- Home - ALDEA – formerly known as Behrhorst Partners for Development – has been strengthening Mayan communities since 1967.
- Who We Are - ALDEA and Asociación BPD are sister organizations working together to address the principal needs of rural Mayan communities in Chimaltenango, Guatemala.
- About Us - ALDEA organizes their work around one overarching objective: to reduce chronic childhood malnutrition in Mayan communities in Guatemala.
- Our Founder, Dr. Carroll Behrhorst - Behrhorst Partners for Development – now known as ALDEA – began in 1962 when Dr. Carroll Behrhorst founded Behrhorst Clinic and Hospital in Chimaltenango.
- Board of Directors - Meet the Board of Directors of ALDEA – formerly known as Behrhorst Partners for Development – partnering with indigenous Guatemalans for fifty years.
- U.S. Staff - Executive Director, Arianne Peterson, M.A. focuses on connecting donors with programs they support.
- Our Partner Organization in Guatemala, ABPD - Asociación BPD is our partner organization–they are on the ground in Guatemala, carrying out this important work as outlined in our joint Strategic Plan.
- Our History - For fifty years, ALDEA has partnered with indigenous Guatemalans to strengthen communities and enhance the health and well-being of families.
- Media - Follow ALDEA on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to keep tabs on how we’re helping Mayan communities in Guatemala.
- About Us - ALDEA organizes their work around one overarching objective: to reduce chronic childhood malnutrition in Mayan communities in Guatemala.
- Our Work - At ALDEA, we organize our work around one overarching objective: to reduce chronic childhood malnutrition in Mayan communities.
- Our Partner Communities - Learn more about each of the Mayan communities that ALDEA has partnered with to improve their quality of life.
- Chipatá, Santa Apolonia - Chipatá was founded fifty years ago by 10 Maya Kaqchikel families. Now, the village has grown to 280 families.
- Chuacacay, Santa Apolonia - “Chuacacay” means “the place of the shelter” in Kaqchikel (“Chua” means “place”; “Cacay” means “shelter,” or “hut.”). The town was named this way because there was a shelter where traders traveling from Quiché to Tecpán spent the night.
- Chuachun, Santa Apolonia - Chuachun is located three miles from the county seat of Santa Apolonia and 28 miles from the departmental (state) capital of Chimaltenango.
- El Garabato, Patzún - El Garabato is a small Maya Kaqchikel village nestled in the mountainous highlands of Guatemala.
- Parajbey, Santa Apolonia - Parajbey is in the municipal district of Santa Apolonia. It is close to other Santa Apolonia villages and also those from other two municipalities: San José Poaquil and Tecpán.
- Saquiyá, Patzún - About 100 Maya Kaqchikel families live in Saquiyá. Its total population is approximately 525 people, more than half of whom are children and young adults.
- Xepatán, Patzún - The largest of our partner communities to date, Xepatán is comprised of 380 families. Although no official census exists, the population is estimated at approximately 1,900 people.
- Our Integrated Approach - ALDEA’s goal is to decrease the rate of chronic childhood malnutrition in children under five in rural, Mayan villages in Chimaltenango, Guatemala.
- Nutrition Education - ALDEA’s education program focuses on nutrition during pregnancy, exclusive breastfeeding for six months, and introducing foods after six months.
- Disaster Risk Reduction - ALDEA is working with communities to adapt our processes to new weather realities so that emergency response doesn’t become our modus operandi.
- Empowerment - ALDEA strives to mobilize the entire community to address health issues – focusing on empowering women and youth to participate in local development.
- Family Planning - When families can determine the number and spacing of their children, the youngest and most vulnerable in the family have greater access to good nutrition.
- Food Security - ALDEA is introducing ecologically sustainable agriculture techniques to improve the production of basic grains through the use of sustainable fertilizing.
- Monitoring and Evaluation - Continuous monitoring and evaluation allows ALDEA to introduce new techniques or reinforcing existing ones that are producing positive results.
- Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene - ALDEA works with communities to design the most appropriate water and sanitation solution for that community based on an environmental assessment.
- ALDEA-ABPD Strategic Plan FY 2019 – FY 2023 - The ALDEA–ABPD Strategic Plan for July 1, 2018–June 30, 2023 is designed to improve the health and well-being of Mayan families in rural Guatemala through lasting, community-driven solutions.
- Our Partner Communities - Learn more about each of the Mayan communities that ALDEA has partnered with to improve their quality of life.
- Donate - Learn more about donation options and donate to ALDEA today to help us put an end to childhood malnutrition in Guatemalan villages.
- Get Involved - Find out how you can get involved with ALDEA to help improve the quality of life in Mayan communities.
- “Glimpse of Guatemala” Tour: March 6-14, 2020 - ALDEA offers a unique, eye-opening, 8-day/8-night tour of the western highlands of Guatemala, the “Land of Eternal Spring.”
- Dr. Carroll Behrhorst Legacy Society - Honors those who partner in our work with indigenous communities in rural Guatemala through a gift in their wills or estate plans.
- Guatemala Insight Tour: Rotary Working with ALDEA - The goal of ALDEA is to reduce chronic childhood malnutrition in Mayan communities.
- Visionaries: It Takes a Village - In 2017 ALDEA was selected from among hundreds of applicants as one of twelve organizations profiled in Season 22 of The Visionaries, a public television series.
- Learn More - Learn more about the work ALDEA does to improve the quality of life among Mayan communities in Guatemala.
- Thank you to our 2018 donors! - Those who supported Mayan families through ALDEA during our 2018 fiscal year (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018) had an amazing impact in our Guatemalan partner communities.
- What Is Chronic Childhood Malnutrition? - Chronic childhood malnutrition is a debilitating consequence of poverty – causing cognitive impairments and stunted growth.
- Financial Reports - View ALDEA’s financial reports and audited financial statements from over the years.
- Newsletters - Read all of ALDEA’s past quarterly newsletters to find out what we’ve done to help different Mayan communities in Guatemala.
- 50th Anniversary Gallery (1967-2017) - Explore our 50th year celebration in Guatemala and learn about current programs offered by Aldea.
- Contact Us - Contact ALDEA today to find out how you can partner with us to put an end to childhood malnutrition.
- Site Map - Behrhorst Partners for Development – now known as ALDEA – began in 1962 when Dr. Carroll Behrhorst founded Behrhorst Clinic and Hospital in Chimaltenango.
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Over the last 13 years, we have installed 78 potable water systems, bringing clean running water to the homes of more than 56,000 families. We are so grateful for the support of donors like you who have ensured our partner communities will be able to drink potable water and practice good hygiene (especially frequent handwashing), stay in their homes, and help stop the spread of the dangerous coronavirus disease during this unprecedented time.
Even though our regular programming has been put on hold, our work continues. We are still able to receive mail at our New York address, but we anticipate possible delays in our mail and check deposit services in the weeks ahead. If you would like to give, we encourage you to donate online at ALDEAguatemala.org, through the Facebook “donate” button, or by electronic transfer if possible until the situation stabilizes. For more information on electronic giving options, contact us at aldea@aldeaguatemala.org, or 929-274-3098.
Thank you for your continued support!
Dairy goats are an important part of our food security program, and their milk is providing essential nutrition as communities are isolated. Many families even name their goats! If this goat was yours, what would you name her? Let us know in the comments.
UPDATE: While we are unable to physically visit our partner communities right now, ALDEA and Asociación BPD’s work to support health and well-being continues.
Every day, ABPD staff members call each of the women serving as health promotors in our partner communities to check in, and they have been reaching out to other leaders and past community partners, too. So far, people are doing well considering the circumstances, and we’re making sure they have the information they need to help them stay safe.
Yesterday, they received a photo of a family garden harvest from a promotor in the community of Xiquín Sanahí, where we are in our first year of partnership. She wrote, “Because of the support we’ve received from ABPD, my people will not go hungry during this quarantine. Thank you.”
It is clear that while our regular programming is suspended for now, in many ways our work is carried forward by our partners themselves. This speaks to the power of empowerment as the cornerstone of our approach, and it shows that even our first-year communities have already increased their ability to be resilient in the face of a crisis like this one.