Stories

During the Covid-19 Pandemic A Chicken Business Proves Its Worth

At the beginning of 2020 a group of 6 women started a small project to raise broilers and laying hens.  At that point there was no pandemic so the women had no idea of how important this project would become later in the year.  They did know that they had learned about raising chickens from their mothers and grandmothers.

Women have always considered raising chickens to be of triple importance. Young hens produce eggs for eating and for sale. Old hens and males are also for family consumption and for commercialization just like the eggs. Eggs and chickens also raise the nutrition level of family diet. Read more.

ORBELINDO RAMOS: PASTORAL LEADER AND FARMER

Orbelindo Ramos has been active for years as a church leader and for only two years, as a leader in the local association of farmers. Like most others, he lives with his family in the La Majada village and farms land in the surrounding area.

Orbelindo Joined the local agriculture committee and has become a real missionary for organic agriculture practices. He learned to make liquid foliar fertilizers and insect repellants from plants common in his community.  He chose to grow corn and beans from native seeds (which avoid the introduction of toxics and outside chemicals).  He carefully spread and worked compost into his soil and made three applications of his home-made fertilizer to his corn and two to his beans. The result was great crop growth and production. He has recommended these practices to over 20 nearby farmers. Read more.

Vasquez-Sorto: An Entrepreneurial Couple 

  After trying city life, Mario Vasquez decided to return to El Tulito where he had grown up. He asked his father for a plot of land and began to grow basic grains. Saving his earnings, he began to diversify his garden, planting avocado, pepper, banana, squash and lemon trees.  At that time he also noticed Melída Sorto, a hard-working woman with three children. She also farmed her land and produced tamales and bread to sell in the community. They decided to get married.

Then Mario bought a motorcycle and a grill. Now he goes to neighboring communities to sell bread, tamales, and produce from their gardens and orchards. On Sundays, he sells ice cream at soccer matches. Their income sometimes reaches as much as $500 in a month. With these earnings they have expanded their home and paid medical expenses when needed.  Read more.

A Winner Over the Years: Chicken Coops

Over a decade ago when Roy Lara started working in several communities in Chinda one of the things that families wanted most are chicken coops. Coops protect hens and their small chicks from wild animals during the night and make it easy to find the eggs in the morning. Read more.

Providing Drinking Water in Chinda Depends on Luis Linares and Others Like Him

A dependable supply of good water to the Chinda communities is not the responsibility of any government agency. Community members build dams in the watershed near the top of the El Zapotal mountain and pipes to bring that water to each community. Once in the community community members maintain a tank to store the water and pipes to distribute the water to each home. Read more.

Oviedo-Linares:  The Story of A Powerful Family Team

The Oviedo-Linares family has been participating in the SVH program for two years. Says Ulysses Oviedo, “I have learned much about better farming practices from the farmer-to-farmer exchanges. No longer do I burn off my corn fields, and I make my own fertilizer without spending money on industry-made chemicals. Now I grow many more types of crops including potatoes, avocados, chili peppers and bananas.” Read more.