Calanté is a small community located in the Highlands of Uspantán, Quiché.  The population consists of 64 families who mostly dedicate their time to agriculture.

In 2017, alongside América Solidaria Foundation Habitat for Humanity Guatemala, implemented its Family Gardens Project with 41 families. Our aim is to contribute to food and nutritional assurance, through the strengthening of productive, nutritional and social capacities of the community in a period of three years.

With the support of international and local volunteers, the families of Calanté are starting to make progress towards improving their quality of life.  They now have their own gardens and a large community garden, which allows for all of the participants to learn new techniques together; improving their harvests, receiving different trainings about nutrition, among other topics.

Most recently, families are improving their households with the implementation of vinyl covers on their walls and transparent roofing materials in order to combat the cold and other weather variations.  It is Habitat Guatemala’s hope that these changes will prevent respiratory diseases and discourage unhealthy housing practices, which will ultimately lead to families having a safe and healthy environment to inhabit.

We are currently in our third year of intervention and constantly looking for ways to support them become a self-sustaining community, capable of having their own means and a healthy lifestyle.