The Plate That Almost Wasn’t

BY: Misty Lopez

In Guatemala, 45.8% of children under five suffer from chronic malnutrition, the highest rate in Latin America (2025 UNICEF Guatemala Annual Report). The effects follow a child for years, shaping how they grow, how they learn, and what becomes possible for them.

Cristóbal is twelve years old and in the fifth grade. In Las Crucitas, a rural community in Santa Rosa, Guatemala, it took a family, a school, and a network of partners to make sure he had what he needed to grow.

Cristobal, a young boy, in Santa Rosa, Guatemala — Cristóbal in Santa Rosa, Guatemala

A Family Built on Agriculture

Cristóbal lives with his parents and two older siblings in Las Crucitas, reached by 22 miles of dirt road and surrounded by coffee farms. His father grows corn and beans and works the coffee harvest each year to supplement the family’s income.

Even with that work, putting complete, balanced meals on the table every day was not always possible. For his mother, Rosalbina, protein was the hardest gap to fill. Meat and other protein sources are difficult to come by on a tight budget, and the difference between a full plate and an empty one can shape a child’s entire growth.

Where the Gap Gets Filled

Cristóbal attends EORM Las Crucitas, a rural school where Fabretto’s Impact Partner Seeds for Progress works alongside the community. The school’s meals are funded through Guatemala’s national School Feeding Program, with the parent association responsible for purchasing food and mothers in the community preparing it fresh every day.

For many children in Las Crucitas, that meal is the difference between going without and getting what they need to grow.

When the Budget Couldn’t Stretch Any Further

In 2025, a cut to the school’s budget meant less money for protein, a critical part of children’s development.

That is when MannaPack arrived.

Fabretto and Feed My Starving Children stepped in with MannaPack Mix working alongside Seeds for Progress and the Las Crucitas community to fill that gap. MannaPack Mix is a fortified food that includes a textured soy protein and dehydrated vegetables, and it is packed with micronutrients that are vital for children’s health and development.

With this support, the portions stayed the same, the recipes stayed the same, and every child kept eating.

A MannaPack recipe being served at the school — MannaPack soy has found its way into Las Crucitas' favorite recipes, from tacos to chow mein, always as the protein.

What Changed for Cristóbal

Since Cristóbal began receiving meals with fortified soy, Rosalbina has noticed the difference. He has more energy to play soccer, to help around the house, and to focus in class. He has healthily gained weight, and he gets sick less often.

In a country where so many children fall behind before they ever have the chance to catch up, that difference matters more than numbers can say.

A Community That Shows Up

A meal is never just a meal. It is the energy to focus. The confidence to participate. The freedom to grow the way every child deserves to grow.

In Las Crucitas, it took a parent association, a kitchen full of mothers, and partners like Seeds for Progress and Feed My Starving Children to make sure Cristóbal had what he needed to keep growing.