The Importance of Nutrition Education
One factor that contributed to the abundance of malnutrition in Guatemala was the lack of education. Many people did not seem to know the importance of fruits and vegetables in a healthy diet. On Homestay visits, nutrition education was occasionally a topic that was covered. During many discussions about vegetables, mothers added that their children ate vegetables every day! Maybe a cup or more of beans! Education regarding good nutrition could help to re-organize priorities regarding the importance of a variety of foods. This is one area where Common Hope has been improving as it has recently focused more on nutritional education in schools and at homestay families as can be seen in the Donor Impact Report from last year and is one thing that could possibly reduce the frequency of malnourishment. More public health, especially regarding the importance of fruits and vegetables abroad could be an easy step towards cutting down malnutrition. Although this would not change economic situations, it might encourage families to place an emphasis on more nutritious food at least for the first few years of their children’s lives. Public health in the United States could also help those suffering from malnutrition. Better help could be brought in as people began to understand the effects malnutrition has on development. And that filling up a stomach might fight starvation, but to truly make a difference and to give a child the chance to change the position he was born into, it is important to fight starvation and malnutrition simultaneously.