Adopt-a-Village founder and president Frances Dixon is featured in the Grants Pass Daily Courier on Saturday, April 9, 2016.

Spring is a season of hope. As the ground beneath us begins to thaw, and the warm sunshine breathes new life into the soil, we look to our gardens with joyful anticipation for what lies ahead: lush exuberance bursting from the earth to decorate our landscapes and garnish our dinner plates. For those who live in impoverished countries, however, a garden takes on a much greater significance. Take for example Guatemala, which has the highest level of chronic child malnutrition in the western hemisphere. Many of the county’s poorest children suffer from stunted growth and brain development. Recent statistics indicate that approximately 90% of the country's indigenous population in Guatemala liv