Kitchen and Farm “Outdoor Classroom” Project: Los Planes
Expanding our kitchen program
As we continue to develop our kitchen projects in partnership with Mil Milagros, we began work with the Los Planes Community and school to create a renovated kitchen at the school. After the success of the Los Manantiales Primary School, our partner Mil Milagros has agreed to expand the program to build kitchens that train parents in nutrition, and provide healthy meals for their children.
Our process included an initial planning phase as our project director Molly Molander met with educators, administrators, the school council director, parents, and COCODE officials and Parent President of the School Board at the Los Planes Primary School to discuss what was needed to complete the project. This included roles and responsibilities of our various stakeholders, and local sources of funding. We are grateful to Alimentos S.A., a Guatemalan food distribution company, and the Santa Lucia Utatlan Mayor’s Office for providing a total of Q29,000 ($3,765) towards this reconstruction.
The project began construction this past April 2022, and is scheduled for completion at the end of June.
See our progress photos below.
New teaching farm and curriculum planned
The project will also include a teaching farm on the school grounds that overlaps with our programs for families to develop their own food security farms at home. At the school, children will be introduced to environmental education, plant science and farming techniques so that they can begin the awareness and process of restoring their agricultural culture and food systems at an earlier age.
During our site visit in February 2020, Los Planes school director, Arturo Lopez Vasquez gave the staff a walking tour of the community highlighting the current living conditions of most families in the Guatemalan Highlands, and the importance of the nutrition work that we are working to accomplish. We met with local families about the obstacles that they face as well as their dreams for how their community can grow and develop in the future.
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