Buenos Dias from Guatemala City

Another beautiful day in Guatemala City. The cold weather of Illinois seems like a distant memory as we begin the second day of the Nutrition Solutions Conference. Over 90 people joined us as we embarked on field visits to show participants first hand the excellent work being done by so many working together to combat malnutrition.

Our first stop was to Cento de Artes, a technical training center, that has been supported through many organizations working together. Rotary International is very involved in supporting this project. The Center offers career training in the areas of catering, baking, becoming a beautitian, metal working, electrical repair and computers.

The Center is also home to a SoyCow machine, used for producing soymilk from whole soybeans. The SoyCow is a WISHH project in partnership with the local Rotary Club. The team at the Center is using soymilk and okara, a co-product, in their baked goods and catering menu. They have also had success selling both soymilk and okara throughout local neighborhoods and the community at large. Our visit included a tour of the facility, a demonstration of the SoyCow and a cooking class that featured soy protein dishes. The visit concluded with a superb soy lunch prepared by the Center.

Next up was a visit to the Pediatrics Association soy nutrition project which is sponsored by Cargill. The Pediatrics Association is located in the neighborhood that houses the city dump. The neighborhood is also located near the Cargill Perry Foods plan. Due to the generousity and contributions of Cargill Associates, the entire area has benefited immensely. WISHH and NSRL, working in concert with Cargill and PA, have found ways to increase the protein content and overall nutrition of the meals served to the local children. Textured Soy Protein is one of the ingredients that has been added to local dishes and it is well liked by the children who are served the meals. The farmer leaders really enjoyed meeting the children and were pleased to see how much the children enjoyed the soy-enhanced lunches.

The field visits concluded with a visit to Fundaninas, a local home for girls. Fundaninas was founded by the Isabel Bosch of the Guitierrez Foundation. Fundaninas is an outstanding organization that provides a home for many young girls who might otherwise have no where to live. Fundaninas is home to a SoyCow that provides soymilk and okara for all of the girls on a daily basis. Visiting with the girls and talking with Dona Isabel is always a pleansant experience. One of the girls, whom we had met before, shared with us that she will be graduating soon and has plans to begin teacher's training. We are so happy for her and look forward to her continued success in life. There were many more great stories like this one and they all reinforce that what we do in Central America is making a difference in the lives of many.

A local handicraft market was the next stop for some of the team who were interested in getting gifts and souvenirs to remember their trip to Guatemala. Others headed back to the hotel for meetings and we all reconnected for dinner at another of our favorite Guatemalan restaurants.

Our flight to Managua, Nicaragua departs at 4:30am, so I will finish up here and wish you a good evening.

Buenas noches,

Bridget