	Guatemala Programs The work of Qachuu Aloom Qachuu Aloom works in twelve villages, and offers training for its members in soil conservation, seed saving, animal care, traditional medicines, natural building, micro-lending and community organizing. The association is run for and by indigenous Maya Achi families from Rabinal. Its mission is to economically and culturally strengthen Maya rural communities through sustainable agriculture and education programs. In this manner, we strive to achieve three main results for the more than 300 people that we work with: 1. Improved Nutrition - through hands-on experiential learning, women and their children learn how to create and maintain vegetable gardens and free-range chickens using traditional and innovative techniques. The vegetables, meat and eggs ensure a more diverse and nutritious diet. 2. Nutritional Sustainability - Our members also learn how to produce and save seeds from the plants in their vegetable gardens. Through their seed production, they are spared the need to purchase hybrid seeds (which do not produce seed) every season. Lack of access to seed is one of the main reasons most families did not have vegetable gardens. Through Qachuu Aloom’s trainings, families are certain to have seeds for the following season by saving some of the seeds from their produce. Also, the production of free-range chickens guarantees a steady supply of meat and eggs. 3. Increase in Financial Stability - The members of the association are encouraged to produce more seed than they will need for their personal use. They sell the remaining seeds back to the association. The sale of these products helps women to cover other costs of maintaining their household (e.g.: buying meat, soap, and cooking oil for their children). Members may also take out small loans to help jump start small business ventures to generate income, and/or increase their standard of living (e.g.: purchase of chickens for breed, construction of water-catchment tanks, etc.).

Guatemala Programs

The work of Qachuu Aloom

Qachuu Aloom works in twelve villages, and offers training for its members in soil conservation, seed saving, animal care, traditional medicines, natural building, micro-lending and community organizing. The association is run for and by indigenous Maya Achi families from Rabinal. Its mission is to economically and culturally strengthen Maya rural communities through sustainable agriculture and education programs. In this manner, we strive to achieve three main results for the more than 300 people that we work with:

1. Improved Nutrition - through hands-on experiential learning, women and their children learn how to create and maintain vegetable gardens and free-range chickens using traditional and innovative techniques. The vegetables, meat and eggs ensure a more diverse and nutritious diet.

2. Nutritional Sustainability - Our members also learn how to produce and save seeds from the plants in their vegetable gardens. Through their seed production, they are spared the need to purchase hybrid seeds (which do not produce seed) every season. Lack of access to seed is one of the main reasons most families did not have vegetable gardens. Through Qachuu Aloom’s trainings, families are certain to have seeds for the following season by saving some of the seeds from their produce. Also, the production of free-range chickens guarantees a steady supply of meat and eggs.

3. Increase in Financial Stability - The members of the association are encouraged to produce more seed than they will need for their personal use. They sell the remaining seeds back to the association. The sale of these products helps women to cover other costs of maintaining their household (e.g.: buying meat, soap, and cooking oil for their children). Members may also take out small loans to help jump start small business ventures to generate income, and/or increase their standard of living (e.g.: purchase of chickens for breed, construction of water-catchment tanks, etc.).

Areas of Work

Guatemala Programs