Agros Blog

Last week we were privileged to have three guests with us here in our Seattle office, joining us for our annual fundraising event, Tierras de Vida.  Visiting were Sergio Sanchez, our Agros Mexico Director, Diego Bernal, Productive Projects Coordinator in Cotzal, Guatemala, and Teresa Sanchez, Agros villager and staff, who currently works as a Productive Projects Promoter in the Ixil region of Guatemala.

It has been a pleasure hosting Sergio, Diego and Teresa here in the Rainy City as they met with partners, shared their stories at Tierras de Vida and elsewhere, and reminded us of the vastness of the Agros family of villagers, partners, staff, volunteers and so many others.

At first glance, many see Agros as a team of 17 hard-working staff here in the Seattle office.  What is sometimes harder to see is that the Agros family is much bigger.  In the five countries in which we work, Agros utilizes the skills, experiences and wisdom of over 60 staff native to the regions in which they serve.

Agros is fortunate to count on the cultural sensitivity, local knowledge and understanding found in our in-country staff, and Sergio, Diego and Teresa are no exception.  Combined, they have decades of experience in participatory rural development and indigenous populations, which they apply to empower hundreds of families across Central America and Mexico to find effective solutions that break the cycle of poverty.

This week, Sergio, Diego and Teresa began their journey back home to Mexico and Guatemala, bringing back with them stories and best wishes from all of those that were touched by their visit.  We will miss them for their generosity as they shared about the beauty and the suffering experienced in their countries, for their grace as they spoke honestly and from the heart before nearly 400 people Saturday night, and for their gratitude as they gave thanks for all the lives and communities that have been transformed by the Agros Model.

We will miss them, but we are encouraged by their visit and touched by how, despite the differences in our cultures, countries and customs, we are always united in a shared purpose.

As Juan from San José, Nicaragua put it so well in this video shown at Tierras de Vida, the Agros family is just that—we are “amor” for one another.