Indigenous maya q'eqchi' healers and midwives in the petén and eastern region of guatemala contribute to community health through ancestral plant-based medicinal practices that can address common…

This Project Grant from the Inter-American Foundation (IAF) provides $125,000 to the Asociacion De Consejos De Guias Espirituales Relebaal Saqe (ACGERS) to conserve endangered medicinal plant species, promote the value of traditional natural preventative medicine knowledge, and strengthen youth connections to community traditions in Guatemala. Funded under the IAF Assistance for Overseas Programs (CFDA #85.750), this two-year award advances the agency's strategic initiative to promote economic and social inclusion and human rights of historically marginalized populations. Specifically, ACGERS will work with indigenous Maya Q'eqchi' healers and midwives in Peten and eastern Guatemala to preserve ancestral plant-based medical practices that address common ailments and support community wellness, especially during health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, in rural areas with limited formal healthcare access.

Indigenous maya q'eqchi' healers and midwives in the petén and eastern region of guatemala contribute to community health through ancestral plant-based medicinal practices that can address common ailments, a vital support when health services are scarce in rural areas. This support for community wellness is especially necessary during health crises like the covid-19 pandemic. The IAF supports community-led solutions to supporting community wellbeing, peace, and security through protecting cultural heritage. This grant will support the asociación DE consejos DE guías espirituales releb'aalsaq'e (acgers) to conserve native endangered medicinal plant species, promote the value of traditional knowledge of natural preventive medicine in local communities, and strengthen young people's ties to their traditions and communities. This grant advances the IAF's strategic initiative to promote the economic and social inclusion and human rights of historically marginalized populations.