Growing connections with Guatemala: Delegation tours area schools

Bemidji Area Schools district and University of Minnesota staff showed school gardens, “second chance” lunches, a new dinner program and more to representatives from the Guatemala’s ministries of education, finance and agriculture.

“We’re seeing if what’s being done here can be of any use to us, to apply it in Guatemala,” Noemi Isabel Solis Fuentes, who works in the country’s public finance ministry, said through an interpreter.

Jeanette Bran Cibrian, who works in the Central American country’s education ministry, said schools there serve healthy meals, but that there’s not wide-ranging standards for school meals like those established by education departments here.

The tour is partly inspired by a proposed law making its way through the Guatemalan government that would apportion more money for in-school meals, especially in municipalities where students are at a higher risk for malnourishment. Tourers said the government invests 10 cents per student lunch there, compared to $1.50 per meal here.

“We haven’t had a law for the last 50 years,” said Mario Domingo Morales Mateo, who heads the ministry responsible for the technical aspects of school meal distribution throughout Guatemala. The new law would help keep up with inflation. “We do not have a school meal program.”

The delegation also was interested in linking local agriculture with school meals by buying foods from small farmers, much like Bemidji Area Schools’ “farm to school program.” They also hope to move away from high-sodium and processed foods.

“They want to utilize their local farmers to help their education system and help their community,” said Tammie Colley, the school district’s food and nutrition coordinator.

The tour had earlier visits in Washington, D.C., and Minneapolis. It also stopped by Kelliher Public Schools on Monday.