jueves, marzo 28, 2024
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FUNDARVEJA Works to improve the quality of life of families who grow vegetables for Export from Guatemala

FUNDARVEJA, (which translates as The National Pea Foundation) is a non-profit Foundation started by the Guatemalan Exporters members of AGEXPORT’S Pea and Vegetable Committee with the purpose of improving the quality of life of the families that grow the vegetables they export. FUNDARVEJA’S Mission is to improve Health, Nutrition and Environmental Sanitation habits that can transform lives.

In Guatemala 85% of the vegetables that are exported are grown in Chimaltenango, Sololá and Sacatepéquez and the remaining 15% in Quiché, Baja Verapaz, Jalapa, Huehuetenango and San Marcos. The sector comprises about 60,000 small holder farmers, mostly indigenous people from the Guatemalan Highlands. With the guidance and support of the Exporters, these farmers comply with very high quality and food safety standards set by the United States, European Markets and Asian Markets.

FUNDARVEJA was very active last year and proudly ends 2021 with programs and projects that have achieved positive results in its area of influence.

Some of its achievements were:

In the area of Health, the management of a donation of a container load of medical supplies and equipment that was received from Partners for World Health, a charity based in Maine, USA. in July 2021. FUNDARVEJA donated most of the contents of the container to two hospitals who are the foundation’s strategic allies. Both these hospitals are run by charities; namely, the Hospital of Obras Sociales del Santo Hermano Pedro in Antigua, Sacatepéquez and the Corpus Christi Hospital in Patzun Chimaltenango. These hospitals are located in the main farming areas of the vegetables grown for export. Both of them conduct Medical Missions bringing highly qualified surgeons and their teams from abroad to perform surgeries in many different specialties free of charge to the population of the surrounding areas, which include FUNDARVEJA’s beneficiaries who are the growers and their families.

The exporting companies that are members of the Pea and Vegetable Committee make important financial donations to the foundation by contributing a small amount per each pound of vegetables they export. They also contribute in kind, by donating vegetables to schools that feed the children and their donations also go to homes and institutions.

In the area of Nutrition, FUNDARVEJA donated 250,000 lbs of fruits and vegetables received from its members to institutions such as the Nutritional Plan for Healthy Children of the Municipality of Guatemala, and the Social Works of surrounding Municipalities.

Contributing to improve the environment, trees were planted to recover the forests in Pacorral, Tecpan, Chimaltenango.

And in the area of Environmental Sanitation, FUNDARVEJA worked with the Municipality of Santa Maria de Jesus, Sacatepéquez by providing an expert in Sanitation who involved citizens of the town in various waste management programs.

In addition, four students of the National Agriculture School ENCA helped families to establish vegetables patches in their yards and taught them good agricultural practices for healthier environments. These practices were carried out in the villages of Chipiacul, Xeatzan Bajo, Mocolicxot, Las Camelias, El Cojobal, all in Patzun, Chimaltenango.

And as a Social Responsibility Program, for the second year FUNDARVEJA donated jackets, face masks, toys in pre-Xmas parties for children in Chimaltenango where hundreds of children came to receive presents and enjoy themselves,

In addition to the members of the Committee being donors, the foundation has other strategic allies and key donors such as Agexport (which stands for the Asociación Guatemalteca de Exportadores), one of the most prestigious institutions of the Guatemalan Private Sector, Desarrollo en Movimiento, BANRURAL and other private companies and private persons that have joined efforts with us so that we can contribute to the wellbeing of more families.

The Executive Director of FUNDARVEJA Evita Dominguez said: “2021 was a year of many challenges, but in FUNDARVEJA we face these challenges with the firm conviction that we are contributing to the integral development of the beneficiary families and that we are building a better Guatemala.”

The Plan for 2022 is to continue to work to improve the quality of life of Guatemala’s families that live in the rural areas, particularly those where vegetables for export are grown, seeking to improve practices in Health, Nutrition, Environmental Sanitation seeking alignment with U.N’s Sustainable Development Goals, paying special attention to the family as a whole working with closely with the women.

We invite one and all to join in our effort and make your donations by depositing to BANCO INDUSTRIAL Account DM 217-000601-5.

You may contact us by phone at +502 58585418 or by mail at fundarveja@gmail.com

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