| La Providencia “Providence” Barillas, Huehuetenango, Guatemala Size: 552 acres |
 Download a Summer 2010 Village Update |
 Download a 2010 Village Plan |
In 2005, 4 different communities of Kanjobal families (a Mayan indigenous group) organized themselves to form a single community with Agros International. Most of the families had been living and farming on less than one acre of land in the Barillas region of Guatemala and were struggling to provide the basic needs for their families. Desiring for land access, the separate groups began forming Land Committees and other leadership bodies to better represent and advocated for themselves. Families participated in various test loan projects with Agros, but lack of funding and a temporary moratorium on new Agros villages in Guatemala postponed the formal partnership with Agros. Finally, in October 2007, after passing through a lengthy family selection process, 100 families united to form the largest Agros village.
The land purchased for this new group is 5 miles away from the nearest Agros community and 13 miles away from the Barillas market, accessible through roads leading to the community. Crops planted by the previous owners such as cardamom, coffee, corn, beans, sugarcane, and plantains will give the newly-moved families a jumpstart on this growing season and the fertile soil and nearby water sources will provide further opportunities for agricultural production. Families are eager to work and receive technical assistance from Agros.
Projects planned for 2010 – 2011 fiscal year include:
- Evaluating community progress
- Constructing a hostel where visitors can stay
- Starting a medical garden
- Families initiating a honey bee apiary
- Adult literacy programs
- The raising and sale of tilapia
