Beans, rice, torillas - beans, rice, tortillas - day after day. That is the standard menu for Guatemalans and is repeated for breakfast, lunch and dinner. At Casa Shalom we do our best to add fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy and meat to the children's diets every day. The fruits and the veggies aren't as hard to provide as they are fairly inexpensive in Guatemala. Now, meat is a different story. It's not that much more expensive than in the United States, it's just that we have to provide for 58 kids, 14 of them hungry teen boys!
To help solve our meat dilemma, director Jorge Mario has plans to start a chicken farm on Casa Shalom's property. We can purchase baby chicks for about 50 cents a piece and we will raise them to adulthood. The chicken farm will serve 2 purposes - one, it will allow the home to provide more pollo (chicken) for the kids to eat. Two, the children will learn how to chicken farm, which will allow them to leave the home at 18 with one more skill with which to earn a living.
The Pollo Project will cost around $3,000 total and the running costs will be minimal. We are currently looking for companies, organizations, families or individuals who are willing to help fund the start-up costs for the farm. Donations will be used to purchase coops, incubators, food and other items needed to run the farm. If you or someone you know is interested in supporting the Pollo Project, please contact us at TheHansonsinGuatemala@gmail.com
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