Catarina is an excellent example of how the Adopt-a-Village gardening program is empowering mothers to better nourish their children, as well as provide income opportunities for rural areas. Catarina Mateo Gonzales is a Q’anjob’al Mayan woman who lives in the small and impoverished village of San Carlos in northwestern Guatemala. Populated by approximately 250 people, there are not many opportunities for work except for occasional field labor. What San Carlos lacks in jobs, it makes up for in natural resources. San Carlos lies in a beautiful valley, with a nearby river flowing through that provides water for the community. Summer months are hot — a perfect climate for growing tomatoes, cucum