GUATEMALA

In Sololá, the breathtaking beauty of Lake Atitlán contrasts sharply with the daily struggles faced by many Indigenous families. For decades, women and children have been the most affected. Poverty once reached 80%, and childhood malnutrition was so severe that in the 1990s, nine out of ten children under five were affected.

It was within this reality that a group of young volunteer doctors began working in 1989. Their goal was both urgent and hopeful: to reduce childhood malnutrition and promote early childhood development in fully Indigenous communities. Vivamos Mejor achieved significant reductions in childhood malnutrition, and today the organization has evolved to address the many challenges communities face.

Vivamos Mejor continues to walk hand in hand with communities. Its vision is clear: families—especially women, who play a central role in household nutrition—are empowered to grow their own food, improve their homes, and build healthier futures through agroecology and sustainable living.

As part of this work, 15 community leaders, women and men, are being trained to support 300 families. Together they establish family gardens, plant native seeds, and adopt environmentally sustainable practices. These leaders are not only gaining technical skills; they are becoming role models, showing that food security, resilience, and dignity can grow from the soil itself.