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