Mini Greenhouses, March-May 2022

On Sunday, March 20, 2022, our expert agricultural engineer, Federico Arriola Cuéllar, came to the remote indigenous village of Chajmaic, Guatemala to set up mini greenhouses in the backyards of 30 families in the village who had shown leadership in recent years.  This work is a pilot project and will be a precursor to a second visit in 2023 by Federico and then setting up a larger greenhouse in 2024 for the entire village.

Click below for details about:

Below is what the orientation looked like on March 20th and this is information on Week 1: 

Here are details of Sowing Opportunities’ plan to address climate change in the region.

…and how we will measure success in this project.

The iron was treated with basic materials to make it last as long as possible in a way that also kept down the costs.

Measurements will be taken by the Guatemalan Ministry of Health through the Fray Bartolomé de las Casas Health Center.

The meeting with the doctor in charge of this work were held on Tuesday, March 22nd, together with Federico, and people were scheduled to go there in groups of 5.

Children will be given the most importance, since they are the ones most affected by malnutrition.

And the reports will have the endorsement of the health center.

Below are some photos from March 20-21 – initiating the project with orientation, a needs assessment, and information.

Everyone will have a greenhouse of the same size at each house. In other words, there will be 30 greenhouses just like the one you see in these photos – with the covering added.

See our news updates from March 12, 2022 and March 26, 2022.

Note the look of hope on some faces, and the deep grief on others, as they face the hope of self-sustainability for the first time in their lives.
This project helps families – youth, the elderly, women and children – all will benefit from the produce to eat and have a means of sustaining themselves.
The greenhouse structures are beginning to be built.

This process elicits hope and also remembrance. The participants are filled with emotion.
Ricardo speaks with the people. He has known them for seven years and he has their trust.
Alfonso and other participants hold the iron that will provide the cover for the greenhouses.
Ricardo leads the participating families in prayer, thanking God and those who donated for the miracle of this moment.

The participants have complete buy-in in the project. There was joy on many faces, and tears of joy on others’.