Guatemala

Projects in Guatemala

Health

Healthy Schools: Volunteers in this project train teachers and administrators in hygiene improvement systems in primary schools. Volunteers work in the western and central highlands, and the program is recognized as a strong partner by the Guatemalan Ministry of Education. The overall goal of the project is to reduce the incidence of communicable diseases in the rural highlands and to promote preventative health practices.

Maternal and Child Health: This project improves the health of families in rural Guatemala. Volunteers work on growth monitoring and nutrition, prevention of acute respiratory infection and diarrheal diseases, home and personal hygiene, prenatal care, family planning, and HIV prevention. Volunteer work is carried out in coordination with existing health promoters and community-based health sector work partners.


Youth in Development

The project purpose is to prepare Guatemalan rural youth for future roles in the family and society by increasing their knowledge and capacity in life skill areas. The primary host country agency is the Ministry of Education. Post is also planning increased collaboration with the Ministry of Health to engage social workers and nurses to work with youth in and out of school in creating safe spaces and promoting life skills, reproductive health, and HIV/AIDS prevention. Local church groups and NGOs also serve as collaborative partners.


Feed the Future

The purpose of this initiative is to support combined U.S. and Guatemalan efforts to combat extreme poverty, hunger, and under nutrition in the Guatemalan highlands. Peace Corps volunteers promote effective nutrition interventions that prevent stunting and child mortality, build local capacity in the monitoring and evaluation of food security projects, and advise local partners on agricultural production practices. Volunteers also assist in the development of trainings, manuals, and implementation plans related to food security. This project is funded by the U.S. government’s Feed the Future initiative, which aims to assist millions of vulnerable women, children, and family members – mostly small-scale farmers – to escape hunger and poverty.