Calle Principal,
Sector D-1,
Colonia La Esperanza,
Zona 12, 01012 Guatemala City, Guatemala

E-mail:  upavim@itelgua.com

Tlf/fax: (502) 24 79 9061

To order a retail or wholesale catalog of UPAVIM's crafts, please contact:

Mary Joan Ferrara-Marsland
UPAVIM Crafts
12604 W. Old Baltimore Rd Boyds, MD, USA 20841

tlf/fax (301) 515-5911

E-mail:
info@upavim-mayanhands.org

UPA-SOYA

UPA-SOYA – UPAVIM Soy Food Marketing, Processing and Nutrition Education
Program (2006)

In 1999, the women of UPAVIM began talking with longtime friend and advisor Barbara Lorraine about how they could expand UPAVIM in order to create more job opportunities and build long term sustainability for their community service programs. They realized that this goal would call for additional income generating projects to supplement the revenues from their fair trade crafts production business, which already employed more than 60 women and fully subsidized the day care and school, as well as helping to cover costs for UPAVIM’s other programs, including the medical clinic, tutoring program, dental clinic and baby growth monitoring program.

As they considered what types of projects should be undertaken, they also recognized that malnutrition in their community makes worse already evident problems: slow growth rates among the children, rapid decline of the aged and infirm, and increased susceptibility to common illnesses. This vision for social entrepreneurship led to new business projects dedicated to producing breads and soy-based foods, with the goals of providing job opportunities and additional income for the cooperative, while increasing the availability of high nutrient, low-cost foods in their community and improving awareness of family nutrition needs.

By the end of 2005, UPAVIM has already accomplished significant steps toward these goals. UPAVIM seamstresses made Angel pins and dedicated the proceeds solely toward purchasing the lot adjacent to UPAVIM. These pins were sold by Sharing the Dream, a fair trade crafts reseller and longtime friend of UPAVIM, and raised more than $15,000. Construction began in 2000 of the first floor of the Annex creating space for the bakery which was opened in 2001. Barbara and UPAVIM established a partnership with Plenty International, an international NGO specializing in soy foods for assistance in designing the space and acquiring the necessary equipment. The Global Fund for Women, the Palmer Foundation and the Woods Family Foundation gave generously to support construction, while Rotary International’s matching grant program has contributed twice, in 2001 and 2005, with donations coming from four different Rotary Clubs in the United States, toward equipment, training and technical assistance costs. UPAVIM organized a new program committee, the Consejo de Negocios, or Business Council, made up exclusively of volunteer cooperative members, to oversee implementation of these new projects. In April 2005, UPAVIM initiated production and chose the name UPA-SOYA for their young business enterprise.

The chart below explains more fully the sources for different aspects of project implementation, and UPAVIM and the UPAVIM Community Development Foundation deeply thank all parties involved for their contributions, commitment and practical sense of hope during the initial phase of the bakery and soy programs.

Current Needs

The purpose of UPA-SOYA, UPAVI's Food and Nutrition Program, is to establish sustainable soy and bakery food processing and marketing activities that will provide employment opportunities, increase community access to high nutrient low cost foods and support nutrition education services for people living in Esperanza, Mezquital and surrounding communities. These low income communities have very high concentrations of undernourished children, pregnant and nursing mothers and elderly.

Additional funds are still needed to purchase materials and equipment, including a new grinder, refrigerators, and, when production and sales have both been expanded outside of Mezquital, a refrigerated truck. Funds are also needed to meet the costs of technical assistance necessary to make their soy and bakery food processing and marketing operations successful and sustainable. UPAVIM would like to help the project staff to improve their food processing, accounting, quality control and nutrition education skills. Assistance for initial packaging materials will allow UPAVIM to make their products available to the general public. Funding for education materials will make it possible for project staff to carry out presentations for families in cooperation with schools, churches, local community groups and other organizations that recognize the importance of enhancing nutrition awareness and access to low cost high nutrient foods within the targeted communities.

The specific objectives of UPA-SOYA are to:

• Improve the ability of UPAVIM staff to manage and sustain their soy and bakery food processing and marketing small business activities.

• Finalize the product and facility registration and licensing requirements to permit increased distribution of food products in schools, churches, community centers and local stores.
• Provide food processing, nutrition and home economics education services for a minimum of 180 economically disenfranchised families living in La Esperanza and Mezquital.

UPA-SOYA in 2006

1. Five women at UPAVIM have completed 40 hours of soy food processing and quality control education activities during 2005. These women are now making soy milk and cheese twice each week, and including the remaining soy masa in bread that is made at their bakery. Technicians will continue working with UPAVIM staff, helping them to develop all of the skills they will need to successfully manage their food processing activities. A minimum of 4 months of on-site technical support will be provided for project staff during 2006. UPAVIM staff will receive assistance in improving processing, sanitation and quality control procedures, and in developing marketing and small business management skills. The Soy and Bakery staff will be assisted in developing high quality breads and a sausage product using soy masa for one of the major ingredients. Flavored soy milk recipes (chocolate, vanilla and strawberry) will be developed and the milk products will be produced and distributed in Mezquital.

2. Staff will develop sales and marketing skills. A one year marketing plan will be developed that focuses on getting the products into the stores and supermarkets in Mezquital and Esperanza. UPAVIM staff will visit, exchange ideas with, and learn from another non-profit organization in Nicaragua called SOYNICA, a women's led organization that has more than ten years of experience in managing its soy food processing, and nutrition education program. UPAVIM will also continue its collaboration with other soy food makers in Guatemala to form an association of small soy milk producers.

3. UPAVIM staff, with technical assistance, will locate, purchase and install the additional pieces of equipment that are needed to successfully operate the soy and bakery food processing operations. All of the equipment can be purchased from suppliers in Guatemala. Equipment purchases and installations will be completed within 6 months after receiving funding for these activities. Staff will learn how to operate and maintain a simple stainless steel milk filling tool, and a cheese/tofu packaging machine. The importance of safety and good sanitation procedures will be emphasized. Technicians will help UPA-SOYA staff to develop written instructions in the use and maintenance of each new piece of equipment, and these will be included in the operations manual that is being developed for the soy and bakery processing rooms.

4. UPAVIM staff will carry out family nutrition and food processing workshops in coordination with Fey Alegría School, UNICEF, the Health Center in Mezquital, Mayan Hands, Niños y Niñas Sanas (a children's growth monitoring program) and others. Staff will use large charts and printed handouts to help participants understand nutrition values of traditional foods and how they can ensure that their children receive the nutrients they need each day. Participants will also learn about the nutrition value of soy food products and methods of including soy food products within traditional foods in order to equip the women to penetrate other markets within La Esperanza and the surrounding communities. This will include tortilla processors, micro entrepreneurs making chili rellenos and other corn masa based foods, bakeries and restaurants.

Results expected

1. People living in Esperanza and Mezquital will have improved access to high nutrient, low cost foods.

2. 4 people will be employed full-time through operations of the bakery and soy food processing operations.

3. UPAVIM staff will improve their food processing, quality control, marketing and small business management skills.

4. UPAVIM will be producing, packaging and selling a minimum of 4 high nutrient soy food products; soy milk, soy cheese/tofu, a soy sausage product and breads that contain with soy masa.

5. Improved purchasing, production, sales and inventory control procedures will be established and used by staff and administrators to ensure efficient operation of the soy and bakery small business activities.

6. There will be an increase in awareness of family nutrition needs among women, men and youth attending the nutrition and food processing workshops.