Forging links for 5k farmers in Peru & Nicaragua

At MEDA, we believe in using proven business solutions to overcome poverty. With your support, we are able to carry out this important work and also follow-up with our clients to ensure their success sustains beyond the project.

Thanks to your generous gift, rural farmers are forging links to gain better access to farming supplies and technology, enabling them to increase yields and income opportunities – the makings of sustainable future for their family.

Sarah French, a MEDA impact assessment intern in Nicaragua, met with Techno-Links clients and business partners at the end of her internship to learn how MEDA’s work is positively affecting their communities and what can be done to improve the project in the future. Read below to see how your donation is changing lives…

Sarah’s Update from the Field: Coming together for the first and last time

The Techno-Links Project has manifested a connection between private businesses and small rural farmers within a time span of just three years to encourage sustainable agricultural development.

I had previously met the private businesses and farmers individually when I conducted interviews with them on behalf of MEDA. However, the dynamics of the Techno-Links project meeting in March were astounding because all ten Nicaraguan private companies came together for the first time to share their ideas.

The goal of the two-day meeting was to express the positive effects and outcomes, as well as suggest improvements for the Techno-Links project. I presented my findings from a Case Study I conducted in November on one of our partners, The International School of Agriculture and Livestock, and discussed outcomes of farmers from the agricultural business partners. This helped to launch the dialogue for the day on the strengths of the project and also what needs to be improved.

Afterwards, an activity to explore these impacts further proved extremely useful. A large brown sheet of paper was taped to the front wall with the headings: Design, Efficiency, Effectiveness, Impact, and Sustainability. Crosscutting these were subtitles that read: Successes, Potential, Setbacks, and Barriers. Companies were divided into groups to work together and each group recorded their ideas, likes and concerns of the project, fitting them into the appropriate categories. Each idea was expressed as a group and each was described in detail with a conversation to follow

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Bringing together key stakeholders to share the impacts of the Techno-Links project is one example of the collaborative process involved across many MEDA projects. It helps to ensure we are taking the right approach to our economic development work and that our clients always remain at the focus of what we do.

We hope Sarah’s reflection on the recent activities of the Techno-Links project shows another way your generous donation is unleashing entrepreneurship and creating better livelihoods for rural farmers and their families. From all of us at MEDA, thank you making this work possible!

At MEDA, we really enjoy bringing back stories of how our work, made possible by your support, is making a difference the lives of clients around the world. A big THANK YOU for your generosity toward the Techno-Links project. As a token of our appreciation for your generous gift, we'd like to share their stories.

Stefanie Santana and Sarah French, our MEDA interns in Peru and Nicaragua, are visiting Techno-Links clients and partners to see the impact MEDA’s work is having on their families and communities. Read on to see how your donation is changing lives…

Stefanie’s Update from the Field: Winds of change

A month ago, I started the most demanding but amazing part of my internship. I was assigned to conduct final interviews to Techno-Links farming clients in Peru, visiting almost 10 different cities all over the country. I consider myself very lucky as I got to see that our work in Techno-Links is actually bringing a REAL positive change into clients' lives. Gaining access to agricultural technology and training has been a great step towards modernity and profitability.

For example, farmers who are members of CAC Divisoria in Tingo Maria are able to prevent plagues and improve their coffee crops by using ecological fertilizers. In Piura, farmers working with Hualtaco have improved their revenue as their banana crops improved in quality thanks to agricultural techniques never used before in their communities. In Moyobamaba, members of Aproeco are able to add value to their coffee thanks to an industrial toaster machine.

These facilities have created a feeling of empowerment in farmers and as such, their aspirations have grown ­– they want to become the best in their region, export their products and compete with the biggest in the market. It was the effect Techno-Links aimed to create, to give that little push for them to reach new and greater markets.

Personally, it was very rewarding to meet these farmers. I will never forget the determination I saw in their eyes, their happiness and hospitality. My heart was deeply touched by their genuine actions.

Sarah’s Update from the Field: 8 Manzanas

I’m in Wiwili, the department of Jinotega, Nicaragua. On the horizon I can see the Honduras border while I’m sitting on a bench outside doing final interviews with farmers. The area produces a large crop of chia seeds and the Central American Commodities Trading (CAC), a Techno-Links partner, has taken advantage of this opportunity. 

CAC Trading is well known for having the most comprehensive program of chia seeds in Central America, with chia seeds being exported to the United States. They focus on giving technical assistance to farmers, and by using MEDA's Techno-Links program, they have been able to reach farmers in Wiwili. 

One particular individual caught my attention today - Jose. Jose produces only chia on his farm, while his wife and two girls work in the household and manage a clothing store. He has been working with the new technology from CAC Trading for one year and has noticed a significant change in his yield of chia seeds.

A year ago he was growing one manzana (about half a hectare) of chia seeds. Today, he has eight manzanas. This is one of the goals that CAC Trading strived to achieve by having farmers adopt new methods, increasing revenues through bothhigher yields and better prices.

Jose said that with the technical assistance of CAC Trading, he has a new market for his chia seeds, a higher production rate at harvest and an improved quality of chia seeds with new nutrients.

He’s happy, his family is happy and that makes me happy.

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We hope Stefanie’s and Sarah’s reports demonstrate one more way your generous gift is changing lives. Thank you once again for forging links by providing rural farmers with better access to farming supplies and technology, enabling them to increase yields and gain new income opportunities for a sustainable future. Everyone deserves an opportunity to earn a livelihood, and your support has helped make this happen.

Links:

• 12 Ways to Say Thank You!
• MEDA's Stories from the Field Intern Blog
• About MEDA's Techno-Links Project