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Where We Work : Central America

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Guatemala

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Rosario was able to purchase thread for her weavings in bulk with a microloan from Grameen Trust Guatemala funded by Whole Planet Foundation

Team Member Volunteer Marina Lemus-Sanchez teaches children of microcredit clients at the Pena Blanca Community School

Guatemalan Chicken Stew- see recipe below

Whole Planet Foundation funds microcredit in the central highlands of Guatemala around Lake Atitlan, a region where Whole Foods Market sources coffee through Allegro Coffee Company. Whole Planet Foundation has approved $1.3 million over three years for Grameen Trust to create and manage a new microfinance institution, extending microcredit to 10,000 of the poorest women in Guatemala in conjunction with Banrural. We partner with Grameen Trust, a sister organization to Grameen Bank established in Bangladesh in 1989 by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus. Learn more about our implementing partners around the globe.

Country Information
Guatemala is the northernmost of the Central American countries, neighboring Mexico to its North and west and Belize, Honduras and El Salvador to its east. Guatemala is rich in geography and culture and has a population of over 14 million inhabitants. Guatemala is considered to be one of the poorest countries in the Latin American and Caribbean Regions with more than half its population living below the poverty line and 16% considered extremely poor. Access to credit through microloans will enable these impoverished people to fund businesses and use their own creativity and hard work to make a better life for themselves and their families. See their stories and experience the power of microcredit.

Whole Foods Market Team Member Volunteer Program
Whole Foods Market Team Members volunteer for 30 days to experience the impact of microcredit and sustainable systems, be connected to the food we sell, learn the language and culture and provide community service. Team Members work on education and construction programs with local community leaders. We currently have volunteer programs in Costa Rica and Guatemala and plan to expand the program to other countries where we have microlending projects over time.

For more resources see the President's page and Root Causes of Poverty

Recipes

Guatemalan Chicken Stew with Tomatillo Sauce

Serves 8
This beloved Guatemalan main course, also called pollo en jocón, is best served over rice with corn tortillas on the side for soaking up the rich and tangy tomatillo and green onion sauce. If you like, use parsley as a flavorful substitute for the cilantro. For a more rustic version, serve the chicken on the bone. This recipe was inspired by Whole Planet Foundation microcredit clients who live in the Lake Atitlán region of Guatemala.

Ingredients:
1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed
4 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 bone-in, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 to 2 jalapeños, stemmed and halved lengthwise
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
6 green onions, trimmed and roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and roughly chopped
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas), toasted
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
2 (8-inch) corn tortillas, torn into pieces

Method:
Put 6 cups water, tomatillos, chicken, jalapeños and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt into a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until tomatillos and jalapeños are tender and chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes. Drain, reserving broth, and set aside chicken, tomatillos and jalapeños.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add cilantro, green onions, garlic and bell pepper and cook until softened and golden brown, about 10 minutes; transfer to a blender. Add pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, tortillas, 3 cups of the reserved broth, tomatillos and jalapeños (seeded first, if you like) and carefully purée until smooth; work in batches, if needed. (Reserve remaining broth for another use.)

Transfer contents of blender to a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, discard bones from chicken and shred meat. Transfer to pot with sauce and simmer for 10 minutes more. Ladle into bowls, garnish with cilantro and serve.
Nutritional Information

CIA Factbook

About Guatemala

Introduction ::Guatemala

Background:
The Mayan civilization flourished in Guatemala and surrounding regions during the first millennium A.D. After almost three centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala won its independence in 1821. During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced a variety of military and civilian governments, as well as a 36-year guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement formally ending the conflict, which had left more than 100,000 people dead and had created, by some estimates, some 1 million refugees.

Geography ::Guatemala

Location:
Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize

Geographic coordinates:
15 30 N, 90 15 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 108,889 sq km country comparison to the world: 106 land: 107,159 sq km water: 1,730 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Tennessee

Land boundaries:
total: 1,687 km border countries: Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km

Coastline:
400 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands

Terrain:
mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 13.22% permanent crops: 5.6% other: 81.18% (2005)

Irrigated land:
1,300 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:
111.3 cu km (2000)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 2.01 cu km/yr (6%/13%/80%) per capita: 160 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:
numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms

Environment - current issues:
deforestation in the Peten rainforest; soil erosion; water pollution

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
no natural harbors on west coast

People ::Guatemala

Population:
13,276,517 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 68

Age structure:
0-14 years: 39.4% (male 2,664,058/female 2,573,006) 15-64 years: 56.8% (male 3,655,184/female 3,884,331) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 231,652/female 268,286) (2009 est.)

Median age:
total: 19.4 years male: 18.9 years female: 20 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.066% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 55

Birth rate:
27.98 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 55

Death rate:
5.11 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 185

Net migration rate:
-2.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 140

Urbanization:
urban population: 49% of total population (2008) rate of urbanization: 3.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 27.84 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 79 male: 30.2 deaths/1,000 live births female: 25.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.29 years country comparison to the world: 142 male: 68.49 years female: 72.19 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.47 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 58

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.8% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 61

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
59,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 61

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
3,900 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 51

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: dengue fever and malaria water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)

Nationality:
noun: Guatemalan(s) adjective: Guatemalan

Ethnic groups:
Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish - in local Spanish called Ladino) and European 59.4%, K'iche 9.1%, Kaqchikel 8.4%, Mam 7.9%, Q'eqchi 6.3%, other Mayan 8.6%, indigenous non-Mayan 0.2%, other 0.1% (2001 census)

Religions:
Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs

Languages:
Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 69.1% male: 75.4% female: 63.3% (2002 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 10 years male: 11 years female: 10 years (2006)

Education expenditures:
2.6% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 154

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