In 2003 Global Bridge began collaborating with the Earth Trust Foundation in funding and expanding a program for building corn silos in Casaca, Guatemala. It is administered by Afopadi, a local NGO in Guatemala. The program benefits this traditional Mayan village which suffers from extreme poverty, malnutrition and even starvation due to prior war-time losses of many men and poor agricultural practices and resources.
Global Bridge expanded the program for building community silos for large-scale storage of corn, as well as home silos, where individual families could store personal supplies of grain. Prior to this initiative, without the silos, stores of grain would be eaten and infested by rodents leading to many months where the primary source of food was not available. A factory was established to manufacture both communal and individual silos. In addition, training was provided to locals on how to construct these silos.
In 2005 there was a hurricane that destroyed virtually all of the corn crops in Guatemala, including those in Casaca and the surrounding region. What little corn was available for consumption had to be transported from distant regions at triple the usual price. However, with the corn silos available, villagers were able to preserve much of their food after this devastating natural disaster, no doubt saving many lives during the winter season of that year.
Global Bridge continues to provide strategic guidance and financial support to build the silos to help keep corn available to the community throughout the winter season.