Agros Blog

I was recently able to spend time in San Jose — one of our newest Agros villages located in the Matagalpa region of Nicaragua. It was an incredible experience. The last time I was with these families (just over a year ago) they were landless and living on approx $2 per family per day. This averages out to about $.25 a day per person. They were growing single-season subsistence crops on unproductive, rented land. With no irrigation and poor housing structures they were at the mercy of unpredictable weather. They were struggling with hunger, health problems, lack of access to clean water, no work or food security, and a pervasive sense of despair.

Today — one year after starting this new Agros village — these same families invited us to a banquet… a feast of chicken, corn, and other food produced on their Agros farm. It was a feast!

Here is what they’ve accomplished over the last year:

• Temporary houses (with latrines) have been built
• An irrigation system with piped water has been established
• The families are planting 8 different crops year-round during three unique growing seasons
• Proceeds from a recent tomato harvest have been invested into cattle worth more than $6,000
• They are storing the surplus of recent corn production, waiting until the prices go up so that they can make additional profit
• 10,000 coffee plant seedlings will soon be planted in order to increase coffee production
• They took out an additional loan from Agros and built a coffee processing machine and a pump
• Everyone is involved in community development activities, the women are actively involved in leadership, and children now have access to both preschool and elementary school

WoW!!!! Talk about impressive! And they did all of this while also being impacted by Hurricane Felix, which hit in September of 2007. I was (and am) blown away. What a story!!!

These families are representative of hard-working Agros families across Central America and Mexico. They are a great example of how the Agros model enables the poor to develop assets, create security, and slowly but surely work their way out of poverty.

This is Land, Hope, and Life at work! Here are a few photos from this incredible Agros village:

The Agros Development Model enables entire communities to fundamentally break the cycle of poverty for generations to come. With the support of Agros, a group of families from Aduana Dos, Nicaragua, is writing a new chapter in a history previously marked by poverty and lack of opportunity. The following report was written by field staff in Nicaragua:

The families from Aduana Dos, Nicaragua, have displayed an impressive degree of leadership throughout their plantain project. Management skills, accountability, and decision-making have allowed them to grow higher quality crops. The success and growth is impressive.

During this project the families have demonstrated positivity and an entrepreneurial spirit. Seventy-five percent of the families are marketing their crops allowing them to generate more income than originally projected. The news about their success is spreading throughout the region and as a consequence, neighbor communities have started to grow plantains in their home gardens as well. In all of our countries the Agros model impacts not just the village where the model is implemented, but also in neighboring communities as well.

It is important to note how much the women in the community have been absolutely key in the success of this project. They leave their homes early in the morning to sell and market the products in neighboring villages.

“We are grateful to Agros for the opportunity of being part of this project. We have recovered our self-confidence. We can work our land, and most importantly have food to eat with our children.” - Audelys, Aduana Dos.

From my vantage point at 2400 feet, the cloud-shrouded Cordillera Dariense (Nicaragua’s main mountain range) loom verdant, inviting me to dream of times long past when these hills flourished without tracer bullets and land mines wreaking havoc on the hard-working Nicaraguense “cortadores” (coffee plantation harvesters) who’ve lived, worked and died here.

I dream all the more so today — with them — because I’m now looking at these storied hills through their eyes. Eyes of former cortadores-now-turned land-owners!

I’m here at our newest Agros’ village, San José, which in a short 9 months is a veritable paradise in the making. I pause in sheer wonder beneath the hand-hewn trusses of their newest addition, a “beneficio” or coffee processing station, made of 125 lb cut-stone blocks, cement & steel laminate roofing, all hauled up on willing backs from the road far below. The “beneficio” is complete with a large capacity depulper (used to take off the skin of the coffee) and large concrete wash basins in which the depulped-yet-fleshy beans soak for a day. From here the coffee beans “escape” the basins via 4″ pvc outlets into the rinsing trough, where they are paddled to knock off any remainder of the flesh before being put onto sorting/drying frames. The tiny beans are then laid out to sun-dry for a month.

Beaming with pride, bustling to show us their first fruits from this their first harvest from their own land, both Petronilio & Armando, San Jose’s President & Vice President, flashed their ear-to-ear grins, nodding their heads in agreement as we praised their accomplishment!

But that was only the beginning for me on this first visit to San Jose, our most remote community to date in Nicaragua. Inviting me and two potential Agros donors to clamber across flourishing fields of corn, viewing vistas of acre upon acres of beans, and then descending solo down steep & slippery slopes to see Armando’s charge: a first-ever-for-them dedicated plot (1.25mz or 2 acres) of tomatoes projected to yield over $9000 in only 4 months time. The proceeds will be divided among all 22 families.

This, coupled with their recent coffee harvest and the more than 100,000 lbs of corn they’ve harvested, bodes well for an altogether unprecedented first year’s income that will average close to $1500/family. This is more than 5 times their previous best annual incomes.

What does it take to turn disappointments into dreams? Disasters into “diamonds”?

It takes trust… humility… gratitude. It takes patience, and an ability to work hard. It also takes partnership. Transformation is a community process, where the strong help the weak and the weak become strong to help those who are next.

The next day we met the families of El Naranjo — families who are waiting for Agros to raise the needed funds to purchase the land and help them move forward. Many of the families forsook a days wages to meet with us for an update on when they might be able to be roll up their sleeves to begin to work their own land, joining the ranks of the like in San Jose.

We’re at 80% of the funding needed, missing now only $150,000 for the balance of the land. Let us know if you’d like to help us help them. They’re ready, eager, willing and waiting.

A group of us just returned from a deeply inspirational trip to Guatemala. The following is the first of several reports to come, and was written by Brooke Rufo Hill, the Agros Service & Education Manager.

The First Families Move to La Providencia, Guatemala.

I recently had the privilege to spend time alongside the staff of Agros Guatemala in the remote region of Barillas, visiting the Agros villages in that area. During this time we bumped along rugged roads to visit the established Agros villages of El Edén, Nueva Primavera, and Villa Linda, as well as the newest Agros community of La Providencia. It was an incredible privilege to witness the first families move onto this beautiful and productive piece of land.

The terrain is over 550 acres of lush fields with crops of coffee, cardamom, and sugar cane already growing; it has a rushing river and spilling waterfall to boot. La Providencia is truly a site to see — it exudes a sense of hope and prosperity.

The leaders of La Providencia greeted us when we arrived. Each of the men had smiles ear-to-ear — they were anxious to give us a tour of their new home and the fresh start of opportunity was in the air. We found ourselves crossing a rickety suspension bridge swaying over the river, bushwhacking our way through the coffee plants and overgrowth, and posing under the glorious waterfall for photos. During this two-hour tour, we were able to engage in valuable conversations with both the community leaders and the staff of Agros Guatemala.

One hundred families will make up this village located in the northwest of Guatemala. Almost a half of the families are now in the process of moving onto land; the rest of them will begin to move in early January. Agros Guatemala is working with a professional engineer and architect to help the community design their master plan for the village. In the meantime, the families are choosing temporary locations to place their homes. The day we visited, representatives of all the groups and families of La Providencia were there to receive their plot assignments so they can start planting corn now to have food for their families. Most families also already have members working on the coffee and cardamom harvests. For now the community’s focus is to harvest the crops, plant corn for their families’ food, and construct their temporary houses, as well as working toward overall community organization and integration of the families. The community has already formed their key committees and they are beginning to work on integrating the different groups into the one large community.

La Providencia — both the fertile land and the amazing people who will make up this new Agros community — is alive with a deep sense of hope and opportunity. After visiting La Providencia and spending time with the families and Agros Guatemala staff, I now have a clear understanding of why the Agros tagline is “Land. Hope. Life.”

Back in February I visited Matagalpa region of Nicaragua to see a new piece of property that we were considering buying for a new group of families. Several of these family members came with us to see the land for the first time. We walked all over the property until the sun went down. Just a month later Agros did buy this land for the new Agros village of San José. This past month I went back to visit this new community to see how they are doing after 6 months on their land, and after the recent Hurricane Felix that affected them so significantly. It was an incredible visit, walking the land again with the same families, but now seeing their crops and hearing from them all the work they have done to establish their new community.

In just six short months they have planted over eight acres of malanga (a tuber crop) that will be harvested in March for international export, improved their coffee crops (which they have already begun harvesting), built temporary homes, and have a giant corn harvest to provide for their food security for their families.

The Matagalpa villages were negatively impacted by Hurricane Felix as we reported in our blog several months ago. However, through the generosity of so many we were able to hire a doctor to attend to the families to address illnesses brought on by the excessive rain and conditions. Two new composting latrines were also built for the families of San José to prevent further illnesses. And the families were given support to replant their bean crops, which they plan to do at the end of November.

I also visited the Agros village of El Edén, and was equally impressed with all the work these families have done over the past nearly two years. They are preparing for their third coffee harvest, as well as caring for their plantains, passion fruit, cacao, sheep, cattle, and cabbage. The families now have running water at their homes and wash basins to store water and use for their families’ needs. They have a preschool in the community, and eleven adults are participating in an adult education course. They are also participating in a reforestation project Agros is doing in the Matagalpa region (including and beyond current Agros villages) through generous funding from the Weyerhaeuser Family Foundation and the Atkinson Foundation.

Finally I visited with a new group of families, waiting to move forward as an Agros village and begin the process of becoming landowners themselves. They are anxious to have the land be purchased and begin planting as you can imagine. We spent time explaining the importance of the process Agros goes through to raise the necessary funding, as well as to select the right piece of land and the right families. We are nearing the end of these processes and once funding is complete, we will soon have a third Agros village in the Matagalpa region.

I’m not sure if it made the news in the States, but there has been a tropical depression over Central America for the past week, causing record amounts of rain. Many families and communities have been affected by flooding and their access getting cut off. No Agros villages have been flooded, but two here in Nicaragua are difficult to get into and out of now, due to the poor quality of their roads. This impacted my visit here over the past week, forcing us to hike in to both Norwich and Aduana Dos. In both cases we wondered if we could get in and back out, as the rivers crossing the roads continued to rise.  However, we persevered and it was well worth it as always.

In particular I’d like to focus on my visit to the village of Norwich, and the story of transformation that has taken place there.  The last time I was in Norwich was November 2006, at a time when the community was going through transition. The Agros staff had been working with the families for months to overcome a variety of social conflicts, as well as laying out a good production plan on their land in light of the challenges to get water to irrigate crops.  During my last visit we spent the time together talking through their doubts and frustrations, and seeking solutions of how they could successfully move forward with their community.

When we hiked into Norwich last Thursday, it was a different group of families waiting for us. Of course they were the same faces, but the attitudes and spirit of the community was completely different. They welcomed us with the banner their JWAV (Agros Journey With a Village) partners had brought them, and proceeded to spend their time talking to us about all their achievements over the past year and the ways God has been blessing their lives.

One of the men of the community, Carlos, sang us praise songs he had written himself, accompanied by youth from the community. Then they gave us tajadas for lunch, fried plantain chips made from the plantains they are growing on their land. They are now growing plantains, rice, sesame, and raising sheep and cattle. They have lots to do still to work towards paying their land and still face challenges of water for irrigation (which we hope drilling another well will solve). But they have made huge progress. And not only in their production, but in their spirits, their attitudes, and their willingness to work together and to see God’s blessing throughout it all. These families are a living example of the power of transformation that can take place through hard work, the love of God, and the constant, steady support Agros provides through a truly holistic development model.

It is an exciting time here at Agros — our Board of Directors just approved two new village projects! It is incredible to think of the opportunities that are now unfolding for these families!

Village #32 is “La Providencia” in the Barillas region of Guatemala.
This will be a village of 100 Kanjobal (a Mayan indigenous group) families that will be moving onto a 552 acre piece of land we will be purchasing in the next couple of weeks. The land already has coffee, cardamom and sugarcane crops on it, so the families will have the benefit of these already established sources of income. They will also begin working on building their homes and other infrastructure, and then other economic activities like growing tomatoes and sweet peppers and raising chickens to sell. These families come from the neighboring areas of this land we will buy, many of them living on land that isn’t theirs and forced to work for other farmers for a low daily wage. The adults have little education, but a great desire to work hard to provide opportunities for their children that they never had.

Village #33 is “Nueva Palestina” in Chiapas, Mexico.
This group of 39 Tsotsil (another Mayan indigenous group) families already lives on an ejido, which is land given to them by the Mexican government to live on through land reform years ago. Since the land isn’t the best quality though, and they lack sufficient water to farm it successfully, they are forced to go work on neighboring farms or even farther away to get a low daily wage. Agros Mexico will be focusing on helping them get water for irrigation to parts of their land, improve soil quality, and then begin production on their own land with black beans and sweet peppers among other crops. They will also be providing training for the families on their handicraft and embroidery projects they already do to improve quality and find access to sustainable markets.

Brisas del Volcán receives certification as a Farmer’s Business Association

On the second half of my visit to El Salvador and Honduras last September, I had the opportunity to attend a special ceremony in the Agros village of Brisas del Volcán in Honduras. Just as this village is completing its first year of working with Agros, they received a legal document from the Honduran government certifying that they are registered as an “Empresa Asociativa Campesina Agroforesteria”, or a Farmer’s Business Association. This means that the families of Brisas are now legally recognized as an association that can work together, sell their products, and do legal transactions to support their business. Working together in the production of their land enables them to increase their income generation to better provide for their families, all with the support of the government and other entities.

The highlights of the day -besides the delicious enchiladas they served for lunch- were the pride on the faces of the families of Brisas del Volcán, and the presence of all the other organizations that are supporting their work in this community. There were representatives from the Secretary of Agriculture, the local mayor, the national coffee association, and the local organic coffee growers association. The representative from the National Agricultural Institute also attended the ceremony to present them with their legal document as a Farmer’s Business Association.

Probably most importantly though, was the support of members from the other Agros village Nuevo Amanecer, as well as members of a new potential Agros community who attended the event to witness and to encourage themselves in their own work towards forming a legally recognized entity, that will empower them with their production and income generation to support their families.

Other updates from Honduras:

Brisas del Volcán -The families are busy preparing their coffee plants to harvest, as well as getting ready to transplant 15,000 new coffee plants to continue the regeneration of the coffee production. They are also working with 17 cattle, raising corn and beans for food security, and beginning a new plantain project. They also recently received training in raising fish, pigs, and hens.

Nuevo Amanecer-The families are busy harvesting a bumper corn crop, of which they will sell part and have plenty of food for their families. They also had a successful bean crop and are now raising certified bean seeds through a Honduran government program. They are experimenting with a local plant, Rosa de Jamaica, which is used for making a special drink and has a large demand in the market. They have planted 1,500 plants and are hoping for success with this new crop. They are also preparing for a cattle project and a plantain project.

Mario Gaitán, executive director of Agros Nicaragua, reports on the actions taken in the aftermath of Hurricane Felix:

“Because of the devastating consequences of Hurricane Felix in Nicaragua, Agros created a special fund to meet the basic needs of the families impacted by the hurricane. Here is what is being done in each affected Agros Nicaragua village:

Norwich
We’ve been working hard to revitalize the production of sorghum that was affected by flooding. We’ve hired a doctor to provide health care to families in the village, giving special priority to children and women. We’ve also been able to acquire preventive medicines for the villagers to complete a community first aid post, which will be used to treat common illnesses such as flu, fever, and dengue.

Agros Nicaragua also purchased abate, a substance used to disinfect water by killing the parasites that later become mosquitoes that transmit dengue. The families are not only prepared to fight common illnesses during this season, but also are better prepared to prevent health problems in the future.

San José
In the Agros Village San José, we’ve purchased 20qq of bean seeds in order to replenish the food supplies for 28 families. The Nicaraguan team is also providing support with additional agricultural supplies and building materials for the construction of fertilizer latrines. A doctor was hired to provide post-hurricane health care for all 28 families.

El Edén
Agricultural supplies have been purchased to help replenish food supplies for all 27 families. Basic grains will be planted, with harvest targeted for the second crop of the year. 3.4 acres of Maracuya will also be replanted.

As a final note, I would personally like to thank all of the families in the US who have donated funds to support these families in Nicaragua. These resources are an abundant blessing in this difficult season.

The families in Agros Nicaragua villages are actually in good spirits, and are very hopeful in spite of the circumstances.

Greetings to all,
Mario Gaitán
Executive Director, Agros Nicaragua”

One of the greatest pleasures of my job is to take site visits to the countries where Agros works and see our field staff in action in the different villages we serve. Starting last Saturday I began my most recent site visit to El Salvador (and am continuing on in Honduras now) for four days. During my time there I was able to spend time with the Agros El Salvador staff, including our new Director Rafael Huezo.

Rafael has built a strong team to work with the four Agros villages in El Salvador. All of the villages are benefiting greatly from the work that is being done and the guidance they are receiving. Fernando and Miguel spend their days out in the fields with the farmers, showing new techniques and teaching about new crops, while Tania works with the women and the youth to set up their own productive activities and learn what it means to be organized and work together. Patty, and now Alvaro (the newest member of the El Salvador team) work with the families on their business plans and payment plans, to help ensure that they use their investments wisely and are able to make enough profits to support their families, improve their livelihoods, and pay their loans to become landowners. This team (as well as the ever diligent office staff of Tricia and Jimena) is extremely dedicated to the Agros villages and the families they serve… and the results are showing.

El Salvador Village Updates:

El Milagro - The first Agros village in El Salvador, this community is now well on their way in producing a variety of crops on their land. They are also beginning to work more in groups, and currently there are thirteen farmers working on a large pineapple project as well as beginning another round of tomato and green peppers in groups. They have a new community board of directors who are taking their new roles very seriously.

San Diego - To take advantage of the last months of the rainy season, the families in San Diego are preparing to plant a large area of vegetables, including green peppers, tomatoes, onions, cabbage and radishes. They plan to harvest them in December when there are good prices as people prepare to celebrate the Christmas season. La Esperanza - After a successful tomato crop, nine farmers from this community recently planted a large cucumber crop. They are working on plans to begin cultivating on 15 acres with a variety of crops and animals, and are working to finish the assessment process with the Agros staff to make the best decisions about this project.Nuevo Renacer - As the newest Agros village in El Salvador, each family in Nuevo Renacer recently planted 50 cashew trees as part of their long-term economic development plan. In three years these trees will start producing cashew fruit which can be processed and sold for both the fruit and the nut inside. During my visit they proudly showed off their tomato and green peppers plant seedlings that are nearly ready to be transplanted in the 1.5 acre plot they have prepared.

As with any community in any country, these four communities have challenges to face and barriers to overcome. Yet I know that the Agros El Salvador team will be right there to help them through it, and guide them towards the goal of sustainability and land ownership.

Mario Morales, the Executive Director for Agros Guatemala, has been working hard to demonstrate to the families of the existing Agros villages that they can pay off their land and provide for their children. Here’s a story direct from Guatemala demonstrating how the process can often take time. With the recent and extraordinary news that Pedro and Juana have paid off their land loans, the community now understands the importance and the possibilities for the future.

Here is Mario’s report:

Hello Everyone,

I’d like to share with you that on Thursday, May 25, 2007, I, along with Diego (Cotzal Coordinator), Job (Loan Officer), Jorge (Village Promoter), and families from neighboring and distant communities, met with all the families of Belen.

As a result from our gathering, many men and women realize they have lost a great deal of time and money to the committee that was misusing resources to pay land expenses. These families are now tired from the lack of results. The families also realize that Agros has been supporting their productive projects but due to their reluctance in seeking additional sources of income to repay their land, they realize that they are behind compared to other villages like La Esperanza, Cajixay and San Nicolas.

During the meeting, members of Agros recognized and affirmed the example of Pedro and Catarina, grandparents of Israel (a student at the Universidad del Valle) and parents of eight children, from both Pedro’s first and second marriages. Pedro and Catarina have paid off 50% of their land, and are an example worthy to imitate.

Further, Pedro Raymundo (46) and his wife Juana Sanchez (38), live in one of the houses furthest west of the village. Their house is plain and simple, but always clean. We can see their loving relation in how the speak to one another and their delight in their sons and daughters.

Pedro helps at the Word of Life Church, as an Elder and a servant in the prayer ministry, visiting communities and fasting for the sick and traumatized. His strong faith and wisdom have guided this important step for his family, and have served as a testimony for his community and committee leaders.

Pedro and Juana paid off 100% of their land at a total of Q 10,300.00 (US$1,373.33), and between June 20th and 30th will be receiving their land title. We will celebrate with joy and song, the first family from Belen to repay their land, as others will follow.

We give thanks to God for this journey and its progress — a steady raindrop making its mark on the land.

- Mario Morales, Director Fundación Agros, Guatemala

Many of you may have heard that there was a 6.8 earthquake off the coast of Guatemala.  We’ve been in touch with key staff in Guatemala & El Salvador and they assure us that everything is ok - none of the villages or villagers have suffered damage.  CNN has more on the earthquake itself.

When I started working at Agros in 2003, Agros had just begun to support the 16th and 17th villages and was still only working in three countries (not having started any villages in Honduras or Mexico yet).  This year Agros has hit a milestone with the launching of the 30th Agros village - Espinal Buenavista in Chiapas, Mexico!

Espinal is the third community Agros supports in Chiapas, Mexico. The families of this community have been in the preparation process for over a year and a half, and have steadfastly waited to become an Agros community. We’ve all heard the phrase “patience is a virtue” - to me the families of Espinal Buenavista epitomize this saying. After much work, training, and preparation, so many dreams have come true with the commencement of our partnership with this community.

The families of Espinal will be focusing on animal husbandry projects (particularly cattle and pigs), as well as women’s handicrafts, reforestation, building efficient cook stoves, and a variety of trainings for the community leaders and members.

While Agros is not purchasing land for Espinal (they already own their land through a government program), the goal remains the same: to facilitate a holistic development process where the families create their own sustainable local economy, learn how to best use their land, develop and grow as a community, and realize the dreams they have for their children.

We welcome Espinal Buenavista to the Agros family!

Her gold-rimmed front tooth reflected the midday sun but it was her bright brown-eyes that outshone the gold of both, reflecting instead a heart-shine radiating from a spirit fired with hope and promise.

Gloria is her name, and aptly so. She has but a 3rd grade education yet was recently elected secretary of the all Lenca (a Honduran indigenous group) Agros village. I met her Friday last when gathered with all the leaders of this village. She waited her turn to speak until all the men had their say, although while translating for them I kept catching her out of the corner of my eye, an eager-eyed face and radiant smile nodding in agreement, lips pursed to extol her perspective.

As the conversation continued, Gloria could no longer contain her joy and began raising her hand, waving it for all to see she too wanted to speak, turning her captivating gaze upon me , declaring the following:

“Now I give God all praise, because of your coming here and telling us about people I’ve never met who are praying for us and seeing too that these here with you Don David have come to help others like us receive the promise of land and place for their families. My heart sings. You must tell them (Bethany Presbyterian Church, Seattle, and North Delta Evangelical Free Church, B.C.) and all at Agros how we thank them for this privilege. God, who is the Father of us all, has given us this open door and a father-figure here in Don Cándido, (one of the original family members of this village and the current village committee president), as well as including and adding our family to the families of Carlos and Armando (two of the other original families). We’ve been here for only a few weeks, but already our corn is sprouting and all of us toil daily making the adobe bricks that soon we’ll build our homes with. Only God could do this because we had nothing before, but now look at all we have. Our children will soon be in school and the Agros staff and Don Cándido are helping the adults already to learn to read. I must tell you all we will pray for you Don David, and these you’ve brought with you, asking also that you pray for us because we know there is hard work before us and more families who could join us to help.”

Finished, a giddy Gloria flashed her golden-toothed-grin, while all present applauded.

Formerly known as Agros Uno, this our first village in Honduras has now chosen a new name, as bright as Gloria’s heart-shining eyes…it’s appropriately called: “Nuevo Amanecer”, meaning “New Dawn”… and indeed it is, resplendent with an infusion of 13 new families who have joined with the original families and are forging new ground together by the sweat of their brows as each day dawns.

I returned this past Sunday from a 6 village visit in Nicaragua. Perhaps ‘visit’ is too tame a word. In reality, the trip was more of an expedition. Through videography and still photography, it was 16+ hour work days trying to capture stories, scenes, and experiences of the communities served by Agros Nicaragua. From Managua to Matagalpa to Rivas, we drove through stunning landscape, humble yet dignified communities, and met with a people who are simply some of the hardest working men and women I’ve ever met.

We visited four Agros villages (El Edén, Aduana Dos, Futuro del Manaña, and San Marcos de Belen) and two communities who may one day start their own sustainable Agros village. In each community we interviewed 3-4 people in depth, and then shot a variety of still photos of each person. We are now working on logging the video footage and translating the interviews, and once this is complete we’ll publish it all here on the Agros website in a series of photo essays (stay tuned for this) and short videos in our video gallery.

There is much I want to say about the people we spent time with… to tell of their determination, focus, faith, and commitment to create a new future for their children… but I do believe that there ARE times when the cliché is true: a photo is worth more than words. So to that end, I’ve posted a small sample of these photos here in the Agros Photo Gallery. Please take a look.

(Note: these photos were all shot by Trevor Snapp, professional photographer extraordinaire - be sure to check out Trevor’s website here).

Also, several of you recently and generously contributed to the Agros Nicaragua Truck Appeal letter we sent out (Agros staff were in urgent need of a new truck)… and let me assure you that over countless miles of pavement and gutted dirt roads, the new truck is greatly appreciated by ALL of the Agros staff! Your generosity enables the staff in Nicaragua to continue to serve and reach these communities no matter how remote. Here is a photo of the truck in action:

I’ve just returned from an extended time in the field. Driving through some of the poorest areas of Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala I was struck by the faces and stories of so many people without land, without jobs, and without hope. People begging on the roads, fathers abandoning their families to work in another country, single mothers risking everything because they don’t have anything.  There are so many thousands of families with children living in borrowed houses on borrowed land, with no security for tomorrow and often having to migrate to secure even just a little food for their children.

Even though I’ve been working with the rural poor for many years, it is still easy for me to feel overwhelmed, overtaken by the enormity of the sheer human need that exists. These are the questions that keep me up at night - How can Agros possibly make a difference given the scale of suffering that exists? How can we have an impact in the lives of these families? How can this impact go beyond the short term, but create tangible and lasting transformation?

Returning home from this trip I am clear that merely feeling overwhelmed by the needs of the poor is just not good enough. We MUST be willing to be moved by the plight of the poor, but I know that there is a more powerful question to ask:

“The needs that exist are clear - but what do these families hope for and dream about?”

Rather than enumerate a list of the needs that exist for the rural poor, at Agros we’ve learned over the years that it’s more powerful and effective to create tangible plans and development models that are based on the values and dreams of the people we serve. And further – we must also be able to articulate the dreams of Agros.

In the face of so much need, at Agros it is our dream to make a difference in the lives of these families that will last for generations; to enable villagers to obtain the security, permanence, and dignity of land ownership and economic opportunity within strong, healthy communities. We are dreaming about starting new projects so that more families will have security and opportunity. We are working hard so that children will have enough to eat, be able to attend school, and have the opportunity to dream their own dreams, with the tangible resources to fulfill them.

It is our dream that in the years to come thousands more rural families will be able to see their dreams realized with crops harvested, houses built, new businesses launched, food provided for their children, and the brutal cycles of poverty ended for good.

So I am back from this trip feeling the needs of the rural poor like never before – yet knowing that ‘need’ is just one part of the whole. We must be willing to weep over the needs of the poor, and then to go to work driven by the values, ambitions, and dreams of those we serve.

I wanted to say ‘Thank You’ to all of those who responded to the request we made for emergency funds for villagers in El Edén. We met the goal for $1000 and more in a very short time, thanks to your generosity.

Because of your quick response, our staff in Nicaragua has been able to purchase the needed roofing materials for the families to restore their homes. We will also be using part of the funds to help the families rehabilitate their crops from the damage done by the wind. The families continue to be very motivated and are currently working hard to harvest the remaining coffee crop. They aren’t letting the windstorm set them back and are determined more than ever to move forward for the good of their families.

Thank you for your fast and generous support in helping them achieve that dream.

We are seeking to raise $1,000 for the families of El Edén to help with their recovery from the massive wind storm. Our Nicaraguan Director sent me this update:

“There was a loss to the bean production, as part of the plants were still very young and therefore won’t fill with full grains as normal. The cacao lost its leaves - and for us this is the crop that was most affected, along with the plantains. There was also loss to the coffee harvest. The houses have been rebuilt, however we are missing roofs for several of the families.”

The families are continuing forward with their coffee harvest and to recuperate as much of their crops as they can. The Agros staff is walking right alongside them as they do so. They haven’t lost hope and they maintain their vision of a better future for their families.

The most urgent need is for the roofing of their homes. The roofs consist of zinc laminate sheets, which will cost approximately $1,000 total. This will buy 128 zinc laminate sheets to provide the families will new roofs to protect them from the elements.

We are seeking to raise this $1,000 as soon as possible. Would you consider making a donation towards the families in El Edén today? Just go to the Agros Give Now page and specify that this is for the families in El Edén.

Thanks for your generosity, and we’ll keep you posted.

Yesterday morning I received news from our Nicaraguan Director, Mario Gaitan, that on Tuesday there was a severe windstorm in the Agros community of El Edén in Nicaragua.  On Tuesday afternoon, while I had been writing my previous blog post about Olivia in El Edén, the thirty-two families of El Edén were taken by surprise by the massive winds (almost tornado-like) which caused significant damage in the community.

Thanks be to God that no one was injured, but there were heavy material damages.  The roofs of their temporary homes were damaged, as well as a large portion of their crops.  Their new plantain and cacao plants lost most of their leaves, they lost a significant portion of their coffee harvest, and the beans and vegetables were also impacted.  Plus, there were several downed trees.

Our staff in Nicaragua is working with the families now to rescue the cacao and plantain crops with extra irrigation, and the families are busy repairing their roofs of their homes.  Mario spoke with the community on Tuesday, motivating them to continue working hard despite the natural disasters that we cannot control.  It is hard to understand events like this, and I keep thinking of Olivia and her daughter and what they must be feeling.  My prayer is that Olivia and the other families don’t lose their incredible hope and energy.

Please keep the families of El Edén in your prayers.

The power of a mother committed to her child transcends national boundaries. On my recent trip I spent some time talking with Olivia in one of the newest Agros communities of El Edén in Nicaragua. Olivia is a single mom with a three-year old daughter. She proudly showed us her corn fields and her newly built temporary home, where she lives with one of her brothers who helps her work her land. She also has chickens that Agros has provided for her, and was proud to show them off.

In talking with Olivia, all I sensed was pride and hope. No desperation or anxiety at what she was going to do to make ends meet. This was not always the case… Olivia has known real struggle and hardship in the past. However now she has food to feed her daughter and dreams of the upcoming coffee harvest and making yet another payment on her land loan with the proceeds.

I was touched by how her brothers and other community members work alongside her to help make this new life a reality for her, and by her own determination and plans to provide a better life for her daughter. The community of El Edén has chosen a community hymn, with the words “unity” and “love” in the chorus as these are their main values as a community. In meeting Olivia and talking with her, the presence of unity and love and the hope this provides to her was evident to me.

As I sit here in Managua, Nicaragua after spending three days visiting Agros communities, I can’t help but have a smile on my face and feel joy in my spirit. In the past three days I have visited three of the current Agros Nicaragua communities and one of the new groups that we are working with to (hopefully) launch a new Agros community in the near future. What I saw in action and what I heard from the families is what gives me joy. The word that sticks in my mind is “unity”, since that is what was said by the families in each community.

“We have learned to work in unity…”

An age-old lesson - by working together we can accomplish so much more than when we do things individually. I was amazed at how the communities of El Eden and San Marcos are working on so many projects together, from coffee to cattle to plantains. By working together they will produce greater volumes, get a better price, and experience greater incomes from their work.

This is not to say that there aren’t challenges in the communities too, because there always are. Life brings challenges! In the Agros community of Norwich, a village that has experienced a variety of challenges over time, I heard the same message from the families - that by working together they are beginning to see greater results. They’ve planted plantains and are raising sheep together, of which they recently sold 60 and made a significant profit. What has been so consistently inspiring for me is to see all the families in all of these Agros communities (each at very different stages of development) learn the same lesson of unity. This is a lesson for all of us!

Nicaragua is now preparing for their presidential elections this Sunday where they will exercise their rights to choose who their leaders will be. Leadership is important to any community, large or small, and each leader is challenged with the question: will he or she promote unity or discord? In the Nicaraguan Agros communities this week I saw positive leadership in development and in action, promoting unity among the families and leading the way for these groups to achieve their dreams… and I am inspired!

First impressions. Some times they are so important. Some times together with intuition they provide so much information. And then there are times when they don’t even begin to scratch the surface.

Have you ever been to an Agros village? What were your first impressions? Poverty, sickness, people, mud huts, beautiful children, tall corn, dirt, smiles, new smells and sights. Crops, dirt, water, dirt houses, tin roofs. How do you get behind and below?

This week I visited “Brisas del Volcan”, the most recent village in Honduras. Here are my first impressions I would like to share with you.

The white washed houses of the nearby community… the rocky access road… the property manager trying to hand the keys to Victor, the Executive Director for Agros Honduras, and Victor standing aside so that the property manager had to give the keys to the community president… the somber faces of the men in a line… until a woman shared the story of how they, the women organized and then convinced the men that this was possible… walking along a path of freshly cut grass to see a beautiful waterfall and seeing it for the first time with many of the villagers… hiking up to see a breath taking view of the land, of the water flowing down the mountain and the changed faces on the men as they shared their plans for planting corn and beans so that they would have food for their families.

Listening to their excitement was contagious These were new friends eager to share with me their joy and dreams for a different future. It all starts with land… providing hope… to produce, nourish, and sustain life.

That’s the essence of Agros and I hope that your first impressions will continue to surprise and challenge you as you become involved through this blog and entire site.

Along with the lives of men, women and children… in Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Mexico and here… join us and venture with us as we move beyond first impressions to understand what is behind, below and beyond.

See more photos of this trip here!