Reclaiming tradition

Today, you can hear directly from Candelaria about the home garden project that Pueblo a Pueblo offers in Santiago Atitlán. 

You might be wondering: 

If Santiago is a poor rural community, then why doesn't everyone have an organic home garden? 

There are probably plenty of interesting anthropological reasons, but one easy answer is that many of the activities associated with traditional rural life are disparaged by the dominant culture, even when the local indigenous Maya populations would benefit greatly from continuing their practice. 

People often feel ashamed of their mother tongue, simple homes, limited education, and low incomes -- and find ways to deny or hide them. 

One important role of local organizations like Pueblo a Pueblo is to remind people of some of the healthy, economical, and environmentally sound ways their ancestors lived and to encourage a return to those wholistic lifestyle choices.

Cultivating organic fruits and vegetables for home consumption is one of those choices.