Helping Rural Communities in Nicaragua to Flourish

Socorro is a farmer in the community of El Jazmin, Teustepe. El Jazmin is one of the communities we are currently supporting through our partner CEPAD’s five-year cycle of community development. 

Here is Socorro’s story, of the impact your support has had on his life through our partners CEPAD. 

In 2019 I heard about CEPAD on the radio. I heard that they were going to work with poor families with limited resources, in Teustepe communities. So I met with others from the church in my village, and community leaders. We invited CEPAD to meet with our community, and they came to visit us and we became one of the villages they are working with. I was elected to become a PAC (agricultural promoter) in my community, which I accepted. 

Before CEPAD came, we didn’t know how to prepare the land so it produced more crops. We didn’t know how to listen to the needs of our own community. There was a void, because no organisation had come to our community until now. Today, with the training sessions and workshops from CEPAD (such as pest management, soil and water conservation, nursery production) our community have begun to work the land more effectively. We also received seeds, young plants, fruit trees, tools, and help with water harvesting.  My family’s own plot is now producing 20 different crops! We sow and harvest and consume a better variety of crops now, and have a far healthier diet. 

Together now we are growing papaya, cassava, ayote, tomatoes, squash and more. In the future, I want my family plot to be a model plot where others can learn too, and of course I can still provide my family’s food. 

In my role as an agricultural promoter, I’ve trained four other farmers [this is CEPAD’s model of multiplying the impact of their training], and shared plants from my plot with them so that they can improve their own plot and above all, their family’s health and nutrition. 

I feel very happy as an individual, and I feel I have been strengthened because now I can do more than just identify our needs. In the midst of crisis, hurricanes and pandemics CEPAD is our support, our earthly strength. CEPAD is a blessing because it supports families in different ways without expecting anything in return.”