By Jeannie Balanda | Executive Director
MayaWorks has funded three new microcredit projects in the mountain hamlet of Xetonox, near Tecpán, Guatemala. Xetonox is known for its fertile volcanic soil which is why most of the projects we fund in this region are for planting crops.
Our long-time artisan partners, Vicenta, Marta and Santos, each received $500 to plant vegetables. Vicenta and Marta, veteran gardners, have used their microcredit loan to plant green beans while their neighbor, Santos, has planted peas and broccoli.
For the next three months the women will care for their plants by watering, fertilizing, and thinning them until they are ready to be harvested. Once harvested, the women will sell their crops to buyers who will export them largely to the United States.
MayaWorks has found that planting and selling crops are lucrative income generating projects but they are also subject to high risk because their success is directly tied to weather. The rainy season has been very heavy in Guatemala so far this year. We are keeping our fingers crossed that these new projects will be successful for Vicenta, Marta and Santos!
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