In honor of UN International Day of Families, we wanted to highlight the story of Diego and Dolores from the Agros Community of Villa Hortencia, Guatemala. This year’s International Day of Families theme is “Ensuring Work/Family Balance.” This means sharing the workload equally among family members, as well as focusing on family time and relationships. Diego and Dolores, along with their many children, set an example of family cooperation and hard-working spirit for all of the families that they encounter in their community.
Before becoming a part of the community of Villa Hortencia I, life for Diego and Dolores’s family was very different. Diego only planted corn and beans because he had no knowledge of the benefits of crop diversification. As is the case for many rural families before partnering with Agros, he relied on only subsistence farming – a risky practice that requires a huge amount of work for a small return and makes long-term growth nearly impossible. After joining the Agros community of Villa Hortencia I, Diego had the opportunity to be trained by Agros on sustainable farming techniques; he can now grow corn, beans and peas more efficiently and profitably. Diego has also attended various workshops on crop diversification and management, which have provided him with even more ways to support his family.
These agricultural workshops been immensely helpful for Diego and his family, but he and Dolores have also gotten involved in other training programs. The sessions Diego has attended have inspired him to become the president of the education committee. Today, Diego works hard alongside the teachers in his community to provide a better learning environment for both the children and the adults.
Dolores has also become empowered to provide for her family in new ways through her participation in various trainings. She recently participated in a dress-tailoring workshop, along with training on family nutrition and community banking. In addition to helping her husband with the snow pea crop, Dolores is involved with the community bank of Villa Hortencia I. With the support of her younger children, she is raising 12 sheep, 7 goats, 2 cows and 1 horse. Dolores is very grateful to Agros for their workshops, which have allowed her to take better care of her family. Reflecting on her experiences Dolores said, “I am so grateful to Agros for training me in nutrition. Now I can prepare healthy meals for my children such as making cheese from goat milk.”

Diego and Dolores are blessed with 5 sons and 4 daughters. Their oldest three children- Felipe, Gaspar and Maria – are married, and live in the community with their own families. Felipe has been trained by Agros to become a baker, and is developing and perfecting his skills in order to provide for his family. Diego and Dolores’ 6 younger children are still working hard to finish primary school. At 13, Pedro is just finishing 6th grade, while Emilia, a year younger, is in 5th grade. At 9 years old, Laura is in second grade, and Felix, a couple of years younger than her, is in first grade. Juan is in kindergarten, and their youngest, Lety, is 2 years old. Diego and Dolores have set a powerful example by raising their children to understand the importance of education and diligence.
This family participates in many projects within their community, and the rest of the community looks to Diego and Dolores as active leaders and role models. The whole family works very hard and shares responsibility — a perfect example of the kind family that the International Day of Families wishes to encourage throughout the world. Holistic relational and family development is a central component to Agros’s mission. Thank you for joining with us in celebrating and supporting families like Diego and Dolores’, who continue to inspires us with their stories of hard work and dedication, not only on the International Day of Families, but every day of the year.

From the Field


Nathan Hawkins: Service Team Program Manager

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Kevin Pepper: Director of Programs
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'Skip' Li / Agros Founder
Christina Cummings: Program Officer
After being recognized for our innovative work relieving rural poverty, I am excited to share that Agros has wrapped up a very successful two-year collaboration with the World Bank. In 2008, Agros was selected along with 100 other winners from a pool of over 1,800 applicants to receive $200,000 from the
David Carlson: Donor Relations National Director









Kathie Delph: Director of Resource Development
Young Yamileth recently told me about her life in Siempre Viva, a name the families gave to themselves, which translates to Always Alive. While there’s no electricity, “lack of access to water is the hardest part about living here,” says Yamileth. “There are no latrines, which means we have to relieve ourselves in the local river – the same place where we bathe and fetch water to cook and to drink.”











