Updates

We are thrilled to welcome Yamileth Alonzo Zárate, our most recent addition to the Guatemala staff as the Sustainable Farms Program Director.  Yami is an agronomist with experience in multiple areas of farming including food diversification and nutrition training, agriculture and business technical training, strengthening food security and resilience training, and disaster preparedness in rural populations.

Maybeline Chavajay Cotuc began work with ViviendasLeon in late 2022 as our human training program director. During the following six months she had met with and interviewed more than 30 families and launched our first human training program in the Los Planes and Paxub’ communities of Santa Lucia Utatlan. By July she had risen to the role of country director while continuing to carry out the training program through the end of 2023. By mid 2024, she had hired our first agronomist in Guatemala, Yamileth Alonzo, and is now overseeing our new sustainable farms program.

“During this first month working for ViviendasLeón Guatemala, I have had the opportunity to visit the women who are our first group of farmers in the communities of Paxub’ and Los Planes.  I have noticed the enthusiasm of the women for the new project we are about to start, and the participation and involvement of their families when preparing the land that we will use for planting vegetable crops.

Our Nicaraguan staff recently organized an activity to present the environmental documentary titled, ”The Planet Needs Us”.  We wanted to increase awareness in the community about the need to protect the environment and conserve the soil. This was aimed at girls, boys, parents and the entire community present at the Rubén Darío School in La Gallina, our newest community.

Gender disparities and unequal power relationships represent a challenge to women, children and communities, and to successful development in Nicaragua.
ViviendasLeon’s HCT program, in an alliance with the IXCHEN Women’s Center and the Association for the Support of the New Family in Nicaragua (ANFAN), is developing a new program for women, youth and community leaders aimed at promoting gender equality.