For each week of Lent, The Central Minnesota Catholic will highlight Catholic Relief Services’ work with a story and simple, meatless recipe from a country the agency serves. Place the money that was saved into a CRS Rice Bowl to feed those in need around the world. At the end of Lent, individuals can give their money to their parish or send their donations directly to the St. Cloud Mission Office, 11 8th Ave. S., St. Cloud, MN 56301.
By The Central Minnesota Catholic with materials from Catholic Relief Services
Nutritious meals help children’s growth in Guatemala
Ana Belén and her husband, José, have four children and a baby on the way. They live in a small house in Santa María Chiquimula, Guatemala. Francisco, their 9-year-old son, says his neighborhood is, “a very happy place to live, but sometimes it’s also very hard to live here.” In their community, malnutrition affects over half of the population mainly because people can’t afford to put food on the table.
Almost five years ago, when the COVID-19 pandemic started, José lost his job as a driver, creating serious challenges for the family. Even after the pandemic, things never went back to normal. Food prices went up and eggs became twice as expensive. Bad weather made things worse — strong rains damaged the crops, causing the prices of vegetables, including tomatoes, onions and corn to go up.
When Ana Belén went to the market, the little money she had wasn’t enough to buy even the basics. “Sometimes I would cry because I didn’t have anything to give my children,” she says.
Now the family participates in a Catholic Relief Services project. Through the project, Ana Belén goes every other week to her children’s school to receive food such as corn, beans, rice, vegetable oil and eggs. “It made me happy when they started giving me eggs,” she says.
Her children really like eggs, especially hard-boiled with beans, so they make sure to remind their mom when it’s time to pick them up. The family now eats nutritious meals every day. She also makes sure to take her children for monthly health check-ups, as part of the project.
Pictured above: Ana Belén Mulul Yat, 27, and her son, Joseph Gael Joj Mulul, 1, receive vegetables from a producer in Pacacja Centro, Santa María Chiquimula, Guatemala. Producers and families who live in the community participate in Catholic Relief Services’ Learning For Life project, which is financed by the United States Department of Agriculture’s McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program., which buys from local producers to supply quality food to schools where children are participating in the program to fight hunger and food insecurity. (Photo by Oscar Leiva/Silverlight for Catholic Relief Services)
Black Bean Soup — Guatemala
Black bean soup is a dish made with black beans, vegetables, and spices, and is often enriched with ingredients like tomatoes, onions, garlic and cilantro. In Guatemala, it is a traditional dish due to its nutritional value and the local availability of beans.
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups water or vegetable broth
- 3 cans (15-ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 1 green chili, diced
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 2 tsp. chili powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- Cilantro, minced (optional)
In a large pot, sauté onion and garlic in oil until brown. In a blender, combine 1 cup of water/vegetable broth and 2 cans of beans. Blend until smooth. Add to onion mixture. Stir in tomatoes, chilis, remaining beans, spices and remaining water/broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve with cilantro.
Eating a simple meal during Lent helps us reflect on the hunger that many people face worldwide. Make a Lenten donation to help ensure all the members of our global family have access to enough nutritious food.