How We Work
Over 70% of the children in rural Guatemala are malnourished.
As a registered Guatemalan non-profit and a licensed provider of primary medical care and health education, we partner with the Guatemalan Ministry of Health and ten government clinics in the department of Chimaltenango. These clinics monitor the growth and health of every baby in the region.
Any baby suffering from severe malnutrition is referred to Casa Tabito to join our nutrition program.
Our Approach
We’ve developed a proven model to end the malnutrition crisis in rural Guatemalan villages, and children are not only surviving — they’re thriving. Casa Tabito receives the most severe malnutrition cases in the entire region and maintains a survival rate of over 98%.
What makes Casa Tabito different is our commitment to family and community. We do not remove babies from their homes. Instead, we provide intensive outpatient care, empowering mothers to revive their own children with the support of our team. Our medical staff and construction crews are proudly Guatemalan, creating a solution that is both local and lasting.
Casa Tabito takes a holistic approach, providing the following until the child turns five years old:
Quality Medical Care
Care is provided by two pediatricians, two nurses, a physical therapist, speech therapist, psychologist, and pharmacist. We also partner with other organizations to cover surgeries and specialized care beyond our primary services.
Community Health Education
Mothers commit to weekly classes.Topics include breastfeeding, infant care, and health promotion, with lessons aligned to their babies' development. To ensure lasting impact, our nurses visit families in their homes to see how mothers are putting their new knowledge into practice.
Mother Discipleship
We don’t trade acts of mercy for true discipleship. Our mission goes beyond reviving a child’s physical health — we’re also restoring a mother’s sense of worth. We remind her that she is a child of God: seen, loved, and not alone. Each mother is invited into a five-year discipleship journey that includes weekly Bible studies and monthly gatherings for worship, community, and encouragement.
Essential Home Improvements & Disease Prevention
We ensure every baby in the program has a safe, healthy home. Every family receives a water filter and clean-air stove, then we tailor additional improvements as needed — from locking doors and cement floors to proper sanitation. In the most severe cases, we build brand-new block homes, always constructed by local men in need of work.
Nutritional Services
Mothers receive educational classes, lactation counseling, and personalized care plans. In severe cases, we provide infant formula until 1 years old to ensure consistent, healthy growth. Children ages 1–5 also receive regular food deliveries to supplement their diet with vegetables, beans, eggs, and meat.
Not Your Traditional Charity
Traditional Malnutrition Aid
01 Inpatient Hospital with visiting hours for the mothers
02 Operational focus is solely on medical care
03 Daily operations by foreigners, with construction done by visiting volunteer groups
04 Ends when the missionaries or foreign founders move away
05 Spend up to 35% of donations on administrative costs and fundraising
Casa Tabito
01 Empowers the mother to revive her own baby with intensive outpatient care
02 Combines life-saving treatment with holistic care & disease preventing home improvements
03 Daily operations by Guatemalans, with construction done by local men fighting to provide for their families
04 Sustained by locals
05 A group of private donors covers all administrative expenses — 100% of your donation goes directly to programs that save and strengthen malnourished children
A Lifelong Promise
Our program typically lasts until the child turns five years old – at this milestone we graduate the child healthy and thriving! However, some children from our program may be diagnosed with a chronic medical condition or disability. These children then enter our Gems program so we can partner with them for their lifetime. The Gems Program provides: Weekly medical care, a 24/7 on-call pediatrician, weekly physical therapy, home care by our nurses, speech therapy and comprehensive medical plans that include any surgeries, medications, or nutritional services required.
These children are treasured at Casa Tabito, that is why we call them our Gems.
Most of the children referred to Casa Tabito were on the edge of life.
Their mothers often reflect on what could have been — what if we were visiting graves instead of holding our babies?
See for yourself.