Agros Blog

This is the first installment of what we hope will be a continuing series, Sharing Their Voices, which will highlight some of  the families living in Agros communities. These blogs will share the journeys that they have taken, as well as the impact that Agros has had on their lives, in their own words.  We hope this will give you a glimpse into their lives and help you better understand the work that we do in partnership with them.

Carlos Roberto and his wife Arely are members of the Agros community Bella Vista, Honduras where they live with their three sons: William, Carlos and Luis. Bella Vista was founded in September 2009 and was the fourth Agros community to launch in Honduras.

Prior to partnering with Agros, the family lived in a borrowed house with no latrine and had to rely on Carlos’ family for support. Like most families in the area where they lived, they did not own their own plot of land. Yet, their livelihood was contingent on their cultivation of basic grains so they had no other option but to plant crops on remote land in order to sustain themselves.

Their circumstances were very difficult but Carlos dreamed of someday growing coffee – a crop that he knew a great deal about – on a plot of his own land. In faith, Carlos planted almost two acres of coffee, a long-term crop that requires 3-5 years for the first harvest, even though he did not own his land and the results were uncertain.

Since Carlos and Arely partnered with Agros, their lives have changed drastically. Within the first year and a half of receiving a plot of land,Carlos was able to plant his crops – which included transplanting the coffee seedlings he had planted in the hopes of a better future – and began harvesting them that upcoming season. The family has also successfully harvested bananas, yucca, passion fruit, and corn, and now owns a cow for milk production. Carlos doesn’t just dream about coffee anymore, but was able to make his dream a reality, thanks to lots of hard work and the support of Agros.

Agros

In addition to all this, Arely motivated a group of women to form Bella Vista’s first Women’s Community Bank “Luz de Dios” (Light of God,) and currently serves as the bank’s president. The group receives loans that are then invested in their individual businesses. The women also save collectively in the hopes of one day providing loans to others. Through this work, Arely has learned how to manage a small business, and has raised about 100 chickens, which she will soon sell. This will allow Arely to spend money on necessary items like food and education for her children, and in the long term it diversifies her family’s income and helps them become self-sustaining.

It was with big smiles that this family shared all they had been able to accomplish with the support of Agros. “We are up to date on managing the fields, and are receiving training, so that we are able to become more specialized.” They view the land they will someday own as “precious gift from God,” and are confident that it will not be too much longer before they will be able to pay off their land loan and receive the title. “Our dream is that we would see our children graduate, be competitive producers at a high level, sell our products in the ideal market for exports, and expand our crop areas while improving our living conditions. Thanks be to God for Agros International.”