Among ravines and rugged mountain ranges, in a hollow of one of the most remote corners hardest hit by malnutrition in Guatemala, an oasis of hope emerges. It is the small community of El Injerto, in the municipality of La Libertad, Huehuetenango, near the border with Mexico. There, the project “Guatemaltecos por la Nutrición,” an initiative by Castillo Hermanos, has begun transforming communities shaped by centuries of neglect. Where once there was only hunger, hopelessness, and the innocence of ignorance —that deep distrust toward anything new or scientific, rooted in isolation and ancestral traditions— there is now a ray of freedom, a transformative energy that offers real and concrete opportunities.
Last Thursday, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the camp, and the first thing that caught my attention was the happy faces of the collaborators who welcomed us. Aroldo, a communications graduate fluent in Spanish and Popti’ or Jakalteko, has organized assemblies to socialize this initiative. It cannot be easy to reach remote villages and convince community leaders that Guatemalan entrepreneurs genuinely want to fight malnutrition. These communities usually receive sporadic visits from foreign international cooperation workers or government extension agents, so at first a local private project may have generated astonishment and distrust.
However, when one sees the mothers sitting comfortably in the clinic, babies in their arms and children entertained while playing, one immediately feels the trust transmitted by Karina, María, Paola, Helen, Kendy, and Edy, brigadiers responsible for entering data into an advanced computer system. They not only have professionals graduated from the country’s universities such as Landívar, San Carlos, Mesoamericana, Galileo, Mariano, Da Vinci, and Rural; this team clearly reflects Guatemala’s enormous potential when proper conditions are provided to apply professional knowledge.
In addition, these excellent professionals with multilingual abilities —Q’anjob’al, Mam, Popti’, and Awakateko, among others— use highly specialized equipment to provide free care to our fellow citizens. For example, the portable HemoCue analyzer, a significant investment that detects hemoglobin levels in the blood within seconds. The healthy minimum is 12 grams per deciliter. I witnessed the test performed on Natalie, an 18-month-old girl, who through tears received a result of 11.4 grams, indicating possible anemia. Immediately, her mother, Blanca, was given a bag of “Chispuditos” micronutrients, which with one spoonful daily provides 21 essential vitamins and minerals. Thanks to this, Natalie will be able to avoid anemia that, without this help, would have irreversibly affected her development.
Meanwhile, Julissa and Rodrigo, the camp doctors, carefully examined families in advanced clinical laboratories. Luz, a nutritionist, together with Deisy, Ingrid, and Jackeline, nurses, developed efficient methods that significantly accelerate medical care. There was Mrs. Ingrid, who during her fourth pregnancy suffered gestational diabetes, attending her monthly appointment together with Heidy, her youngest daughter. Proudly, she told us that at barely two years old, the little girl already clearly recognizes the vowels.
If you are a Guatemalan willing to contribute your grain of sand, approach the project, because many hands and hearts are still needed. And if you are a businessperson, consider the impact we could achieve with more companies committed to this vision.
Still astonished by what we had seen, Nayeli, the camp coordinator, together with Glendy, the administrator, took us to the Early Stimulation Center. This space comprehensively stimulates child development from an early age, involving trained community leaders to replicate these techniques. The activities strengthen motor skills, language, cognitive and emotional abilities, nourishing body, mind, and heart. Faced with this reality, one must ask: What economic and logistical efforts would be necessary for these opportunities to reach every Guatemalan child?
But the impact of the camp goes even further. We later visited the Agricultural Training Center, where the vegetable planting workshop is located, driven by MANA technology (Natural High-Yield Agricultural Model), provided by Fundación Distelsa Apoya. This method allows highly nutritious crops such as lettuce, onions, and leeks to be cultivated simultaneously in reduced spaces, ready for harvest in 45 days. In addition, the installation of incubators for domestic chicken coops promises a new source of protein for these communities. The efficiency is astonishing: with one pound of seeds they produce up to three thousand seedlings distributed to families. Here, they do not give away fish; they teach people how to fish. Solidarity is not based on handouts, but on building capacities and future small entrepreneurs.
While listening to Dany, environmental supervising engineer, and his technicians José, Oscar, Allison, Gedber, Aler, and Walfred, I perceived their deep satisfaction in transforming lives. Gedber, besides being a plumbing technician, also holds a degree in Pedagogy. These educators stated that this culture of excellence, demanding standards, and proper supplies has radically transformed their results and deeply touched both their hearts and those of the families they serve.
In the small military-style kitchen, Aracely joyfully prepared bacon-wrapped chicken breasts for lunch. José Eduardo, general manager, and Alejandra, operations manager, listened attentively to the team, demonstrating genuinely human and supportive leadership. Knowledge, experience, efficiency, excellence, human warmth. Who would not want leaders like that?
This culture of excellence can clearly be seen in every detail: from Augusto, responsible for maintaining the solar panels that provide 77% of the camp’s energy, to Tony, initially evaluated for his culinary skills, now recognized for his precision in anthropometric measurements. His colleagues in nutritional promotion, Aura, Kleidy, and Blanca, have absorbed this culture that fights against conformism. Even the drivers Julio, Manfredy, and Delvis demonstrate it daily by risking their lives on ravines and cliffs. This constant pursuit of technical and human excellence is exactly what Guatemala needs to transform its future.
If you are a Guatemalan willing to contribute your grain of sand, approach the project, because many hands and hearts are still needed. And if you are a businessperson, consider the impact we could achieve with more companies committed to this vision. Let us think carefully: this unique opportunity allows us to change lives, destinies, and —why not say it?— the very future of our country.
