History
Catholic Relief Services has worked in Guatemala since 1963, targeting the poorest and most vulnerable sectors of the Guatemalan society. This decade was marked by the beginning of the country's 36-year internal conflict, where 200,000 people were killed, over 40,000 persons disappeared and about one million people became internally displaced or fled the country.
Initially, CRS programs focused on humanitarian assistance to alleviate poverty and bring a better standard of living to the needy. Over the years, CRS has extended the scope of its assistance by implementing a variety of development-oriented programs.
Partners
Caritas San Marcos
The diocesan Caritas office in San Marcos has been a key partner of CRS Guatemala since 1992, implementing projects focused on food security, health, agriculture, education, rural credit, water and sanitation, integrated watershed management, emergency response and human rights.
Programs
Agriculture
As part of CRS Title II Food Security Program funded by USAID, CRS focuses on improved agricultural productivity and sustainable use of natural resources. We promote farming and marketing techniques that increase availability and access to food. With funds from private foundations, CRS also supports smallholder coffee farmers' production, post harvest processing and market engagement.
Civil Society and Governance
CRS and partners promote community participation and leadership in their projects. CRS also advocates for the respect of migrants' dignity and labor rights of farmers and agro-industry workers.
Thanks to funds from the U.S. Department of Labor, CRS and partners have established Workers Rights Centers in the departments of Chimaltenango and Izabal to educate and provide advice about national laws to workers from the agro-industry and agricultural sectors. Little by little these centers have been gaining credibility among workers who have come to the centers to learn about their rights and report violations. These centers have provided them with legal assistance to respond to labor-related complaints. They've dealt successfully with several National Labor law compliance cases.
Education
CRS and partners combat exploitative child labor through education, increase access to education for rural children and adolescents, and offer training and part-time job opportunities for marginalized youth.
Jóvenes Constructores Project guides young people from poor, marginalized urban areas toward meaningful, productive lives and away from gangs by offering them vocational and life skills training to increase their employment opportunities. This project links participants with potential employers and micro-enterprise development to generate income.
Disaster Response
In mid 2009, rainfall levels significantly below average caused loss in staple crops leading to hunger and increased malnutrition in Guatemala's East Central Pacific Corridor. CRS and partner Caritas Jalapa are responding with food distribution, agricultural re-activation, animal husbandry and small-scale agro-forestry systems. At the same time, the program trains health promoters who educate mothers on practices and behaviors to improve their health and nutrition.
Health
As part of CRS Title II Food Security Program funded by USAID, CRS and partners promote maternal-child health and nutrition using the Ministry of Health's Childhood Illnesses Management protocol. This strategy focuses on growth monitoring for children from 0-3 years, counseling and training mothers on breastfeeding, complementary feeding practices, hygiene and health practices, and coordination with local Ministry of Health structures for complementary services such as immunization, micronutrient supplementation, prenatal care and control and referrals.
HIV and AIDS
The goal of CRS' HIV interventions is to reduce the incidence of HIV while helping people with the virus lead dignified lives free of stigma and discrimination. Our current projects focus on HIV prevention, empowerment of people with HIV, and training and raising awareness of the Catholic Church structure. We work in coordination with the Guatemalan Episcopal Conference, the Diocese of Escuintla, the Izabal Apostolic Vicariate Office, Asociación Proyecto Vida, and Casa del Migrante.
Microfinance
As a founding member, CRS supports the Solidarity Development Fund (FONDESOL), the microfinance institution of the Catholic Church created as part of the sustainability strategy for diocesan's rural credit programs supported by CRS. FONDESOL began operations in February 1, 2005, offering credit on a more accessible basis, with long-term periods and lower interest rates than those offered by the Guatemalan banking system. Today, FONDESOL is a self-sustaining microfinance institution that offers credit to poor rural families with a portfolio of more than $7.85 million and provides credit to more than 27,000 active clients.
Water and Sanitation
CRS uses the Integrated Watershed Management approach whenever possible. It reduces poor rural communities vulnerability to water problems and improves quality of life with water management. This includes improvement of water systems, latrines and gray water disposal systems.
CRS and Caritas Verapaz use the Healthy School Strategy in rural schools in Baja Verapaz to improve school sanitary infrastructure and teach health and hygiene practices to children.
