Post by Catholic Relief Services

Jennifer was about to migrate from San Antonio Lajas to Zacapa in Guatemala to “try her luck,” like many in her community. But before she left, life took a different turn. A new initiative arrived and with it the opportunity to become a Monthly Interval Resilience Analysis (MIRA) survey taker. Every month, Jennifer visits 21 households. Over time, Jennifer stopped being “the girl who asks questions.” She became part of the inner circle of every household. The one who listens. The one who notices when something is missing. The one who understands. CRS created MIRA in partnership with Cornell University to support communities every month, not just once a year. Annual surveys failed to capture the onset of hunger, the anguish of drought, or the sudden blows of loss or illness. MIRA conducts surveys every 30 days. It tracks events, food security, resilience, and well-being. It was created in response to a fundamental question: How can we prevent a single shock from pushing a family back into extreme poverty? The answer: by listening to them more often and more closely. Read more: https://brnw.ch/21x3PqO