Women are the primary beneficiaries of our programs because experience has shown that improving conditions for women results in improved conditions for the entire family. Indeed, women participating in the Maya Nut program are healthier, have higher self-esteem and are more concerned with rainforest conservation and reforestation. These women gain confidence that they can solve family and community problems without outside help.

Women who have received training from The Maya Nut Institute have started Maya Nut based businesses, some of these businesses in Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico and Guatemala are already producing finished products for local and international sales.

We offer opportunities for women to participate in designing, implementing and expanding our programs. These women are making a difference in their families and their communities.

The changes in their health, self-esteem and independence are astounding. They are learning to open bank accounts, write checks and use ATM machines. Some are learning to use the internet and some are going back to school to learn to read and write

51 graduates of the Maya Nut Teacher Training Program have gone on to form their own organizations dedicated to teaching women from other villages about Maya Nut.

1008 Maya Nut trainees have formed microenterprises to produce and sell Maya Nut products (ice cream, cookies, cake and cereal) to raise money for their families and communities.

To date, 18 new Maya Nut Producer groups have been formed independenly by Maya Nut Program graduates. These producer groups are producing Maya Nut to sell locally and some are exporting it to neighboring countries.

Twor producer groups, Alimentos Nutri-Naturales, from Guatemala and Flor de Ojoche from Nicaragua have exported Maya Nut to companies in the US, Canada and Japan!

65% of the women who participate Maya Nut workshops have never attended a class or workshop before in their lives.

For these women, The Maya Nut Institute is the only organization investing time and resources in providing them with skills and education they can use to improve their lives and the lives of their children.