Our partnership with Mil Milagros

Guatemala has the highest rate of chronic child malnutrition in the western Hemisphere with 50% of all children suffering from chronic malnutrition and stunting. In rural indigenous communities like the Mayas, the rates of child malnutrition and stunting can exceed 70%. Rural Mayas in Guatemala have limited access to water, nutritious food, hygiene supplies, and education; most live on $2.00 or less per day. The leaders in one of Mil Milagros’ partner schools reported that the number one reason that children are absent from school is due to stomach-related illnesses. As a result, primary school completion rates in rural Guatemala fall around just 51 percent.

We partnered with Mil Milagros to help prevent disease and improve the health of Maya children in Guatemala. Our grant was used specifically to help implement Mil Milagros’ Healthy Schools/Healthy Children program, impacting 1,600 indigenous Maya children. This program provided students with hygiene supplies including soap, toilet paper, toothbrushes, toothpaste, lice shampoo, anti-parasitic medications, and water filters. Additionally, Mil Milagros trained student council leaders to be health promoters in their schools and communities. These students developed three public health campaigns on topics such as hand-washing, drinking purified water, and consuming fruits and vegetables to educate their peers. Funding for this program also supported Mil Milagros’ Early Childhood Development Program, a project aimed at teaching mothers how to promote the healthy development of their children and prevent malnutrition and stunting.