Whilst Guatemala City shines with its expensive shopping malls and gated mansions, more than 2 million Guatemalans live in extreme poverty. 'These people were totally abandoned by the Government with no infrastructure, no education, no health', tells Dr. Rafel Espada, Vice President of Guatemala. 'The last time a government in Guatemala did anything for nutrition, children and social issues was in 1944.' In the worst cases the problems of hunger are painfully visible. But for most children suffering from chronic malnutrition, the symptoms go unseen. 'It is very difficult to make them understand that being short and low in weight is a health problem', explains Claudia Nieves, a nutrition expert.