Seeds and Skills for Women to Grow Vegetables

Hi folks,

This month’s update comes from our longtime partnership with Habitat for Humanity in Guatemala, who you may remember from our {previous report}. Their newest project, Calanté Produces, aims to promote the livelihoods and nutrition of women and their families in poverty conditions through the growing and selling of vegetables. They aim to accomplish this with the construction of a 580 sq. ft. greenhouse, distribution of seeds, and training in biopreparations and agroecology for soil conservation and increased vegetable production. 

Although the project suffered some initial setbacks from COVID-19 and tropical storms Eta and Iota, Habitat has begun construction of the greenhouse. In the meantime, the 15 families participating in the Calanté Produces project are looking at ways to incorporate the vegetables into their diets and market the harvest to sell locally.

During this initial phase, Habitat Guatemala interviewed the mothers involved to learn their perception of the project. The mothers responded positively and were excited about the addition of the greenhouse. 

Catarina:Looking Forward to Tomatoes

Catarina lives with her husband Miguel, and their three children, María, Juan, and Andrés in the community of Calanté, Uspantán. Miguel works in agriculture, and while Catarina is the main caregiver, she is also very involved in the community garden and the greenhouse. Catarina became involved with Habitat Guatemala five years ago during their Family Garden Project.   During the interview, she proudly walks through the community garden, which is filled with a variety of different vegetables. 

“Since we started our family garden, and also by being part of the community garden, we have learned new ways to harvest different vegetables. Most of what we harvest is what we eat at home. I feel happy to be a part of this project, and to have the knowledge to prepare different vegetables for my kids, too.” 

To our donors, Catarina would like to express, 

“We are very grateful for the donation to build the greenhouse! We are looking forward to the greenhouse, as we would like to harvest tomatoes. Before, because of the weather, we could not harvest them in our gardens. Now, the idea is to not buy them anymore. Thank you for thinking about us, for your support.”

Maria: Awaiting Sweet Peppers

María lives with her husband Diego, and their three children, Rosy, Juan Miguel, and Juana in the community of Calanté, Uspantán. Diego works in the city hall, while María takes care of the children. She is also very involved in the community garden and the greenhouse. 

“Before being a part of this project, our children did not receive enough food to keep them nourished. Since we started our family garden, we now have more variety and their health has improved.

With the greenhouse we are going to improve even more, because we are going to be able to grow tomatoes and sweet pepper. Our community is very cold. I have tried to harvest tomatoes and peppers before, but the cold weather did not allow for them to grow. With the green house, we will be able to produce these for ourselves, saving money that we would normally spend at the market.” 

She continues, 

“We are going to improve our health by harvesting more vegetables. And without any chemicals, everything is organic. We are happy to be a part of this project. Thank you for your  support, for supporting our community that needs it very much!” 

In summary, the Calanté Produces project has been an opportunity for the community to learn the importance of creating livelihoods and promoting nutrition. The families participating in this project can reinvest the profits in garden production while adding to their personal savings. This model allows families to reinvest in themselves and their community, improving their living conditions in a progressive way.

From the participants of Calanté Produces, Habitat for Humanity Guatemala, and Seed Programs International, thank you for your support. 

-the SPI Team

Hi folks, 

This month’s update comes from GrowEastAfrica, our partners in Ethiopia. If their name sounds familiar, that’s becausewe’ve been working with them since 2016 back when they were DBCO, andwe’ve shared some of their story before.

Thanks to GlobalGiving partners, GrowEastAfrica and Seed Programs International are undertaking a project in the Burji District of Ethiopia to implement sustainable processes that improve the livelihoods of women who are establishing new livelihoods after being displaced by violence. Their current project, Birhan Vegetables & Pulse Producers & Supply Cooperative, is also known as the Birhan Ladies Group. 

The Birhan Ladies Group is a fifty-member women’s farming cooperative that was formed after 2,000 refugee families relocated near the town of Mega in southern Ethiopia. The refugee families—all farmers—fled their homes to escape inter-ethnic clashes between two Oromo tribes, the larger Borana tribe and smaller Burji tribe. The Borana are pastoralists, skilled at animal production and its derivative products, while the Burji are farmers who typically produce grains for their diet. For over two centuries, these two tribes co-existed peacefully, relying on one another for commerce and community. 

In 2014, the Burji formed a coalition party that defeated the ruling Borana candidates. In retaliation, the Borana violently forced Burji families off the Ethiopian and Kenyan sides of their land. Burji families fled, leaving their farms and animals behind. Some lost their lives. Families traveled 200 miles to take shelter in the Burji District, their ancestral home. Since then, about half of the refugee families have returned to their former homes, while others remained in the Burji District to start new lives — like the Birhan Ladies Group who are regaining power over their own lives through this project.

In the first phase of this project, the Birhan Ladies learned to farm vegetables, teff, and quinoa on 4.5 hectares of leased land. They prepared the land based on knowledge they gained from GEA training that supplemented their traditional knowledge, sowed their seeds, and tended the subsequent plants with care. After the harvest, food was shared among members and their families, and the remaining produce was sold at the local and surrounding markets. Each harvest not only provides members of the cooperative with more food, but that food is nutritionally diverse. Nutritional diversity is important for providing a more balanced diet for their family's—and the community’s—health and well-being.

However, the project is not without challenges. Unexpected and continuous heavy rain caused seed losses and waterlogging of sapling plants, ultimately resulting in crop loss. COVID-19 restrictions further stressed the group and community, and strained the group’s cooperative efforts. The GrowEastAfrica team quickly implemented training that mitigated the environmental and social stressors and developed a strategy to minimize the impact of water stagnation and waterlogging on the farm. The farmers dug new drainage ditches to divert excess water from the crops and implemented COVID safety standards on the farm to continue their work. 

With GrowEastAfrica’s assistance and the perseverance of the Birhan Ladies, the success of their project remains steady. Crop yields are projected to increase from previous years and community nutrition is increasing. A key to this success is the Birhan Ladies’ confidence. GrowEastAfrica reports:

“The Birhan Ladies have reported improved self-respect and self-reliance. They have improved their status among the community—as producers, rather than recipients of aid. Their model has generated interest in farming, positioning them as local entrepreneurs and trainers.“

Donors like you make continued progress possible. We look forward to the Birhan Ladies’ bright future and sharing their updates with you as they continue to grow. From GrowEastAfrica, the Birhan’s Ladies Group, and Seed Programs International, thank you.

- The SPI Team