Today, we travel to Guatemala to speak with Sra. Lidia and Sra. Aura, who are weathering the pandemic with their families on farms in Planes de Sumpango.
Before COVID-19, Sra. Lidia’s children and Sra. Aura’s grandchildren attended Mother Anna Vitiello school. Now that the school is temporarily closed, the children have returned home to the farm with their caregivers. Watch today’s video to learn more about these two families.
The pandemic has led to food shortages and increased prices in Guatemala, which is particularly concerning in a country that already had the highest rates of chronic malnutrition among children in Central and South America. Lack of food, or a lack of necessary vitamins and minerals in the food they are given, cause growth stunting in nearly half of all Guatemalan children under the age of five. Within the 46% of children whose growth is affected by malnourishment, huge disparities exist between urban and rural regions, especially among indigenous communities. The percentage of children suffering from malnutrition rises to 70% and even 90% in highly indigenous regions.
