Devoted Mother
and Grandmother Goes the Distance
Most families in Maria’s village of San Jose de San Lucas, Nicaragua survive by
growing and selling coffee. But the volatile nature of the coffee market has made
it almost impossible for them to save money and become self-sufficient. It’s the
same for small coffee farmers across Latin America.
Maria is a hard worker, but with eight children — and no husband to help with the
farming, food was always in short supply.
Her family ate beans and coffee for breakfast, and beans and rice for lunch and
supper. The lack of nutritious food was hardest on the youngest in the family, including
Jissel, Francys and Dixon, who often were sick.
But when the grandchildren got sick, there was rarely enough money to get them treatment,
and help was far away. “There is no hospital around here,” Maria says.
After a 20-minute walk to a bus stop, Maria would have to pay almost $1 for each
person to ride to the hospital. For Maria, who used to earn only $6 a day selling
coffee, that essentially put health care out of reach.
The lack of nearby clean water has also contributed to the family’s hardships.
Maria and her children have to make a one-hour trip to collect water. The big red
jug that she carries on her head holds around five gallons, but her family needs
six times that much water every day. So that’s up to six exhausting trips she must
make each day for water!
Maria was desperate for an opportunity to escape poverty and provide better lives
for her children and grandchildren. And, thanks to you and other caring Heifer supporters
like you, she got not one opportunity, but two!
The first came when Green Mountain Coffee and Heifer International helped Maria
and other coffee farmers in her village start a cooperative to grow organic coffee.
After picking, cleaning and drying the beans, Maria takes her café verde (green
coffee) to the co-op, which sells it. Maria now gets 70 percent more for her organic
coffee than she used to earn.
It was a great start — but Maria and her family still needed another sustainable
source of food and income. They needed the simple solution that Heifer International
has provided to empower millions of struggling families around the world to raise
themselves out of hunger and poverty — livestock and training in its care.
Maria began a new chapter in her life this past August when she began her Heifer
trainings. She learned about animal husbandry, nutrition, sustainable agriculture
and other useful skills ...
... all in anticipation of the day when she will receive the gift of either 10 chickens
and a rooster or one pregnant pig.
On that day, the lives of this entire family will be forever transformed.
Very quickly, there will be plenty of fresh eggs for Jissel, Francys and Dixon to
eat each day. For the first time, Maria will have a sustainable source of income
to buy food, medicines and other necessities and to send her grandchildren to school.
This gift, as it has for so many other families in need, will spark a lifetime of
better nutrition, higher income and self-reliance.
Maria knows what a life-changing difference the animals will make. “We will be able
to get more income,” she says. “We will sell the eggs or chickens when needed.”
Heifer is also exploring ways, such as the use of small cisterns and alternate forms
of transportation, to improve access to clean water and lessen the burden on people
like Maria, so they have more time to work their farms and provide for their families.
And soon, as all Heifer project partners do, Maria will get to experience the joy
and dignity of sharing her blessings of hope, health and opportunity.
Just as compassionate friends like you extended her a helping hand when she needed
it most, she will Pass on the Gift she receivesand extend her hand to another hopeful
family in her village.
When she does, she will add another link to the global chain of hope and self-reliance
that kind Heifer supporters like you are building.
And when her grandchildren, Jissel, Francys and Dixon, grow up healthy and strong
and pursue their dreams, they will add links of their own — the impact of your support
will multiply again and again.
