31 Jan

The Better Families Program graduates 325 women from 15 communities in Escuintla

The Better Families Program graduates 325 women from 15 communities in Escuintla

Today, 325 women from 15 communities graduated from the Better Families Program, because of the agreement signed by the Sugar Foundation -Fundazucar- and the municipality of Escuintla, where the graduates received training in food and nutritional security. Escuintla is a municipality located 63 kilometers south from Guatemala City

Fundazucar transferred the Better Families program to the municipality of Escuintla, which promotes food and nutritional security, as well as the empowerment of women as agents of change and catalysts of development.

The following participated in the graduation: the president of Asazgua, Alfredo Vila; the general manager of Asazgua, Luis Miguel Paiz; the director of Fundazucar, Andrea Bolaños; the mayor of Escuintla, Abraham Rivera; staff from Fundazucar and the municipality.

The Sugar Foundation -Fundazucar- has signed cooperation agreements for the transfer of the methodology of the Better Families program and thus promotes food and nutritional security, as well as the empowerment of women as a catalyst for development.

Better Families is a program certified by the Ministry of Education and promotes the training of women for behavior change from the individual, family, and community level, recognizing in them a key agent to improve the health and nutrition of their family.

By Fundazucar Uncategorized 0 Comments

Mides implementa programa “Mejores Familias” de Fundazucar

05 Dec

The Guatemalan Government implements Fundazucar’s “Better Families” program thanks to an inter-institutional alliance.

On Monday, December 5th, a cooperation agreement was signed between the Sugar Foundation -Fundazucar-, and the Ministry of Social Development for the transfer of the Better Families program free of charge.

With the objective of promoting nutritional food security, self-esteem, self-management and leadership in women (of reproductive age or with children under five years of age), as agents of change for the development and well-being of their families and communities; The Ministry of Social Development -Mides- implemented this year the “Better Families” program.

It was agreed that Fundazucar will transmit knowledge, experiences, methodologies, techniques and technologies to the Mides technical team free of charge, so that they can execute it.

The Ministry is responsible for replicating the behavior change training for personnel from the Coordination and Organization Directorate, so that they, in turn, replicate the knowledge of women beneficiaries of institutional social programs, to provide them with skills and opportunities that improve their quality of life.

Organization and implementation

In search of an efficient application, a technological platform was designed that registers the users of the social programs to be trained: Social Bonus and Social Scholarship (Media Education, Higher Education and Artisan).

It was determined that 54 thousand 141 women from the 114 municipalities prioritized by the Great National Crusade for Nutrition would benefit in the first phase and 33 thousand 608 from the rest of the municipalities nationwide in the second: for a total of 87 thousand 749.

For the execution of “Better Families”, it will work with funds from the Ministry, which will be transferred to the United Nations Development Program -UNDP- to be invested in concrete actions that promote institutional transparency.

The International Organization will hire a consultant for the survey of the Initial Baseline and Evaluation of the Final Baseline on the results of the Strategy; and it will buy the didactic material for the public servants of the Mides and for the beneficiaries.

This will make it possible to develop strategies that make institutional budgetary execution clearly visible and improve the quality of public spending.

*Fundazucar’s cooperation consists of training Mides staff pro bono, that is, it does not charge any fee for transferring skills.

By Fundazucar Uncategorized better families, food security, fundazucar, Guatemala, Nutrition 0 Comments

27 Oct

First Gastronomic Festival by Fundazucar and the Ministry of Economy

The Guatemalan Sugar Industry through the Sugar Foundation -Fundazucar- in alliance with the Ministry of Economy -Mineco- and the local government of Champerico, Retalhuleu held the first gastronomic festival called “Champerico Fest” to promote the new dishes created from the Diploma in Gastronomic Diversification and Seafood Cuisine.

In the same way, the artisanal fishermen, who participated in the training “Good fishing practices” given by Mineco, presented fresh product to publicize the quality of their products and the ability to supply potential customers.

In the event participated 300 people, including diners, chefs, cooks, and organizations such as: Z Gas, the Guatemalan Civil Association for Integral Development -Asdesarrollo-, National Mortgage Credit Bank -CHN-, National Port Company of Champerico, Guatemagica, Naval School of Guatemala, Intecap and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food -MAGA-.

Economic Development Strategy

In 2021, the Economic Development Strategy for Fishing and Gastronomic Tourism on the South of Guatemala was launched, which is carried out in partnership between Fundazucar, Mineco, the Ministry of National Defense -Mindef-, MAGA and municipalities on the Pacific Coast.

The gastronomic festival is one more action of this strategy that seeks to recover and generate new sources of income for fishermen and workers in the tourism sector of the municipalities of the beach area of the South of Guatemala, as well to generate sources of employment.

Fundazucar, in alliance with Intecap, provides scholarships for chefs and cooks from local restaurants and hotels to strengthen their culinary skills. As well as training for hotel and restaurant owners and managers on “Excellence in Customer Service” and “Difficult internal and external customers” given by Mineco.

By Fundazucar Uncategorized economic reactivation, economy, fishing, fundazucar, gastronomic diversification, tourism 0 Comments

Entrega de estudios de agua y saneamiento

05 Oct

The Guatemalan Sugar Industry contributes to sanitation and water in local communities

The Guatemalan sugar producers through their foundation, Fundazucar, handed over 4 technical plans for water and sanitation that will benefit 12,185 people in the Pacific Lowlands of the country.

The studies were delivered to local authorities. They meet the requirements and standards of government institutions, which will facilitate the obtention of economic funds for their development.

Fundazucar provides free technical assistance and advice through the Engineering and Water Sanitation Unit -Unisan- for the elaboration of water and sanitation projects, which are necessary to obtain the allocation of funds for their construction. Local government authorities oversee the financing, and als the execution of water and sanitation infrastructure projects.

This unit, created in 2001, promotes the execution of water and sanitation infrastructure projects at the municipal level, providing professional technical assistance. By this, the Guatemalan Sugar Industry contributes to the well-being and development of the local communities.

By Fundazucar Uncategorized 0 Comments

Capacitación Servicio al Cliente por Fundazucar

08 Sep

Advances the Economic Development Strategy for Fishing and Gastronomic Tourism

In 2021, the Economic Development Strategy for Fishing and Gastronomic Tourism on the South of Guatemala was launched, which is carried out in partnership between the Sugar Foundation -Fundazucar-, the Ministry of Economy -Mineco- Ministry of National Defense – Mindef-, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food -MAGA- and six municipalities.

The strategy aims to recover and generate new sources of income for fishermen and workers in the tourism sector in the municipalities of the beach area of the South of Guatemala, as well as to generate sources of employment.

Among the actions carried out within the framework of this strategy are training such as:

• Business and fishing strengthening given by Mindef and Mineco.
• Gastronomic diversification: good manufacturing practices and marketing of the finished product taught by Fundazucar to 269 chefs and cooks from hotels and restaurants.
• Excellence in customer service by Fundazucar to 253 hotel and restaurant employees.
• Seafood Cuisine: innovative recipes based on seafood taught by Intecap with scholarships granted by Fundazucar to 231 chefs and cooks from hotels and restaurants.

Once the training has been completed, Fundazucar focuses on the formulation of tourism development plans in conjunction with community members and local authorities. In addition, it will support the dissemination of tourist services in the participating municipalities and the creation of gastronomic festivals.

By Fundazucar Uncategorized economic reactivation, economy, fundazucar, gastronomic diversification, Guatemala, tourism 0 Comments

Seminarios salubristas Fundazucar y Upana

16 Aug

Health workers participate in the “Information for Action” seminars by Fundazucar

The Sugar Foundation -Fundazucar- in alliance with the Pan-American University -UPANA- and the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance -MSPAS- impart preventive health seminars “Information for Action” to 500 public health workers from the South of Guatemala.

The seminars will be held in 3 sessions of 5 hours each in August, September, and November of this year, in which health workers from the Guatemalan departments of Escuintla, Suchitepéquez, Retalhuleu, Santa Rosa and Jutiapa participate. The call has been a success because 126% participation of public health professionals has been reached in the first seminar.

The training will be given by UPANA and the following topics will be addressed:

1. Situation room: elements, structure, and analysis.
2. Future of non-communicable chronic diseases -CND-: evolution, impact, and vigilance.
3. Data for decision making: collection, databases and introduction to data mining.

The objective of these seminars is to strengthen the technical skills and attitude of service of public health servers. It also seeks to deepen epidemiological surveillance, so that the health service can focus in a timely manner on health promotion and disease prevention.

Epidemiological surveillance consists of collecting data on a specific health problem; its analysis, interpretation and use in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of health programs.

Last year, 535 health professionals from the South of Guatemala were trained by the Sugar Foundation -Fundazucar-, in alliance with the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance in methodologies for the prevention of COVID-19 and strategies for the promotion preventive health in diseases such as dengue, zika and chikungunya; as well as monitoring of pregnant women and women with children up to two years old in what is called the “window of a thousand days”.

By Fundazucar Uncategorized fundazucar, health, preventive health 0 Comments

11 Aug

50 chefs y cocineros se gradúan del Diplomado Cocina del Mar en Chiquimulilla, Santa Rosa

50 chefs and cooks from touristic beach towns in the South of Guatemala graduated from the Seafood Cuisine Diploma

The Sugar Foundation -Fundazucar- awarded with a scholarship for the Seafood Cuisine Diploma to 50 chefs and cooks from Las Lisas and El Chapeton, beach towns located 175 kilometers South from Guatemala City. The diploma was given by the Technical Training and Productivity Institute -Intecap- in alliance with the Ministry of Economy and the local government of Chiquimulilla, Santa Rosa.

The “Seafood Cuisine” Diploma is part of the plan to support the reactivation of the economy in the beach area of the South of Guatemala. On this occasion, two graduation acts were held, the first in the village of Las Lisas, where 26 chefs and cooks graduated, and the other one in the village of El Chapeton with the graduation of 24 chefs and cooks who learned innovative recipes based on seafood.

The objective is to expand the gastronomic offer of hotels, restaurants, and dining rooms in the beach area so that they can offer it as a tourist attraction. The diploma course lasted 80 theoretical-practical hours for the preparation of dishes with products from artisanal fishing. Additionally, the participants learned how to implement good manufacturing practices and marketing of the finished product.

The chefs and cooks who participated in the Gastronomic Diversification Diploma continued their training with a scholarship for the “Seafood Cuisine” Diploma granted by Fundazucar as part of the inter-institutional alliance, which promotes a strategy for local economic development.

The Economic Development Strategy for Fishing and Gastronomic Tourism aims to expand the gastronomic offer of hotels, restaurants, and dining rooms in the beach area of the municipalities of Iztapa and Sipacate, Escuintla; Chiquimulilla and Taxisco, Santa Rosa; and San Andres Villa Seca and Champerico, Retalhuleu.

By Fundazucar Uncategorized community development, economic reactivation, economy, fundazucar, gastronomic diversification, tourism 0 Comments

19 Jul

Chefs and cooks from the Champerico beach graduated from the Seafood Cuisine diploma

The Guatemalan Sugar Industry, through Fundazucar, awarded a scholarship for the “Seafood Cuisine” diploma to chefs and cooks from restaurants and hotels in Champerico, Retalhuleu (226 km South from Guatemala City). The diploma course was carried out in alliance with the Municipality, INTECAP and the Ministry of Economy with the aim of technifying the gastronomic offer of the place.

The chefs and cooks who participated in the Gastronomic Diversification Diploma continued their training with a scholarship for the “Seafood Cuisine” Diploma granted by Fundazucar as part of the inter-institutional alliance, which promotes a strategy for local economic development.

The objective is to expand the gastronomic offer of hotels, restaurants, and dining rooms in the beach area so that they can offer it as a tourist attraction. The course lasted 80 theoretical and practical hours for the preparation of dishes with products from artisanal fishing.

On this occasion, 30 chefs and cooks from 8 restaurants and 1 hotel learned innovative recipes based on seafood. The “Seafood Cuisine” Diploma was taught by chef Lourdes Piedrasanta from the Technical Institute for Training and Productivity -INTECAP-.

Additionally, the participants learned how to implement good manufacturing practices and marketing of the finished product.

The Economic Development Strategy for Fishing and Gastronomic Tourism has expanded the gastronomic offer of hotels, restaurants, and dining rooms in the beach area of the municipalities of Iztapa and Sipacate, Escuintla; Chiquimulilla, Santa Rosa; and San Andres Villa Seca and Champerico, Retalhuleu.

By Fundazucar Uncategorized economic reactivation, economy, fundazucar, gastronomic diversification, tourism, training 0 Comments

12 Jul

Cooks and chefs from the beach area in Iztapa conclude the Seafood Cuisine Diploma

The Seafood Cuisine Diploma was held in the municipality of Iztapa, Escuintla (122 km South from Guatemala City,) aimed to chefs, cooks, restaurateurs, and hoteliers from the beach area. The course was given by Intecap in alliance with the Municipality and with scholarships granted by the Sugar Foundation -Fundazucar-.

The “Seafood Cuisine” Diploma was held to expand the gastronomic offer of hotels, restaurants, and dining rooms in the beach area as a tourist attraction and thus provide added value.

The 34 chefs and cooks from 1 hotel and 9 restaurants learned 18 innovative recipes based on seafood from artisanal fishing. They were also trained in good manufacturing and marketing practices for the finished product.

The “Seafood Cuisine” Diploma is part of the plan to support the reactivation of the economy in the beach area of the South of Guatemala. The Economic Development Strategy for Fishing and Gastronomic Tourism has expanded the gastronomic offer of hotels, restaurants, and dining rooms in the beach area of the municipalities of Iztapa and Sipacate, Escuintla; Chiquimulilla, Santa Rosa; and San Andres Villa Seca and Champerico, Retalhuleu.

By Fundazucar Uncategorized economic reactivation, fundazucar, gastronomic diversification, seafood, tourism, turism 0 Comments

17 Jun

Fundazucar celebrates 32 years of promoting health, education, and development on the South of Guatemala

Fundazucar celebrates 32 years of promoting health,

education, and development on the South of Guatemala

32 years ago, the Guatemalan Sugar Industry joined forces and created the Sugar Foundation -Fundazucar-, which was born as the dream of a group of visionary businessmen who bet on education to promote development on the South of Guatemala.

Fundazucar is the social arm of the Guatemalan Sugar Industry, since 1990 it promotes the integral development of the communities, working with women, youth, health workers, teachers, community leaders and municipal authorities as agents of change.

At the Guatemalan Sugar Industry, we celebrate the 32nd anniversary of Fundazucar, which believes in development through training, an example of which is Better Families, a model that promotes Food and Nutritional Security, self-esteem, self-management and leadership in women, as agents of change for the development and well-being of their families and their communities and has trained more than 532 thousand women.

The program has been so successful that it was implemented in Honduras and is currently being adopted by the municipalities of Escuintla, Masagua, La Gomera, La Democracia, Tiquisate in the department of Escuintla, as well as in San Lorenzo and San Jose el idolo, in Suchitepequez.

During these 32 years, the Sugar Foundation has provided training to thousands of people and has contributed to the development and well-being of the communities with comprehensive community development plans and the preparation of technical projects for the construction of drinking water systems. and drains.

Fundazucar has also facilitated access to health for thousands of people through specialized clinics located in Escuintla.

Thanks to the commitment and effort of the team of social managers who bring training and development to remote communities on the South of Guatemala, Fundazucar has positioned itself as an example and benchmark in community development projects at a national and international level.

We congratulate Fundazucar on its 32nd anniversary and the leaders who had the vision to create the social arm of the Guatemalan Sugar Industry.