Radha and Seyi are taking you to Guatemala this week, a mountainous country in Central America where almost half of the population has Indigenous roots. They discover a project called Buena Semilla, which is using women’s circles to empower Indigenous groups and reconnect them with traditional Mayan concepts of wellbeing.

They meet the founder, Anne Marie Chomat, and local project coordinator, Sadi Garcia. Sadi, who has Mayan K’iche’ origins, is one of the people who leads the circles, which reach more than 300 women across Guatemala every week.

Developing Mental Wealth is a six-part series about community-based solutions to mental health issues, in parts of the world where circumstances can be the most challenging. The series is funded by the European Journalism Centre, through the Solutions Journalism Accelerator. This fund is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

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Producer: Anna Staufenberg

Executive Producer: Samantha Psyk

Mixing & sound design: Anna Staufenberg

If you’re affected by the issues covered in this episode, in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org. 

For more information on Buena Semilla, go to buena-semilla.org.

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