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Transcript of amaranth
Brandeis University
Reducing child malnutrition through amaranth
production in 6 municipalities of Huehuetenango, Guatemala
By : Claire Clugston Gerson Morales
Target • 5,000 children from 6 different Municipalities from the
Department of Huehuetenango, Guatemala.
•In Huehuetenango there are 180,000 children 5 years old or younger, spread out in 22 municipalities.
•Our study is focused in only 6 municipalities, therefore our target is 5,000 children between 3 and 5 years old.
Guatemala Is located in Central America, bordering Mexico,
El Salvador, Belize and Honduras. Its area is 108,890 Km2 with an estimated population of 14.36 million at 2.3 % of annual growth
General conditions•The richness of Guatemala is not well distributed• 10 % are the richest and more than half of the entire population is below the national poverty line. •15 % lives in extreme poverty
Rates of malnutrition
Guatemala has the highest malnutrition rate in Latin America at 49%, followed
by Honduras at 29% (Unicef)
“It is hardly one of Latin America’s poorest countries, but according to Unicef almost half of Guatemala’s children are chronically malnourished—the sixth-worst performance in the world”
~the Economist
Causes of malnutrition• Lack of infrastructure•Political neglect•High costs of production for farmers•Limited access to credit
Goal and Objectives of ProjectGoal: To Reduce Child Malnutrition in 6 Municipalities in Huehutetango, Guatemala
Objective 1: 85,000 pounds of amaranth grown by 500 farmers
Objective 2: 5,000 Children ages 3 to 5 receive 1 amaranth cookie per day
Also known as: The Food of the Future
It has been cultivated in America for over 7000 years, its use is customary in Peru, Mexico and Bolivia.
Amaranth seeds provide a source of protein which other cereals can’t satisfy
Action plan, Year 1
•Selection of project leaders and beneficiaries•Community leaders form action committees•Community trainings and capacity building•Save the Children purchases seeds, technology, etc•Local carpenters Build cooking and storage facilities•Farmers plant amaranth•Training for women’s groups who will bake cookies
Action Plan, Year 2
• Trainings for farmers in amaranth processing• Farmers harvest and process amaranth• Ministry of Health purchases other ingredients• Women’s groups bake cookies• Ministry of health disseminates cookies to
community leaders• Community leaders distribute cookies to
children age 3-5
Action Plan, Year 3
• Continue with amaranth production and processing into cookies
• NG0 decreases presence• Public Health Department assumes
responsibility for funding and managing project
New Technology and Infrastructure
•No new technologies will be introduced to grow the amaranth.•Introduction of mechanical thresher to expedite amaranth processing
New Technology and Infrastructure
•Electric ovens introduced to women’s groups who will bake the amaranth cookies•Development of cooking and storage facilities
Political Development and Capacity Building
• Creation of 6 Comites de Apoyo in the 6 municipalities
• Capacity Building of farmers
• Capacity Building for Women’s Groups
• Save the Children works with Ministry of Health to build their capacity to manage the project after 3 years
Implementing agencies and partners
• Project will be implemented by Save the Children•The Ministry of Health will partner with Save the Children and manage the project after 3 years•Ministry of Agriculture will also be a partner
Implementing agencies and partners
•The FA0 will provide technical support
•Project complements national Hunger Zero program, launched this month
Budgeting planBudgeting Plan for Amaranth Cookies
Units Unit price USD total
Year 1
Pounds amaranth 85000 1.4 $ 119,000.00 Cookies procces cost 85,000 0.8 $ 68,000.00 Salaries 1 12,000 $ 12,000.00 Oven and some equipment 6 10000 $ 60,000.00 Workshop 30 500 $ 15,000.00 Total First year $ 274,000.00
Year 2
Pounds amaranth 85000 1.4 $ 119,000.00 Cookies procces cost 85,000 0.8 $ 68,000.00 Salaries 1 12,000 $ 12,000.00 Workshop 30 500 $ 15,000.00 Sub total 2d year $ 214,000.00
Year 3
Pounds amaranth 85000 1.4 $ 119,000.00 Cookies procces cost 85,000 0.8 $ 68,000.00 Salaries 1 12,000 $ 12,000.00 Workshop 30 500 $ 15,000.00 Sub total 3rd year $ 214,000.00
Total Project USD 702,000.00
Funding plan
Save the Children will Pay for project management, capacity building, technology and
infrastructureMinistry of health responsible for purchasing ingredients for amaranth cookies and paying
women’s groups.After project competition, the Guatemalan
government will take over all funding.
Alternatives consideredand Reasons for Rejection
• Animal protein project (harder to distribute)
• Different type of plant protein (less nutritious)
Alternatives consideredand Reasons for Rejection
• School lunch program (malnutrition rates highest in children under 5)
• Other products made from amaranth (cookies most appropriate in economic and cultural context)
Conclusion
“The past government allowed children to die of hunger; we won’t allow this to happen.”
~President Otto Perez Molina
Through this project, we will build the capacities of communities and government agencies to combat the pressing issue of malnutrition in children under
5 years of age while creating rural jobs