February 2025
A warm hello to you, our dear friends of Bienestar – Guatemala. Last year we celebrated 10 years of especially today when our ability to focus, analyse, and organize is essential to addressing ever increasing global disparities and widespread injustices at the highest levels.
the year, we were struck by the stories of individuals about the impact of Bienestar in their scholarship recipient who also attended the new Mommy and Me club with her baby o was able to receive competent emergency care
mom/grandmother/sole family earner who is now committed to her health expressing gratitude for Bienestar’s presence in her life when she had given up hope.
diabetes health promoter team in Nuevo helping people live their best lives and despite the our place in this journey of hope and positive social change.
In the midst of successes, our partners faced extensive challenges. Extended drought, abnormally high last year led to a declaration of a State of Emergency, temporary school closures, and reallocation of scarce government program funding to fire suppression. This was followed by torrential rains which gave rise to flooding and landslides, killed several people, destroyed infrastructure and properties, and delayed planting of seasonal crops, all of which has led to an escalation in the basic cost of living and worsening poverty for the majority of the population.
The Cooperative of Nuevo Horizonte was no exception. People banded together to fight fires that erupted alongside and within the cooperative and further restricted their household water allotment to an hour/day.
At the same time, they doubled down on planting trees with more than 275,000 trees planted since 2021 and carved out protection firewalls in anticipation of fires in the coming years. They installed 100 solar streetlights and carried out ongoing maintenance involving tree trimming to maximize solar charging. A new
development for the membership was receiving a Q1,000 carbon credit from one of the Italian tree nursey projects working in the Cooperative How aYirming each of these initiatives is given the threat of the climate crisis!
While Bienestar is not directly involved in the reforestation eYorts, we celebrate the role we played in the details available in the 2023 annual report) and in people’s lives as they sought to be link between their health and the health of the planet.
We also celebrate the expansion of the Bienestar Health and Wellness Centre from three small corner rooms in the community health centre to the entire building! This was possible because the government built a new health centre, and the Nuevo Horizonte membership donated the vacated space to us in May. We are beyond delighted our groups can meet out of the sun and rain and participate more actively in health education activities given the ample space for movement and small group activities
Thanks to the generousity of one of our donors, we were able to paint the centre inside and out. And thanks to the Selkirk College nursing student donation, we were able to purchase new benches and chairs, a 4-burner stove and oven with gas, cooking utensils, and are able to oYer potable water on site. Each of these gains adds immeasurably to Bienestar’s program oYerings and have been met with enthusiasm and incredible gratitude by the community.
Overview of the Projects and Partnerships
Education S cholarship and Youth Leadership Program
($5,500)
Nine junior high and high school students received education scholarships in 2024. In collaboration with their families, we oYset the costs of uniforms, books, transportation and tuition. As part of the scholarship program, the students also developed new leadership skills which involved regular participation in the community exercise program, painting the Bienestar Health and Wellness Centre, and giving back to the community through volunteering at the kids’ club processed foods, and with the community reforestation project.
We are delighted to report that all of the current scholarship recipients passed their exams and were promoted to the next year of study. Three of the students graduated from high school this year, two with an elementary school teacher diploma – bravo Juliana and Jennifer and one with a focus on science – bravo Xiomara! We salute all of their hard work and dedication, and the support from their families and our donors. We welcome three new students to the program for a total of nine students in the 2025 academic school year.
Diabetes Prevention and Management Project ($19,225)
Bienestar ’s diabetes prevention and self-management program continues to enjoy widespread community support, a committed and well-functioning local workforce, positive evaluations, and indicators of eYectiveness. Initial diabetes health education was undertaken in 2014 following a community-wide assessment undertaken by the Selkirk College nursing students in collaboration with the junior high school students, community nurse, and women’s group which revealed that 14% of the population had prediabetes or diabetes compared to the national rate of 9.1% as reported by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF)
Bienestar’s diabetes prevention and management initiative has strived to be community-led, evidenceinformed, supportive of a “whole community” approach, and culturally relevant. It is part of a larger global eYort aimed at addressing the dramatic rise in chronic diseases including cardiovascular diseases (heart
attacks, stroke), chronic respiratory diseases, cancers, and diabetes, 80% of which occur in Low- and MiddleIncome Countries today. Unfortunately, over the course of the last decade, the prevalence rate for diabetes in Guatemala has risen to 13.1% (IDF). We are pleased to report that diabetes rates have stayed relatively steady at 14% in Nuevo Horizonte.
Beyond these staggering numbers lies the suYering brought on by the complications of amputations, blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, significantly limited ability to work, and exorbitant medical costs. This is the stark reality of people living with diabetes in much of the world including Guatemala where public health centres lack the basics of a glucometer for blood sugar assessment and any form of insulin, let alone the ability to deal with the aforementioned complications.
Bienestar has worked diligently to respond to the direction of the community laid out in 2014 to prioritize the health of their children so as to prevent or greatly delay the onset of chronic diseases in their lifetime. Employing a whole community approach means working with the community to build awareness and knowledge, targeting both community-based and individual interventions to disincentivize consumption of ultra-processed foods and promote healthier eating, and to encourage an active lifestyle and resilience related to life stressors. It is intersectional and oriented to health and wellness at every stage of life.
diabetes health promoters trained and employed by Bienestar facilitate the interlocking elements of the program as outlined in the accompanying diagram Sector clubs had good attendance and
was very good, and evaluations were positive for the monthly biometric review, medical consultations, footcare clinics, exercise program, and clubs for women and children. Approximately 50% of people living with diabetes were close to or within their target blood sugar, A1C, and blood pressure ranges. There has been no incidence of diabetic foot complications despite widespread neuropathy nor progression of chronic kidney disease.
Last year Bienestar oYered two significant continuing educational initiatives for the diabetes health promoters and local health care workers aimed at strengthening their knowledge related to chronic disease prevention and management, and ability to develop and facilitate eYective community health education for all age levels.
Bienestar volunteers Jean Charman (retired diabetes educator) and Mary Ann Morris (retired RN) also oYered a townhall workshop on ultra-processed foods that was attended by 70 community members including young and old alike. They also met with the women’s group to further the conversation around the unique context in Nuevo Horizonte that is related to the consumption of ultra processed products and to identify strategies to lessen its impact and promote real food and food traditions
In response to recommendations, Bienestar piloted two new programs in 2024: regular cooking classes featuring locally available, low cost, traditional, nutritious foods and a Healthy Mommy & Me program. The latter project reflects a global movement to focus on the ‘First 1000 days to Change the Life of a Child’ and includes education focused on child health, healthy nutrition and development, women’s empowerment, and peer support. Bienestar collaborated with the local nurse and a small Vancouver-based group interested in community health to oYer the project.
Both initiatives were popular and initial evaluative feedback has been positive. They will be formally evaluated in April to determine their eYectiveness and inclusion into future core programming.
10 YEAR CELEBRATION WITH GUEST DR. PATRICIA COLINDRES AND FAMILY
Lastly, what is a celebration without food? And so, we gathered together and made a “stone soup” with everyone adding something to the pot. We celebrated our 10 years of partnership and people talked about the significance of Bienestar in their lives, be it accompanying them as they live daily with a chronic progressive disease and the fears, costs, and challenges of doing so or helping them give their kids hope for a better tomorrow.
Our guest of honour was Dr. Patricia Colindres and her two young sons, the diabetes specialist that has provided exceptional medical care to our clients for a fraction of the typical cost. It was so meaningful for her to understand more fully their lived reality and for the people to witness her solidarity outside of the clinical setting.
Ten years on, numerous gains have been made, none of which would have been possible without genuine partnerships. On the one hand, the community “owns” these projects; local people comprise the workforce and volunteer base, participation is robust, and evaluations are overall positive about how the various projects are contributing to peoples’ capacity and determination to make health their priority, and informative about future directions that will enable them to address the global challenges facing them.
On the other hand, the partnership is about you and your vision for a healthier more just world. Your volunteer eYorts, intentions and prayers, and financial stewardship have and continue to make such a diYerence. Together with the congregation of Nelson United Church, we have created opportunities for young people whose only barrier to education is poverty. We’ve helped a community, and its members fight back against the corporate takeover of “food” and its human and environmental harms that are literally threatening the advances of modern medicine and have gained so much through our commitment to reaching across borders and nations to care about and for each other. For more inspiration and delight, check out 2024 in photos collage which can be found on the website under photos at https://www.bienestarcanada.ca/
To make a one-time or monthly donation, go to www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/m/38293/donation. 100% of your donations go to the projects as board members cover the costs of volunteering in Guatemala as well as the administrative costs of maintaining our website.
Thank you for joining us in these worthy endeavours. We welcome your comments and feedback, and look forward to continuing our work together to make health a right for all
In gratitude,
The Bienestar Board
Cheralynne Kennedy
Judith Fearing
Mary Ann Morris
Alyssa Franklin
Michael Chapman
Teeka Ferguson
Judy Cameron
