Naru, to Alta Verapaz in Northern Guatemala. Miracles in Action sponsors one of Naru’s projects in this region, which involves treating moderately to severely malnourished children. If anyone has ever visited or even flown over Guatemala, they may question the levels of malnutrition which exist in Guatemala because Guatemala is a lush, green country and there are plenty of fresh papayas, avocados, mangos, and other nutritious fruits and vegetables around the markets. However, the main problem is that indigenous Mayans often live off of a diet of strictly corn tortillas, which alone cannot sustain the growth and development of young children.
Many argue that Guatemala doesn’t have severe malnutrition, or that Mayans are naturally stunted in their growth. However, this picture shows the difference between Guatemala children here in country and those living in the United States.
Naru’s projects in Alta Verapaz try to address malnutrition in this department, or state, of Guatemala. Once a month, Yvonne and her team head to the region to host a malnutrition clinic where mothers watch videos on health and nutrition and are given Incaparina, a low cost protein formula that prevents malnutrition and is well known in Guatemala. Naru hopes to expand operations in the future, which will allow field teams to visit small villages in the area and educate women within the community.
For more information on Naru, please visit www.naruguatemala.org
