This paper presents several experiences obtained in the Rural Research
Center of the Solis Valley in relation to community participation pro
grams. The main objective of these projects was to improve the nutriti
onal practices of children in the rural areas of highland Mexico. As f
irst experience, small groups were formed with mothers, fathers, marri
ed couples and teenagers. Each of these groups started a project orien
ted to promote nutritional self-sufficiency. One group of mothers was
successful in assuring the provision of government subsidized milk in
their community. A second group of mothers started a chicken-raising f
arm, but the project failed because all the chicken died in an epidemi
c. The group of fathers started a sheep-raising project as the first s
tep to get a milk-producing cow. The sheep-raising was successful, but
when the sheep were sold each man in the group kept the revenue to hi
mself and the group disappeared. The married couples were successful b
oth in a home-gardening project and in a chicken-raising farm. The tee
nagers were also successful with their home-gardening project and acte
d as 'injection groups '' to spread the project in other communities.
As a second experience in community participation, community health wo
rkers taught mothers how to use locally available food to improve thei
r diets, preparing culturally acceptable food recipes. This interventi
on was successful in increasing mother's awareness of a balanced diet.
A second intervention combined the presentation of a drama (''peasant
's theater'') in order to increase mother's participation in these pro
jects. Evaluation of this strategy showed that mothers increased their
knowledge and use of the promoted diets as compared to those communit
ies in which only the local cook recipes were promoted. In conclusion,
community participation projects have proved to be successful in impr
oving dietary practices of rural families.