From
mountainside crop
to street-corner snack
Edwin Leónidas should be in class,
but has been asked to guide visitors. He strides with
swift, nimble steps over the uneven terrain of Conchabón
Village, in the Saraguro Valley of southern Ecuador.
The thin air and rugged topography of this Andean locale
slow the visitors. The slim, darkhaired 10-year-old
stops, turns, and smiles back at them. He is born to
this place and, along with the 16 or so classmates of
Conchabón’s one-room primary school, Escuela
Fiscal Mixta “Panupali,” his health and
nutrition benefit daily from a national school lunch
program. The fare comprises a hefty plate that may include
rice, tuna fish, beans, and peas served with milk or
even cookies for dessert. For the last three years,
the main course more often than not features Aychasara,
a quality protein maize (QPM) variety developed using
CIMMYT maize sources. |
