Feeding Families Impacted by COVID-19
As we begin to slowly re-open our economies and communities, the coronavirus is just beginning to spread more widely in other countries. In rural Guatemala, the lock-down has ground economic activity to a halt. On some days, cars are not allowed on roadways, and zero tolerance policies are enforced. Market days, an essential component of the lifestyle of indigenous Maya communities in Guatemala, have been prohibited. For most of the people who live in Totonicapán, Guatemala, extreme poverty and chronic malnourishment were already the norm. The coronavirus has pushed far too many families to the brink of starvation.
In response to the coronavirus, the Peace Corps formally suspended its operations in Guatemala in April of 2020. Many nonprofit organizations and international aid groups have had to discontinue programs in Guatemala and elsewhere in the developing world, making the situation even more dire for families who rely on the aid and support to meet basic needs.
Mujerave has been collaborating directly with women’s groups in rural Totonicapán, Guatemala since 2014. Our network of woman, all indigenous community leaders with experience in healthcare and/or project administration, allows us to respond directly on-the-ground as the coronavirus crisis evolves. As markets have shut down, we learned from our Guatemalan junta directive (board of directors) that smaller community-based markets have sprung up in aldeas (small villages) in Totonicapán, replacing the banned larger markets in town centers. Our plan is simple – you donate to our GoFundMe campaign and we will work from the lists of women’s group members already registered with Mujerave from community to community, purchasing each family a canasta basica (basket of common foodstuffs) to help each family weather the crisis. Many of our board of director’s members and project advisors are former Peace Corps volunteers who have lived and worked in the communities Mujerave serves for many years. These insights ensure, for example, that we will supply families with dried corn and beans and sugar, foodstuffs that will not expire or rot without refrigeration. Many of the homes where Mujerave operates lack electricity.
Your donation to Mujerave goes further than most nonprofit donations – we are an all-volunteer nonprofit with no offices or large overhead costs. We will use your generous donation to purchase food for families living in extreme poverty and unable to work in rural Guatemala.
In response to the coronavirus, the Peace Corps formally suspended its operations in Guatemala in April of 2020. Many nonprofit organizations and international aid groups have had to discontinue programs in Guatemala and elsewhere in the developing world, making the situation even more dire for families who rely on the aid and support to meet basic needs.
Mujerave has been collaborating directly with women’s groups in rural Totonicapán, Guatemala since 2014. Our network of woman, all indigenous community leaders with experience in healthcare and/or project administration, allows us to respond directly on-the-ground as the coronavirus crisis evolves. As markets have shut down, we learned from our Guatemalan junta directive (board of directors) that smaller community-based markets have sprung up in aldeas (small villages) in Totonicapán, replacing the banned larger markets in town centers. Our plan is simple – you donate to our GoFundMe campaign and we will work from the lists of women’s group members already registered with Mujerave from community to community, purchasing each family a canasta basica (basket of common foodstuffs) to help each family weather the crisis. Many of our board of director’s members and project advisors are former Peace Corps volunteers who have lived and worked in the communities Mujerave serves for many years. These insights ensure, for example, that we will supply families with dried corn and beans and sugar, foodstuffs that will not expire or rot without refrigeration. Many of the homes where Mujerave operates lack electricity.
Your donation to Mujerave goes further than most nonprofit donations – we are an all-volunteer nonprofit with no offices or large overhead costs. We will use your generous donation to purchase food for families living in extreme poverty and unable to work in rural Guatemala.
Meet the Team
This project has a unique structure. Mujerave does not normally conduct direct aid projects. However, due to COVID-19 related restrictions, Mujerave cannot operate as normal. Therefore, this project is designed to meet a new and immediate need that still resonates with our mission and vision. This project has five advisors, all of whom are Returned Peace Corps Volunteers with many years of experience living and working in the communities this fundraiser will support. Their expertise and personal connections are the true drivers of this fundraiser.
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