Vida is the Spanish word for life. VIDA was conceived after community leaders in Totonaca approached the Himalayan Institute about the epidemic levels of diet-related disease sweeping the region. The VIDA project is about restoring the opportunity to lead a healthy life, free from obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. We believe that access to good nutrition is a basic human right, and that no one should be unable to afford the cost of eating healthy.
"During my college time, I did social work at indigenous communities in Campeche and Yucatan states including the business analysis of a honey production cooperative. For me, this was a very decisive moment of my life. Working together to improve the lives of the many indigenas in Sierra Norte is our main purpose. Mexico needs help, and we are now prepared to give this help. Every small action counts for humanity."
"My inspiration to pursue agronomy in the local university came from being the son of farmers. Since I was a child, my parents taught me to work the land with respect for the harmony of nature. This kind of knowledge is cultural and is transmitted from generation to generation. I feel proud that the farmers and students we train go on to practice on their own land and become leaders in their communities."
A specialist in family health and nutrition, Victor has been working with indigenas communities since 1991.
Some of VIDA's nutritional counselors are sons and daughters of Totonaca. They've joined the team in order to give something back. Others are students of public policy or social development from nearby cities. All are citizens of Mexico, trained at our agricultural center in Jonotla.
The Himalayan Institute is a non-profit, international organization dedicated to serving humanity through educational, spiritual, and humanitarian programs. Rural empowerment has been the core of the Institute’s humanitarian mission for more than 40 years. Its projects seek to stimulate lasting social regeneration at the grassroots level through integrated programs in vocational training, healthcare, and sustainable agriculture. The Himalayan Institute's projects in Mexico are overseen by the community center in Jonotla, Puebla.
