Our Programs

Consistent with the goals of the U.S. Strategy for Central America, and in broad alignment with the Northern Triangle Countries’ Alliance for Prosperity Plan, USAID programs in Guatemala seek to address the drivers of irregular migration to the United States, including high levels of violence and insecurity, pervasive poverty, and chronic malnutrition.

Projected investment totals included below represent an estimate at the time of award, but do not ultimately reflect the total funds expended on these projects. Holds on U.S. foreign assistance for Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador will result in reductions to these totals across all USAID programming. In short, the amounts listed represent an estimate at the time of award, but do not ultimately reflect the total funds expended on these projects.

Justice and Transparency Project

• Implemented by: Checchi and Company Consulting, Inc.
• Duration: April 30, 2020 – April 29, 2025
• Total Projected Investment: $29,369,382

The Justice and Transparency Project supports the investigation, prosecution, and adjudication of crimes that drive illegal migration. It addresses the extortion, corruption, economic crimes (tax and contraband), trafficking-in-persons, and gender-based violence by working directly with the Attorney General’s Office and other justice sector institutions. This activity will also develop new investigation and case management models to investigate potential cases of fraud and embezzlement and support the unit within the Guatemalan Prosecutor's Office that investigates and dismantles networks of coyotes, whose lucrative human-smuggling enterprises contribute to illegal migration.

In addition, the project will respond to the challenges created due to COVID-19 by providing technical assistance for virtual hearings in response to social distancing requirements including access to defense counsel outside of court. This includes bolstering information technology platforms, drafting regulations, and protocols that will increase the use of video-conferencing, and electronic communication between justice sector institutions to increase speed and efficiency in case management.

Youth and Gender Justice Project

• Implemented by: Chemonics
• Duration: May 20, 2016 – February 7, 2021
• Total Projected Funding: $37,390,420

The objectives of this activity are to provide support for improved provision of services for victims of violence, including youth, women, and other vulnerable populations, and to improve the Government of Guatemala’s juvenile justice system to reduce recidivism in juvenile offenders. These actions, when combined, will increase the number of prosecutions to support a decrease in violence and impunity. In particular, the project helps the GOG provide juvenile justice services, assist victims of gender-based violence, and strengthen its response to Trafficking in Persons (TIP). Illustrative activities include: assessing and piloting alternative justice models; conducting a “state of juvenile justice” assessment, which will focus on the Protection and Shelter Centers of the Social Welfare Secretariat; supporting the Ministerio Publico prosecutor offices on cases concerning adolescents in conflict with the law, including the adoption and integration of an electronic case management model within the judicial branch’s court management system; and assessing the conditions of and the design of an overall national capacity strengthening plan in the areas of sexual violence, exploitation, and TIP.

Community Roots Project

• Implemented by: World Vision
• Duration: December 15, 2016 – December 14, 2021
• Total Projected Funding: $40,000,000

The objective of this activity is to create educational, athletic, cultural, and employment opportunities for youth in targeted communities in the Department of Guatemala. It focuses on communities not served by USAID’s CONVIVIMOS Project, and supports efforts by the Vice Ministry of Violence Prevention, the National Police, municipalities, community development commissions, and the private sector. The project’s goals are to support 80 community-based violence prevention projects; strengthen and mobilize municipal and national stakeholders and resources to develop and implement municipal-level violence and migration prevention plans; promote the involvement of the private sector (local, national, and/or international) in violence migration and prevention activities; and support secondary violence prevention projects in close coordination with municipal and local authorities.

Urban Municipal Governance Project

• Implemented by: Tetra Tech
• Duration: January 27, 2017 – September 24, 2021
• Total Projected Investment: $46,358,261

The objective of this activity is to reduce the levels of violence in municipalities most at risk of violent crime. Implementation will take place in 17 urban municipalities in three regions mainly along the border regions of Mexico, El Salvador and Honduras, as well as in the central region around Guatemala City. The project has three key goals:

1. Helping ensure that municipalities have strong participative planning and budgeting to improve the violence prevention service delivery processes;
2. Improving living conditions through improved violence prevention services in high- crime, informal settlements; and
3. Supporting efforts so that citizens in the most-at-risk communities are actively involved in municipal decision-making and accountability processes.

The project will implement long- and short-term primary and secondary prevention initiatives targeting risk factors identified in each community and prepare an evidence-based evaluation tool on those interventions to demonstrate to the municipalities and national government the best practices and lessons learned for future violence prevention activities.

Protecting Victims, Providing Services, and Preventing Human Trafficking in Guatemala

• Implemented by: El Refugio de la Niñez (local NGO)
• Duration: February 15, 2018 - February 14, 2021
• Total Projected Investment: $2,196,693

The objective of this activity is to provide children victims of human trafficking integrated care (e.g., medical care, psychosocial services, and education), and legal support. El Refugio will provide outpatient psychosocial support to girls who have left the shelter and implement prevention activities that improve citizen awareness, knowledge and response to TIP and sexual violence. The project will also strengthen El Refugio’s leadership and organizational capacity.

Communities Building Peace Project

• Implemented by: Creative Associates International, Inc.
• Duration: May 24, 2018 – May 23, 2023
• Total Projected Investment: $14,999,367

The purpose of the Peacebuilding Project is to reduce social conflict and violence and increase social cohesion and peacebuilding in Guatemala’s Western Highlands Region. The project will contribute to the Government of Guatemala (GOG) and United States Government (USG) objectives of promoting development, reducing poverty, and reducing irregular migration as per the USG’s Strategy for Central America and the Plan of the Alliance for Prosperity in the Northern Triangle. The project will bring together diverse sectors and stakeholders within communities in the Western Highlands to identify and address the main drivers of social conflict at the familial, community, and municipal levels. The project will seek to address the drivers of social conflict by focusing on four of the general categories of recommendations proposed by USAD/Guatemala’s 2015 conflict vulnerability assessment team—youth and families; governance; land; and extractive industries and natural resource exploitation. Through a rigorous community-based development (CBD) approach, the project will actively engage community members as participants and leaders in transforming conflict, restoring the social fabric, and building peace in their communities.

Integrated Responses on Migration in Central America

• Implemented by: International Organization of Migration (IOM)
• Duration: February 21, 2020 – February 20, 2025
• Total Projected Investment: $33,702,077 (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Regional Program)

The Integrated Responses on Migration project will focus on addressing gaps within the fundamental aspects of the reintegration needs of returning migrants. This will include activities such as the renovation of key reception centers along with the establishment of associated information management systems to register the returnees, develop protocols of return within countries, and those processes to guide operations as the first step on the reintegration process. Policy-level technical assistance will be provided to NTCA governments on reintegration planning, budgeting and assistance, and when applicable identification of gaps in migration laws and codes that could be practically reformed. Institutional strengthening will be provided to enhance national-local government capacity to support integration-related services, including improved service provision of psychosocial care, vocational and technical training skills, awareness of dangers in routes for irregular migration in coordination with education institutions, infrastructure improvements and other potential community-level interventions. Support for government coordination of bilateral/multilateral donor-led efforts on social and economic assistance to ensure proper targeting and coordination of assistance to both vulnerable returned migrants.

Nexos Locales (Local Governance Project)

• Implemented by: DAI
• Duration: June 23, 2014 - June 19, 2023
• Total Projected Funding: $31,294,869

The objective of this activity is to strengthen municipalities to enable them to deliver more responsive, inclusive, and effective socioeconomic development, while reducing local vulnerabilities such as food insecurity and natural disasters. The activity increases the capacity of local governments to raise revenue; respond to citizen concerns related to violence and security, food insecurity, and global climate change; and manage public resources in a participatory and financially sound manner. The activity also strengthens local governments’ ability to deliver basic services and develop and implement security plans, strengthens the National Association of Municipalities and the Guatemalan Association of Indigenous Mayors and Authorities, and bolsters civil society participation in decision-making via the Development Council System.

Communities Leading Development (CLD)

• Implemented by: Catholic Relief Services (CRS)
• Duration: September 21, 2016 – September 20, 2021
• Total Projected Investment: $50,000,000

The objective of this activity is to empower citizens to identify and address their development needs by defining and implementing community development plans. The goal is to support at least 200 communities in Guatemala’s Western Highlands using a community-based development approach to identify development priorities, ranging from increasing access to schools and community centers to expanding drinking water supplies and sanitation services. The activity also engages with the private sector and other donors to ensure sustainable results. It will establish a community development fund to finance social infrastructure, among other projects.

Transformative Action Project

• Implemented by: International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX)
• Duration: August 8, 2017 – August 6, 2022
• Total Projected Investment: $15,000,000

The objective of this activity is to build a diverse cadre of future political leaders in Guatemala who are able to address some of the country’s most pressing challenges. The activity provides opportunities for youth to engage in civic and political processes by increasing youth-led advocacy, civic and political participation, and by building civil leadership skills. This includes training rising leaders in such areas as communication and coalition building, providing opportunities for youth to exercise their newly learned skills. The project will draw on a diverse group of young leaders, including young women and the disabled from across the country. To support youth civic activities across Guatemala, the project will work with governmental, religious, and traditional authorities to incorporate youth leadership and participation into their programs to better engage youth.

Electoral Governance and Reforms Project

• Implemented by: Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS)
• Duration: June 12, 2017 – September 30, 2020
• Total Projected Investment: $11,500,000

The objective of this activity is to support the development and implementation of key reforms and to increase the transparency and accountability of electoral processes in Guatemala. The activity will provide technical assistance, capacity building, and opportunities for dialogue to Guatemala’s Electoral Tribunal, Congress, civil society, and political parties. The project’s initial focus is to support new reforms to Guatemala’s Law on Elections and Political Parties, encourage judicial sector reforms, and strengthen the capacity of the Electoral Tribunal to monitor political party compliance, administer out-of-country voting, and oversee two potential public referenda.

Central America Regional Labor Rights Program

• Implemented by: Pan-American Development Foundation
• Duration: July 19, 2018 - July 19, 2021
• Total Projected Investment: $7,500,000
• Alliance for Prosperity Alignment: Strengthening Institutions and Developing Human Capital

The Labor Rights component will be part of the larger Human Rights and Democracy Project, whose purpose is to strengthen human rights protection systems in Central America and Mexico. This component will be implemented in a time period of three years. It will support Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. The overall goal will be to strengthen labor rights, access to labor justice and decent work conditions in the most needed sectors, including the informal sector.

Working with labor, both trade capacity building and labor rights, is an important part of USAID’s goals to build a more prosperous, secure, and democratic Latin America and Caribbean. The project will be implemented by the regional platform for Central America housed in USAID/El Salvador (E-CAM) and will focus on regional labor rights in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. USAID will focus on areas including improving informal and formal workers’ enjoyment of rights and access to justice; enhancing civil society capacity to advocate for labor rights and monitor compliance with existing legislation; and/or improving governments’ ability to uphold labor rights and/or improve legislation protecting workers.

Feed the Future Guatemala Innovative Solutions for Agricultural Value Chains Project (PRO-INNOVA)

• Implemented by: Agropecuaria Popoyán, S. A.
• Duration: August 7, 2017 – August 6, 2022
• Total Projected Investment: $36,209,098

The objective of this project is to increase agricultural incomes, improve resilience, and enhance nutritional outcomes for small farmers and their families in five departments of the Western Highlands. The project provides technical assistance and training on best agricultural practices and post-harvest management practices, introduces new technologies to improve agricultural productivity, supports the diversification of income-generating value chains, leverages private sector investment, increases access to markets, encourages the production of value-added products, strengthens the management and marketing capacity of agribusiness organizations, and promotes the adoption of climate-smart practices. This project also encourages families to increase the availability of animal protein and high-nutrient crops in their diets to improve household nutrition levels. To strengthen the agriculture and food security enabling environment and foster sustainable rural development, this project is working with central- and municipal- level governments to implement rural development, agriculture, and food security policies.

Feed the Future Guatemala Coffee Value Chains Project

• Implemented by: FEDECOCAGUA (Federación de Cooperativas Agrícolas de Productores de Café de Guatemala)
• Duration: November 16, 2017 – November 15, 2022
• Total Project Investment: $19,000,000

The objective of this project is to reduce poverty through increased agricultural incomes and improved resilience of small farmers and their families in five departments of the Western Highlands, while improving nutrition outcomes. More specifically, the activity seeks to improve agricultural productivity, diversify income generation alternatives, expand access to markets, and increase resilience through implementation of climate-smart nutrition sensitive agriculture.

This activity is based on a market-driven approach with emphasis on coffee associated with nutrition and income diversification activities. Coffee and nutrition-rich value chains and interventions will address key bottlenecks to on- and off-farm job creation in the Western Highlands.

Creating Economic Opportunities (CEO)

• Implemented by: Palladium International LLC
• Duration: January 19, 2018 – January 18, 2023
• Total Project Investment: $69,895,427

The objective of this project is to reduce poverty and improve living conditions of Guatemalans, closing gaps between Guatemala and migrant destination countries, to create a Guatemala in which “economic opportunity” exists and irregular migration is not necessary in order to find opportunities. This project works with municipalities and utilizes the National Planning System in coordination with the private sector to promote trade and investment, mobilize financial services, upgrade productive infrastructure, and improve private sector competitiveness.

Through a market-led approach, CEO grows and expands formal businesses and employment to create income generating opportunities for Guatemalans, primarily in non-agricultural sectors. By focusing on select municipalities in five departments of Guatemala’s Western Highlands, with particular attention given to intermediate and emerging intermediate cities, as well as the department of Guatemala (area with high levels of irregular migration), CEO is benefitting poor and vulnerable populations, particularly indigenous youth (aged 15 to 24 years).

Research Grant to the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

• Implemented by: International Food Policy Research Institute
• Duration: September 30, 2011 – December 31, 2022
• Total Projected Investment: $6,486,334

Three activities will be supported as follows:

1. Government of Guatemala (GOG) efforts to implement the National Strategy to Reduce Chronic Malnutrition (ENDPC) 2016-2019 and increase the Secretariat for Food Security and Nutrition’s (SESAN) capacity to design and implement impact evaluations, data management, and analysis of the ENDPC. ($3,636,899).
2. Impact evaluation of Feed the Future Guatemala rural value chains activities ($792,397).
3. Context and targeting analysis incorporating migration, migration drivers, and monitoring and evaluation of migration outcomes. This effort includes a typology study to determine indicators related to migration ($2,057,038).

Rural Extension

• Implemented by: Peace Corps
• Duration: October 1, 2017 – September 30, 2022
• Total Project Investment: $750,121

The objective of this activity is to increase food security among rural households in Guatemala through the strengthening of rural extension services. The activity will strengthen the capacity of extension agents and community promoters in planning, organizing, managing, and delivering rural extension services. This partnership will provide an opportunity for both agencies to leverage resources to improve agriculture techniques and food security programs.

Climate, Nature, and Communities in Guatemala Project

• Implemented by: Rainforest Alliance
• Duration: February 8, 2013 – February 26, 2023
• Total Project Investment: $41,905,303

The objective of this project is to help Guatemala safeguard its natural resource base through livelihood development, biological monitoring, environmental governance, climate resilience, and cross-sectoral climate policy initiatives. The project is implemented in the Maya Biosphere Reserve, Alta and Baja Verapaz, and the Western Highland Departments of San Marcos, Quetzaltenango, Quiché, and Huehuetenango. The project is working with the Guatemalan National Council of Protected Areas, the Ministry of Environment, and the National Forestry Institute to improve the management of natural resources and biodiversity conservation, build institutional and technical capacity, and strengthen policy and legal frameworks. USAID is supporting the development and strengthening of market-driven, community-level conservation, such as timber and non-timber value chains; promotion of sustainable land use practices and strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; reduction of vulnerability to climate change; and strengthening of non-governmental organizations. From 2013 up to December 2019, the project has achieved sales of over US $154.8 million from timber products, non-timber forest products, and environmental services, including tourism services; maintained Forest Stewardship Council certification for nearly half a million hectares of biodiversity-rich forest; and helped to maintain healthy habitats for endangered species, including jaguars and scarlet macaws.

Strengthening Governance in the Maya Biosphere Reserve

• Implemented by: U.S. Department of Interior (DOI)
• Duration: October 1, 2010 to date
• Total Projected Investment: $9,955,127

The U.S Department of the Interior’s International Technical Assistance Program (DOI‐ITAP) is providing technical assistance to the GOG to strengthen governance of the Maya Biosphere Reserve (MBR), the largest protected area in Central America. Created in 1990, the MBR is impacted by growing criminal activities that severely threaten the reserve’s natural and cultural resources, as well as its economic potential. Crimes, such as drug trafficking, illegal logging, human-caused wildfires, illegal roads and human settlements, wildlife trafficking, and archaeological looting continue to challenge Guatemala’s governance and law enforcement capabilities. DOI and its in-country implementing partners are strengthening judicial processes to ensure enforcement of laws and prosecution of offenders, strengthening field patrols, enhancing public and civil society participation in governance of the reserve, investing in tourism development, and protecting the region’s archaeological heritage.

Biodiversity Project

• Implemented by: Chemonics International, Inc.
• Duration: July 16, 2018 – July 15, 2023
• Total Project Investment: $19,998,471

The objective of this project is to build national capacity to improve management and governance throughout Guatemala’s System of Protected Areas (SIGAP), and pilot interventions in three areas. To achieve this, the project employs a focused strategy that improves conservation approaches through better information on key species and ecosystems, supports national and sub-national policy and legislative reforms, builds capacity for effective enforcement and prosecution, and engages local stakeholders in conservation and sustainable use initiatives.

Lifelong Learning Project

• Implemented by: Juarez & Associates, Inc.
• Duration: March 27, 2014 – September 30, 2020
• Total Projected Investment: $31,317,138

The objective of this activity is to improve the quality of and access to education for underserved populations in the Western Highlands. The activity strengthens local capacities and enables the implementation of bilingual education (Mayan languages and Spanish) in primary schools; supports the Ministry of Education (MOE) to develop, analyze, validate, and review textbooks and educational materials; implements human resource development programs for MOE technical staff, supervisors, school principals, and teachers; supports the MOE to develop the professionalization of teachers’ trainers in higher education programs; helps develop a cadre of teachers that specialize in alternative education programs; and provides basic education, workforce readiness training, and civic engagement training to out-of-school youth. Supporting implementation of quality bilingual and intercultural education, alternative paths to primary and secondary school completion, and demand-driven workforce development training helps increase the likelihood that young people in Guatemala stay in school and are prepared to find and create economic opportunities in Guatemala.

Puentes Project

• Implemented by: World Vision International
• Duration: April 10, 2018 – March 31, 2023
• Total Projected Investment: $65,000,000

The Puentes Project will support 25,000 youth in high migration areas of Guatemala to improve their skills, complete their education, and find new or better employment (including self- employment) in Guatemala. The activity facilitates access to education, employment, and entrepreneurship opportunities while providing youth with basic life skills so that they can actively contribute to their communities. The project works in 25 municipalities in the five departments of the Western Highlands (Huehuetenango, Quetzaltenango, Totonicapán, Quiché, and San Marcos) to reduce migration.

Puentes supports technical education providers (private and public) to provide training to vulnerable youth while also working with training providers to improve the quality of their programs. The activity also works with private sector employers to help them expand their businesses and hire trained youth in areas of high migration. Additionally, the activity ensures that vulnerable youth have access to the social services that are critical to their overall well- being, so that they may take full advantage of the opportunities available to them and improve their quality of life.

Global Communities, Sigamos!

• Implemented by: Project Concern International (PCI)
• Duration: June 1, 2020 - August 31, 2021
• Total Projected Investment: $6,000,000

USAID’s Food Assistance Program will help vulnerable families increase their access to basic food needs through cash transfers. The program will be implemented by three private voluntary organizations (PVOs)—Project Concern International, Save the Children, and Catholic Relief Services—and will benefit 14,500 food insecure households in a total of 12 municipalities in the departments of Quiché, Huehuetenango, and Chiquimula. The program is designed to alleviate the effects of recurrent droughts and the COVID-19 pandemic on the most vulnerable households in Guatemala.

Advance Project

• Implemented by: FHI 360
• Duration: July 12, 2017 – April 1, 2021
• Total Projected Investment: $2,958,010 (investment in Guatemala)

The Advance Project is being implemented in Honduras, Guatemala, and Jamaica.

The objective is to strengthen the capacity of technical training institutions to improve the quality and access to tertiary education for youth. Building on the results of a labor market assessment that identified high-potential economic sectors in Guatemala, Advance supports universities to close the skills gap that exists between the private sector, educational institutions, and youth.

In Guatemala, Advance focuses on the growth sectors related to human capital in the Western Highlands. This program builds the universities’ capacity to bridge well-trained and qualified technical tertiary education youth graduates to fill positions demanded by local labor markets. Through formal partnerships with three tertiary technical institutions in Guatemala, has developed a tailored capacity building strategy to strengthen each institution’s selected degree programs curriculum development, scholarships, teacher professional development, labor market bridging, and expanded access.

Advance contributes to expand labor market access in the Western Highlands enhancing youth employment, reducing migration and promoting rootedness.

Health and Education Policy Project Plus (HEP+)

• Implemented by: Palladium Group
• Duration: February 18, 2016 – September 27, 2022
• Total Projected Funding: $28,594,474

This activity focuses on supporting targeted sector reform and central-level planning and policies in the education, nutrition, and health sectors. The project also supports the development of civil society capacity to undertake advocacy and accountability efforts and promote a policy dialogue among national, departmental, and local stakeholders. This project develops information system tools to expand accountability and transparency efforts in education, nutrition and health through civil society watchdogs and networks, and developed a pilot decentralization model.

Decentralization processes empower local municipal governments to improve health and education services. Educational opportunities, entrepreneurship and/or employment strengthen community rootedness and address the root causes that drive young Guatemalans to migrate from the Western Highlands to the United States, such as lack of health services and quality education and limited employment opportunities.

Global Health Supply Chain for Procurement and Supply Management

• Implemented by: Chemonics International, Inc.
• Duration: October 1, 2016 – November 28, 2023
• Total Projected Investment: $3,250,000

This activity supports the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) efforts to improve the health supply chain’s performance and expand the availability of micronutrients, vaccines, family planning methods and other essential medicines. The activity assists the MOH to enhance the new Central Logistics Unit, work with MOH staff to develop medical supply forecasts at the central and local levels, support the development of a Logistics Management Information System for primary and secondary levels of care, analyze and use essential logistics data to improve the availability of health supplies, and develop and implement procedures to improve storage conditions.

Accessibility of family planning commodities is critical to families managing their desired family size. Without them, the gap of unsatisfied demand among people requiring effective family planning methods increases, increasing numbers of unwanted pregnancies. Families with an unmanageable number of children will be more eager to migrate to the USA in search of jobs and services for their families. Additionally, a functioning supply chain ensures vaccines are available. If the system fails, vaccination coverage will decrease and migrant children could represent a threat for re-emergence of vaccine-preventable diseases in the USA.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Inter Agency Agreement II

• Implemented by: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Duration: April 1, 2015 – September 30, 2022
• Total Projected Investment: $1,450,000

The Epidemiological Surveillance System in Health and Nutrition is an annual national survey that evaluates outcomes of health and nutrition programs. This activity supports the Guatemalan Government’s efforts to carry out a household survey surveillance system using a representative national sample and will continue the transfer of critical survey processes, monitoring and analysis to SESAN (the Food and Nutrition Secretariat).

Chronic malnutrition remains a critical development challenge for Guatemala where stunting rates are the sixth highest in the world. The survey results will help the GOG track its progress on implementing the National Strategy to Decrease Chronic Malnutrition in order to increase health and nutrition throughout the country.

Water Quality Improvement in the Mam Territory and Institutional Strengthening of the Mancomunidad de la Cuenca del Rio Naranjo (Mancuerna)

• Implemented by: Mancomunidad de la Cuenca del Río Naranjo (Mancuerna)
• Duration: September 25, 2017 - September 30, 2021
• Total Projected Investment: $3,000,000

The purpose of this activity is to decrease the incidence of diarrhea and therefore contribute to reducing chronic malnutrition through the provision of safe water and basic sanitation services in Mancuerna’s member municipalities. The activity also aims to strengthen MANCUERNA as an implementing institution so it can develop and carry out additional water and sanitation projects and share the organization’s successful community-based methodology with other municipalities and rural communities.

Breakthrough Action Nutrition Project

• Implemented by: Johns Hopkins University
• Duration: March 4, 2019 – September 30, 2021
• Total Projected Investment: $500,000

This activity helps increase the practice of priority behaviors, such as eating nutrient rich foods, consuming their own agricultural products and better hygiene that improve the health and nutrition status among the Guatemalan population living in select municipalities throughout the Western Highlands.

Breakthrough-Action supports USAID/Guatemala’s Feed the Future Initiative by working with the implementing partners that are focusing on nutrition-sensitive agriculture activities in its Zone of Influence. As both health and agriculture activities intend to reduce stunting, chronic malnutrition, and improve the health status of its beneficiaries, using an integrated approach whereby both sectors reinforce the same behavior change messaging is critical.

Breakthrough Action COVID-19 (Infection Prevention and Control, Case Management and Risk Communication)

• Implemented by: Johns Hopkins University
• Duration: April 21, 2020 – July 20, 2022
• Total Projected Investment: $5,167,328

To combat COVID-19, this activity implements Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) interventions to provide the general public with the necessary information needed to reduce transmission risk (e.g, WASH practices, identification of symptoms, self-quarantine protocols, social distancing, use of face masks). Specifically, this activity will promote better infection prevention and control practices, improved health-seeking behaviors among the general public, and help prevent violence in households exacerbated by the pandemic. The RCCE response will also address stigma and discrimination issues, such as those faced by health workers and by the migrant and returnee population that come from the United States and Mexico.

Improved Health and Nutrition Activity

• Implemented by: Jhpiego
• Duration: July 31, 2020 – July 30, 2025
• Total Projected Investment: $17,700,000

This activity will contribute to the overarching goal of significantly and sustainably improving the health and nutritional status of women and children in select communities of the Western Highlands. To achieve the results anticipated, the Recipient will provide the necessary technical assistance (TA), capacity building, collaboration, and advocacy for institutional strengthening of relevant institutions to increase the capacity of personnel and support for implementation of health and nutrition policies.

Accelerate At-risk Women’s Prosperity Through Productive Value Chains In Latin America

• Implemented by: Rainforest Alliance
• Duration: July 15, 2020 – July 14, 2025
• Total Projected Investment: $7,500,000

The Intervention will integrate a women-centered ecological approach and other gender-specific methodologies, such as those used to address GBV with the Rainforest Alliance’s proven market-based conservation approach--that has been helping people across Latin America build self-reliance and prosperity for decades. This new Women’s Empowerment Business Development Approach (WEBDA) will be validated, adapted locally in three countries, and implemented with leading producer associations and the collaboration of private companies and local governments.

USAID/Guatemala also implements the following activities which aim to contain HIV prevalence in Central America:

Central American Project for Sustaining and Championing the Human Rights Response to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

• Implemented by: Plan International
• Duration: March 15, 2018 – March 14, 2023
• Total Projected Investment: $9,999,961

The objective of this activity is to enable Central American countries to fulfil commitments to implement Test and Start (antiretroviral therapy) and achieve the 95-95-95 goals. In partnership with diverse regional and national stakeholders including governments, civil society, key populations, the private sector, cooperation agencies, and academic institutions, the project will increase coordination, partnership, and reforms, and support for evidence- and rights-based HIV policies, processes, and practices.

Global Health Supply Chain for Procurement and Supply Management for HIV

• Implemented by: Chemonics International, Inc.
• Duration: October 1, 2016 – September 30, 2021
• Total Projected Investment: $4,420,000

The objective of this activity is to provide technical assistance to the National AIDS Programs to support ministries of health efforts in five Central American countries to improve the health supply chain’s performance and expand availability to improve their anti-retroviral supply forecasts, logistics management information systems, and storage conditions in health facilities. The activity assists the ministries of health to enhance Central Logistics Units, work with MOH staff to develop medical supply forecasts at the central and local levels, support the development of a Logistics Management Information System for primary and secondary levels of care, analyze and use essential logistics data to improve the availability of health supplies, and develop and implement procedures to improve storage conditions.

Strengthening Care and Treatment Cascade Project

• Implemented by: IntraHealth International, Inc.
• Duration: August 13, 2018 – August 15, 2023
• Total Projected Investment: $15,000,000

The objective of this activity is to support countries to ensure that all eligible people living with HIV are on treatment and achieve viral suppression through high quality and discrimination free care and treatment services. The emphasis of the activity is to strengthen HIV care and treatment services for key populations (KP) and priority populations (PP) with an emphasis on increasing treatment adherence and improving quality of life.

Sustainable HIV Knowledge Management

• Implemented by: Centro para la Educación y Prevención del SIDA (CEPRESI)
• Duration: October 1, 2019 – September 30, 2024
• Total Projected Investment: $3,000,000

The objective of this activity is to strengthen the ability of five Central American countries (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama) to track UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets through strengthened health information systems on HIV and improved HIV knowledge management among key population civil society organizations, aligned to global, regional and national strategic information requirements.

Sustainable HIV Response in Central America

• Implemented by: Fundación para la Alimentación y la Nutrición de Centroamérica y Panamá (FANCAP)
• Duration: February 28, 2020 – August 31, 2021
• Total Projected Investment: $2,113,898

The purpose of this project is to move Central American countries towards a technically, politically and financially sustainable stage, in order to contain the HIV epidemic and the fulfill of the 95-95-95 goals.

HIV Prevention for High Risk Individuals Activity

• Implemented by: Pan American Social Marketing Organization (PASMO)
• Duration: September 1, 2020 – August 31, 2025
• Total Projected Investment: $15,000,000

This activity will support government and civil society partners in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama to provide comprehensive prevention services targeted to high risk individuals, including but not limited to non-discriminatory counseling and testing services with a focus on strengthening linkage of HIV-positive individuals to appropriate clinical care and treatment.