Twice a month, a group of 15 mothers in the impoverished country of El Salvador meet to participate in Mother’s Clubs, a new Convoy of Hope program that educates them on how to provide healthier environments for their families.

“These women come from situations that make it difficult for them to adequately care for their families,” says Andrea Frey, Central America director of Convoy of Hope’s feeding initiatives. “Some are unemployed, 80 percent are illiterate and most simply don’t have the physical resources to sustainably feed their own children.”

Recognizing the lack of knowledge on health issues and lack of education on nutrition and food among Salvadorians, Convoy of Hope initiated the program in June 2011. The mothers are chosen by local community leaders and are typically the most impoverished.

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“We’re going beyond just providing a meal to the more than 5,000 kids we are currently feeding in El Salvador,” says Jim Batten, senior vice-president for Convoy of Hope. “Through this program we want to provide families a sustainable approach to ending hunger in their own homes and eventually in their communities.”

Convoy of Hope provides experts who train and educate the women on topics such as: nutritious cooking, physical development, preventable health measures, microenterprises and even how to create community gardens. During the cooking workshops, the women learn how to cook with the foods that are distributed through Convoy of Hope"s warehouse in El Salvador.

“We really believe this approach to creating healthy, nourished, sustainable families will have a significant impact on these communities,” says Frey. “It’s our goal that these women will become leaders in their villages and share the knowledge we are providing them with others in their community. This program has the potential to change the lives of thousands in El Salvador.”