PAISANO Quarterly Report FY16Q1

Agency for International Development's Bureau of Food for Peace-funded Program, PAISANO, is a six-year initiative aimed at reducing food insecurity among vulnerable rural households in Guatemala's Western Highlands. The program operates in 14 municipalities and 189 communities across three departments: Huehuetenango, Quetzaltenango, and Quiché. PAISANO's primary objective is to increase household access to food, reduce malnutrition among children under five, and enhance community resilience. The program is implemented by Save the Children, Project Concern International, and other partners, including CATIE and INCUL. PAISANO's strategic objectives are divided into three main areas: increasing household access to food, reducing malnutrition among children under five, and improving community resilience. The program's intermediate results include increasing household agricultural production, improving women's business and leadership opportunities, and enhancing access to markets. During the first quarter of FY2016, PAISANO conducted several studies to assess agricultural knowledge transfer and the adoption of Essential Nutrition Activities. The surveys revealed that community leaders demonstrated a high level of knowledge in agriculture and nutrition topics, while some promoters struggled to transmit key messages to families in their communities. This limitation will be addressed through the application of the Make Me a Change Agent training and the Livelihoods Adoption and Barrier Adoption in FY2016. PAISANO also organized workshops to introduce the program to newly elected mayors in municipalities located in Quiché and Quetzaltenango. The program expects to sign memoranda of understanding with the new officials to enhance its impact in the program's coverage area. The program's performance updates include the implementation of the revised Social and Behavior Change Communication Strategy, which incorporates adult education principles using the Make Me a Change Agent methodology. The strategy aims to reinforce facilitation and implementation skills among program staff. Additionally, a team of Trainers of Trainers will be formed to train and supervise facilitation skills and implementation of SBCC in the program. PAISANO also coordinated with UNICEF on the development of two trainings on Communication for Development in Food Security. The training workshops aimed to strengthen PAISANO's technical teams' capacity in identifying and planning participatory Community Communication processes. As a follow-up activity, the teams will prepare six Community Communication plans during the next quarters of FY2016. The program's coordination with the University of San Carlos involved 8th semester students from the university's Communication Science program. The students assisted PAISANO in conducting a study on the adoption of positive nutrition and hygiene practices. The study revealed that exclusive breastfeeding, hand washing, and consumption of foods produced at home were the most successful practices. However, cleaning and preparing recipes learned at cooking demonstrations were among the practices with the lowest adoption rates. PAISANO's quarterly report highlights the program's achievements and challenges during the first quarter of FY2016. The report emphasizes the importance of addressing the limitations identified in the Mid-Term Evaluation and incorporating recommendations into the program's strategy. The program's focus on increasing household access to food, reducing malnutrition among children under five, and enhancing community resilience remains a priority in the Western Highlands of Guatemala.