For my next trip to Guatemala I have two main goals. One is to try and get a small start on the water system for Nueve Puntos and Los Encuentros. That project could cost up to $25,000 so it will probably be done in a few phases. The other project is to start a collective farm for the Widows of Chel.
Purchasing land for a garden is like the long standing proverb ,”give a man a fish and tomorrow he will be hungry teach him how to fish and he can feed hmself”. Each month we have been giving $320 worth of food to 23 widows. It is easy to see their need and know the free food will help but it is so much better to give them the ability to provide for themselves. With access to land they can do just that and more.
HOW THE GARDEN WOULD WORK
Gaspar Santiago is an excellent organic gardener in the village of Chel. . During the summer of 2009 , he and a committee of three other people are looking for a small parcel of good farming land for “The Widows of Chel.” An acre of land would cost between $5000 to $7500 dollars. This is an impossible sum for widows living on $150 annually but it is an opportunity for us.
By providing land and organic gardening instructions we can share a gift that will give daily for years to come. This will benefit the eldest widows, the struggling moms and a new generation of children.
While targeting widows with young children, 25 to 30 widows will be selected. Each will recieve a 30’x30’garden plot to cultivate. With intensive gardening practices and a year round season, they can enjoy three main harvests. This will introduce a variety of nutritious vegetables into their diet that at present are unaffordable.
In combination with the vegetable garden, we would select 2 widows to raise 40 laying hens which would provide a source of fertilizer for the garden and eggs for sale. Another widow would raise a hive of honey bees increasing pollination and producing honey for sell.
In upcoming meetings, we will be working out the details of this project and are hoping to purchase land and get started the after the first of the New Year
The women who will participate in this program will “adopt” an older widow that is in the food subsistence program. Their “land payment will be to share part of each harvest with these older women. Theresa,(photo on right) the widow with the eggs is over 80 years old and weighs under 80lbs. Maria (phot below) is sitting in her kicthen/bedroom/living room. She has no bed and is surrounded by her only possessions. Theresa is too feable to work but Maria could still assist a younger widow gardening. Both women are now in the feeding program and would be assigned to a family with a garden plot.
The sample garden shown above is my personal garden and measures 30’x40’. It produces more then we can use as well as a good amount to give away. Here we are using raised beds, but in Chel we would use a no-path method to maximize space.
Our goal is to offer each of the selected widows a 30'x30' area.
Shown above is our surplus of fresh vegtables and berries beyond what our family can use. This amount is given away twice a week.
Cabbage and brocolli are good cash crops in Guatemala. A cabbage can sell for between .62 and $1.75 each depending on the weight.In comparison these women earn only three dollars for a full day's labor pruning or picking coffee.
This shown above of a 4'x4' bed of bush beans has produced eight gallons of beans so far and is flowering for another round
This "Farm Dream" is a vision on how we can make a sustainable change for these families and help to reduce the worries of the younger mothers who are trying to provide for their children. When basic needs are met, there is then time for education and growth in other areas.
Four of the older women shown above are part of the feeding program. The others are relatives or friends who are helping to carry the food allotment home. The power of community involvement is already evident. Our goal is to provide the vehicle, in this case land, to let them build up their own lives.
Shown above is a typical monthly food allotment for 23 of the most needy widows. By concentrating their garden on vegetables, the participating widows could sell their surplus to buy food and other necessities. A typical garden plot would produce this amount weekly!
(see photo on the right) Imagine these women with baskets full of their own produce instead of a monthly welfare allotment. This is the vision of The Ripple Effect. The land could produce enough for the gardening widow's family,the elder widow and $2 to $5 of income a week. This is a huge opportunity!
By being efficient with a small amount of space and a moderate amount of money we hope to create a huge change. The following is our basic projected budget. If you are interested in helping out with this project please e-mail me so I can keep you informed.This month we have recieved offical recognition as a Washington State Non- Profit. Hurray! President and founder Michael Ewens
Cost of land and fencing $7500
1 bee hive $70
40 hens shed,feed and equipment $500
Total $8o70
Beneficiaries’ 125 people
mewens000@centurytel.net
