Chuachalí is a village of 75 families, or approximately 488 people. The community was founded in 1926 by just a few families. It is located 3 miles from the municipal seat of Tecpán. The name “Chuachalí” comes from the Kaqchikel “chua” or “near” and “chali” a type of bush with yellow flowers, meaning “by the yellow flower bush”. About 35 percent of the population is Catholic and 30 percent is Evangelical. All community members speak the Kaqchikel language, but not all can also speak Spanish.
Agriculture is the main productive activity in the community, mainly corn and beans, but also some vegetables such as tomato and sweet peas. Some of the families work for bigger farms and get $7 a day, but work only between 2 and 3 days a week.
There is a school in the village with grades from preschool to sixth, with a total of 275 students and 6 teachers. There is a health post in the community, offering basic health services Tuesdays and Thursdays, apart from vaccines, and a nurse is in charge. 99 percent of homes have electricity and 90 percent of the roads are dirt.
Our Partnership:
ALDEA and ABPD began working with Chuachalí families in July 2020. Our goal is to reduce chronic childhood malnutrition now, while supporting the community in building their capacity to address further development challenges on their own into the future. We are working together on:
- Water, Sanitation & Hygiene: to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases among the population, especially children. It includes potable water, gray water filters, latrines and efficient stoves. There is not a water source identified by the community yet. They have a water system but does not provide enough water for the population. They do not have access to basic sanitation facilities either.
- Family Planning: to provide women and men the opportunity to decide how many and when to have children. Training and family planning methods will be provided to the persons interested.
- Community Mobilization & Empowerment: it includes women, youth, men and local authorities to have proper leadership in the village.
- Nutrition Education: Training for women, to learn how to feed their children and themselves in a healthy and nutritious way.
- Food Security (Sustainable Agriculture): family gardens, improvement in the production of corn and beans, milk goat and adaptation of agriculture to the new climate conditions.
- Disaster Risk Reduction: identification of hazards and development of disaster risk reduction plan.