Incaparina

He biked in and around the Guatemalan highlands city of Quetzaltenango with his saddlebags filled with donated books to barter for an oatmeal-like cereal mix, Incaparina, that an NGO was using to feed nearly 400 children in need.

He pedaled away with four brightly colored bags of Incaparina, a popular cereal mix crucial in fighting child hunger.

People pick a book they want from a list of donated titles, and in return give several bags of Incaparina.

Nearly half the population of Guatemala’s Western Highlands, a majority-indigenous region, suffers from chronic malnutrition, according to the World Bank, and Incaparina is a lifesaver for many families.

On visits to rural homes that get help from 32 Volcanoes’ nutrition programs, Benítez often sees little food on the shelves other than a bright red Incaparina bag, some salt and corn for tamales - or cheap, processed foods that do nothing to prevent stunting and increase diabetes, as well as learning and behavioral disabilities.