Behrhorst Partners for Development

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Behrhorst Partners for Development

• Our Current Projects

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Partnering with the rural Mayans of Highland
Guatemala in their Quest for Health and Well-being
Our History

• Founded in 1967 to provide financial support for
  Dr. Carroll Behrhorst's work, BPD works in
  respectful partnership with Mayan Guatemalans to
  have a positive impact on the problems associated
  with Guatemala's history of violence against
  indigenous populations, natural disasters,
  poverty, illiteracy and disastrously high rates
  of infant and maternal death.

Dr. Carroll Behrhorst
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Millennium Development Goals
Our Future

• In 2000, the United Nations developed the
  Millennium Development Goals
  
• 1) end hunger and poverty,
• 2) promote gender equality,
• 3) achieve universal primary education,
• 4) ensure environmental sustainability,
• 5) improve maternal health,
• 6) combat HIV/AIDS and other serious illnesses,
• 7) reduce child mortality, and
• 8) develop a global partnership for development.
  
  
• BPD strives to address these goals through its
  rural health and development projects and by
  partnering with international and local
  organizations.

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Strong Families Centers
Combating Hunger

• BPD has established 7 Strong Family Centers that
  provide nutritious meals to children less than
  age 7 and their mothers, as well as training
  sessions in food preparation, hygiene, and weight
  monitoring in order to track healthy growth.

To date, 255 children and 124 mothers are
attending the Strong Families Centers.
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Nutritional Crops and Gardens
Combating Hunger

• BPD trains local farmers to grow amaranth, a
  very nutritious grain, and Moringa, the miracle
  tree, both of which are supplements that help to
  stave malnutrition.

• BPD helps to establish school, community, and
  family gardens and offers cooking classes and
  training in how to improve nutrition by
  incorporating locally-available fruits and
  vegetables into the diet.

Amaranth farmer
To date, 314 gardens have been established, and
14 farmers are growing these crops.
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Micro-Credit Projects
Combating Poverty

• BPD has established a number of micro-credit
  projects, which are used to start or expand small
  businesses. We have projects already established
  in
• Pig Farming (8)
• Shampoo Manufacturing (7)
• Community Store (1)
• Slaughterhouse (1)
• Corn Grinder (2)
• Macadamia crops (111)
• Organic Fertilizer (Worms and Composting) (40)

A Macadamia farmer
To date, 170 businesses have been started or
expanded.
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Family Planning and Micro-Credit Giving Power
to Women
Promoting Gender Equality

• BPD provides family planning education,
  counseling, and contraceptive methods and gives
  talks about self-esteem, legal protections, etc.

Many of BPDs micro-credit loans are centered
towards and offer training to women, allowing
them the opportunity to establish fiscal
authority in the family.
To date, 75 family planning talks given.
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Scholarships Giving Girls a Future
Promoting Gender Equality

• BPD provides scholarships to rural children,
  mostly girls, to attend middle and high school.
  Educated girls that stay in their communities are
  more likely to delay having children, have
  smaller and healthier families, and earn more
  income.

To date, we have provided over 400 scholarship.
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Building Schools
Universal Education

• BPD works in conjunction with the municipal
  government and partner organizations to build
  schools in rural communities where primary
  education is inaccessible or overcrowded.

To date, our 9 schools will serve 1391 students
and 906 families.
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Reforestation and Fire Prevention
Saving the Environment

• BPD has planted 10,290 seedlings in green
  areas surrounding the villages where we work.
  Onil stoves also reduce firewood use by 75,
  saving lungs, time, and trees.

We have also coordinated training and materials
for volunteer forest firefighters, with programs
in 2 villages, and have plans to expand into 8
more coming soon.
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Rural Health Program
Improving Maternal Health

• We have trained Traditional Birth Attendants in
  how to recognize life-threatening problems during
  pregnancy and birth, as well as Health Promoters
  who provide basic preventative and curative
  health care.

To date, we have trained 81 traditional birth
attendants, and 42 Health Promoters.
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Healthy Homes Project
Combating Disease and Child Mortality

• Gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases are
  the biggest killers in Guatemala. Both are
  exacerbated by poor living conditions and
  malnutrition. BPDs Healthy Homes Project
  consists of

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Clean Water Projects
Combating Disease and Child Mortality

• Most rural families are forced to use
  contaminated water in their daily chores. BPD
  brings running, clean water to entire villages
  through community and family water projects in
  rural Guatemala.

Rainwater
A proud family standing on their rainwater
collection system.
To date, we have helped to bring running, clean
water to 989 families.
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Gray-Water Filters
Combating Disease and Child Mortality

• These filters change wet, muddy yards that can
  become a breeding ground for disease and
  parasites by removing the grease and soap that
  prevents dish water from draining into the ground.

Grease and soap float
? Dirty Water
?Clean water
Clean water sinks
To date, we have provided 436 families with
gray-water filters.
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Improved Vented Latrines
Combating Disease and Child Mortality

• BPD helps families to build economic, clean, and
  sustainable vented latrines that remove bad odors
  and unsanitary conditions.

To date, we have provided 285 families with
improved, vented latrines.
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Onil Stoves Save Lungs and Lives
Combating Disease and Child Mortality

• Onil stoves vent
• the smoke to the
• outside of the
• house and cover
• the flame, lowering the amount of smoke-caused
  respiratory diseases and disfiguring or fatal
  burns that happen when children fall into the
  fire.

BEFORE
AFTER
To date, we have helped to provide 1077 families
with Onil Stoves.
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Rural Health Clinics
Global Partnerships

• With international organizations, BPD brings
  healthcare professionals (dentists, family
  medicine doctors, trained nurses) to rural areas
  for health clinics.

This year, we helped to provide two dental
clinics, giving care to 444 students.
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How You Can Help

• Make a donation. A dollar goes very far in this
  poor country.
  
• Visit our website at www.behrhorst.org
• Visit Guatemala see for yourself the beautiful
  people and culture that need your help.
  
• Sign up to receive our quarterly newsletter.
• Send an email to BehrhorstUS_at_yahoo.com to receive
  a paper copy.
  
• Read about Guatemalas history. There are several
  books listed on our website www.behrhorst.org