Category: Our Favorites
Guatemala is touted as the birthplace of chocolate, with the Mayans worshiping the cacao tree and calling chocolate the “food of the gods.” Doña Sonia lives in the town of Santa Ines, a small village just outside of Antigua. [...]
¡CELEBRAMOS! Thank you for making Noche de Colores such a success! On May 16, 2019 we celebrated a spectacular Night of Colors – NOCHE DE COLORES – filled with the flavors, music, and fun of Guatemala! Those who have [...]
Local celebrity chef and author, Amalia Moreno-Damgaard has been serving on the Common Hope Executive Board since 2010. A Guatemalan, she understands, intimately the beauitful culture of Guatemala. Gratefully, this year she is again creating the menu [...]
A rural Mayan village San Rafael El Arado is a small, Mayan village located around 40 minutes north of Antigua, Guatemala. In this rural area living conditions are difficult - health care services, education, electricity, and clean water are [...]
We had so much fun hosting four "Back-to-School" festivals in New Hope, Antigua, San Rafael and San Miguel Milpas Altas in the month of January. It is a favorite time of year for many Common Hope staff and volunteers. [...]
Every 1st of November, Guatemalans celebrate Día de Todos los Santos (All Saints Day) also called Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in some parts of Latin America. Día de Todos los Santos is a very special [...]
Sadie, an 11-year-old at Minnewashta Elementary, won an award for community work at her school. That award included prize money. Instead of buying something for herself, Sadie decided she wanted to make a difference. That decision led her on [...]
Worry dolls (also called trouble dolls; in Spanish, Muñeca quitapena) are small, hand-made dolls that originate from Guatemala. According to legend, Guatemalan children tell their worries to the Worry Dolls, placing them under their pillow when they go to [...]
Today we are in the Common Hope kitchen making a very tasty traditional Guatemalan dish called Jocon [huh-cone]. Jocon is a blended green chicken stew, made from tomatillos, green tomatoes, green peppers, and a variety of other green vegetables [...]
