Programa de Acciones Integradas de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional del Occidente (PAISANO): Lessons Learned Report

Save the Children (SC) was awarded the six-year, Programa de Acciones Integradas de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional del Occidente (PAISANO)/ Western Highlands Program of Integrated Food and Nutrition Security Actions by USAID/Food for Peace (FFP) in August 2012. SC implemented the program in partnership with Project Concern International (PCI), to reduce food insecurity among the most vulnerable rural households (HHs) in three departments of the Guatemalan Western Highlands. 

The PAISANO program made important contributions to improving the food security of 32,200 vulnerable beneficiaries as reflected in the program’s final evaluation and FY19 annual indicator achievements:

• The final evaluation showed a statistically significant decrease of 5 percentage points in the prevalence of stunting for children less than 5 years of age.
• The final evaluation also showed significant reduction of 29.4 percentage points (from 44.2% to 14.7%) in the prevalence of poverty (people living on less than US $1.25/day). 
• The percentage of HHs using an improved source of drinking water increased by 20.3 percentage points (from 21.5% to 41.8%).
• There was a statistically significant increase of 10.3 percentage points (from 50.2% to 60.5%) in the percentage of farmers who used at least three sustainable agricultural practices in the past 12 months.
• The final evaluation showed a significant increase of 25.6 percentage points (from 22.1 to 47.7) in the prevalence of children 6-23 months of age receiving a minimum acceptable diet (MAD). 

This report presents key lessons learned from Save Children’s experience implementing development food assistance in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, that are relevant for future programming.