By Youssef Rochdane | Project Team
Meet Abigail Quic, one of the Conservation Justice Flow Fund awardees, and her team at SERES. Abigail is an alum of GDF’s Conservation & Communities Fellowship, leading conservation and environmental projects and working collaboratively with Indigenous communities in Guatemala.
In the wake of the 2018 eruption of the Fuego Volcano, many families from the community of El Rodeo were forced to rebuild their lives from scratch. Today, several of these families live in the settlement of La Dignidad on the outskirts of Escuintla, where access to land and livelihood opportunities remains extremely limited. Through the project Women Sowing the Future, Abigail and her organisation SERES are working alongside 15 young women from this community to create new pathways for economic independence rooted in ecological stewardship.
This initiative focuses on developing sustainable livelihoods through the production of ornamental plants grown under the forest canopy. By combining technical training and forest restoration, the project aims to strengthen both biodiversity conservation and local economic resilience, all while placing indigenous women at the centre of leadership and decision-making.
From Vision to Action
Over the past months, the project has begun turning this vision into reality. With support from the grant, the team worked closely with community members to identify 12 ornamental species with economic potential during technical field walks. Together, they prepared and planted 3 hectares of land and established 154 ornamental seedlings using improved planting and root-hydration techniques.
At the same time, the initiative introduced integrated forest management practices designed to improve safety, increase light and airflow, and support natural forest regeneration.
Early Results and Valuable Learning
One of the most exciting milestones so far has been the project’s first commercial pilot sale in Ciudad Vieja. While still small in scale, the pilot confirmed that there is real interest in the ornamental products being cultivated by the community.
Just as importantly, the process has provided critical insights. The team has identified key challenges that need to be addressed as the project grows, including increasing production volumes and strengthening commercialisation strategies.
The project is already creating meaningful change on the ground. The forest area is now more organised and better suited for both conservation and sustainable production. Community engagement has grown, particularly among women who are eager to continue working with ornamental plants and explore new opportunities through flower-based livelihoods.
Looking Ahead
As the initiative moves forward, the focus will shift toward strengthening the foundations needed for long-term success. Plans include organising a second workshop focused on flower production, expanding opportunities for women and youth to participate, and refining products that meet local market demand.
What began as a small pilot is steadily evolving into a community-led model that reconnects people with the forest, builds new opportunities, and restores hope for families still living with the long-term impacts of the volcanic eruption. Projects like Women Sowing the Future demonstrate the power of grassroots leadership and locally grounded solutions for an equitable future.
By Youssef Rochdane | Project Team
By Youssef Rochdane | Project Team
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
