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Introducing El Puente

We are excited to introduce the El Puente missions and research station in Chisec, Guatemala. This is AgInno's new base of operations and ministry in Guatemala and is the home of both our Compassionate Ministries and Agricultural Research work. "El Puente" means "the Bridge" in Spanish and fits our mission to be a "bridge" between the church and communities, between the US and developing countries like Guatemala, between various NGOs such as universities and non-profits, and between best practices in science and agriculture and local families and farmers.

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About

Here at AgInno Institute, we are passionate about reaching people for Jesus by making real differences in their lives via improved and more healthy living conditions, access to water, improved agriculture techniques, and equipping them to provide food and income for themselves and their families. We attempt to develop approaches to help families in a way that enhances dignity and which may be reapplied to others. We "build bridges" between local Guatemalan families/communities with universities, churches and other ministries, NGOs, and government agencies to meet their needs with best proven approaches and new sustainable agriculture innovations. A key focus is the definition of culturally-relevant solutions  to maximize adoption of success models.

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What We Do

Our Work

At the El Puente mission station, we have two primary efforts: Compassionate Ministries and Agricultural Research. Our compassionate ministries projects are focused on providing families and communities with "life improvements" focused on health and quality of life. These include water sourcing projects (wells, water catchment, storage tanks), concrete floors for homes (to reduce disease and promote child development), improvements to local medical facilities, etc.. Our Agricultural research focuses currently on improved corn hybrids and growing techniques and on locally sustainable aquaculture systems.

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Concrete floors for families

The majority of families living in rural communities surrounding Chisec have homes with dirt floors since they cannot afford concrete. A World Bank analysis of a concrete floor program led by the Mexican government showed that providing concrete floors leads to 76% reduction in parasitic infections, 49% reduction in the incidence of diarrhea, 81% reduction in anemia, and between 36 and 96% improvement in cognitive development in children. For a modest investment of $800 per home, you can make a major impact in the life of a family.  So far, we have been able to provide 32 floors in the communities of San Simon and La Planada.

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Water Access

Many communities face a severe lack of water during the dry season each year, being forced to walk long distances to polluted rivers, find caves with water pools, or purchase water in larger towns. We have already provided the village of El Porvenir with a well and are planning a large community water tank. Other projects include water catchment and filtration systems for homes (since there is a surplus of water during the rainy season).  A well costs about $6000, large community water tanks about $20,000, and catchment systems for homes between $300 and $600.

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Corn research

We have completed our first two experimental growing seasons. We evaluated several locally available seed varieties, as well as different planting techniques and fertilization strategies. In some cases, we demonstrated the potential to approximately double yield and/or farmer profit. We plan to replicate our best experimental conditions in a local farmer's fields, then share our learning with and train other local farmers.  Additionally, we were able to test an additional 15 corn hybrids from a Columbian seed company in an effort to define even better varieties for the local climate.

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Aquaculture research

Our tilapia research effort in Punta de Palma, Guatemala, has demonstrated the ability to grow out approximately 1000 harvestable tilapia in a 25 m3 pond using intensive aquaculture techniques. We are currently working with a local family to transition this to a sustainable and profitable business. Our current efforts include reducing energy and feed costs for this system. In 2022, in partnership with Northwest Nazarene University, we installed a recirculating aquaculture system at our El Puente site, which will form the basis for demonstrating family-sized systems that can be replicated using locally available components.

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And partnerships

AgInno also partners locally and globally with other ministries, organizations, and communities to provide technical guidance and consultation on agriculture problems and opportunities. Sharing is a basic tenet of both the scientific community and Christianity. Examples to-date include sponsored research on sustainable fish feed (Purdue University), an appropriately scaled paddle wheel aerator system for reduced electricity consumption (Olivet Nazarene University - ONU), solar power systems for fishpond aerators (ONU), and an RAS system with a locally producible biofilter system (Northwest Nazarene University). We are also at the beginning of a new partnership with Mount Vernon Nazarene University.

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"If anyone knows the good they ought to do, and doesn't do it, it is sin for them."

James 4:17

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El Puente Location

Chisec, Guatemala

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Guatemala Map

El Puente is 175 miles from the Guatemala City airport

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Google Earth view of El Puente

25 acres, house, dorm, pool, workshop, and agricultural land

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Help Make an Impact!

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Image by Toa Heftiba

Make a Donation

Want to join our efforts but not sure where to start? Make a Donation (see below) and let us know which of our efforts you would like to support.

Bring a Team

We would love to have you bring a team to work with us for a week (or more) on any of our efforts. We can host teams up to about 35 people in our air conditioned dorms (with bathrooms with hot water). Teams can also enjoy our swimming pool after a hot day of work. If you don't have a team, you could also have the option to join an existing team on our calendar. Just connect with us and start the discussion!

Help us make connections

We are always looking for new connections with individuals or organizations having skills and experience that we may lack. Just let us know if you have knowledge, experience, or resources that can help us in any of our efforts. We would love to hear from you.

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How to Donate

PayPal

AgInno Institute is an IRS approved 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and will provide receipts for all donations. A PayPal address is provided here.


https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=NGHR7R99YUCJ8

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