3,000 Guatemalan Farmers Graduate from Poverty

Challenge

Alta Verapaz is Guatemala's poorest region; 89.6% of the population is classified as poor and 46.7% as extremely poor. The region also has the lowest level of schooling. 93% of the population is Mayan, who have been excluded from opportunities for advancement. There is no salaried employment, so farmers who choose to stay in their communities rather than migrate have to create their own jobs. Women have much less schooling than men and suffer from inequality and a lack of opportunity.

Solution

Farmers grow high-quality Arabica coffee, but are poor because they have low productivity and don't husk their coffee. SID will help them double their productivity, husk and sell their coffee for a higher price, and make better business decisions. We will also help them conserve their mountainside land from erosion and provide special assistance to women so they play an equal role in the family business. Farmers will reclaim 221 hectares of land and increase income from $200 to $700 a year.

Long-Term Impact

SID's project will help 3,000 families build successful farming businesses and graduate from poverty. Farmers will conserve the natural resources upon which their farm-enterprises depend, and women will play an equal role in building these businesses or start other businesses. This will create prosperous rural communities where parents won't need to leave their families for jobs in the city or another country and where they can afford to send their children to school.

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).

Resources