Year 2019 • Guatemala

Purpose

Combat childhood malnutrition in communities affected by rising temperatures and drought.

CLIMATE IMPACTS

Community members from San Antonio Ilotenango report the following impacts:

Widespread water insecurity

due to weak and infrequent rainfall and shorter rainy seasons

Severe crop loss

from intensifying dry spells

Chronic malnutrition

from agricultural declines

Increased use of pesticides and fertilizers

to salvage crops

Increased deforestation

to expand viable agricultural land

Activities

School visits

The project began with a series of school visits to assess the feasibility of a water capture project and gauge interest for collaboration.

irrigation system design

The project team selected the design and layout of the water capture and irrigation system based on input from experts from a local NGO called Water for People.

installing rainwater harvesting system

Tank construction was completed in two weeks by a local contractor and project partners.

Building the school garden

Project partners removed trash, debris, and grass from a patch of land at the school and tilled the soil for planting.

Training of students

project leads trained students on how to make organic compost, sow seeds, and transplant crops. Students helped plant the vegetables, and teachers harvested the crops for student lunches.

project outcomes

One rainwater harvesting system installed with the capacity to hold over 3000 gallons of water

861 sq ft of land cultivated on the school grounds

88 pounds of vegetables harvested and distributed to community members in one growing season.

32 students and 7 teachers trained on organic composting, gardening, and water capture system upkeep

project design

In San Antonio Ilotenango, community members face growing challenges from a lack of water available for irrigation and a lack of healthy food options for school meals, contributing to chronic malnutrition in the municipality. To address these issues, Climate Crowd collaborated with a Peace Corps volunteer to build a rain catchment system and vegetable garden at a local primary school. The rainwater catchment system and storage tank irrigate the school garden during the canicula (the short dry period) and extend the viability of the garden throughout the dry season, giving students access to fresh produce in their school meals all year round.