Luz is a busy mother to nine, seven of which live with her and her husband in the rural community of Cacao Sur. With so many mouths to feed and little income, Luz and her family are barely getting by.

“My husband supports our family by working to clean pasture land. During the planting season, he is able to work and earn 170 Cordobas ($4.75) each day. It’s tough, because with this income, we can’t buy a lot of things for the family as everything is getting more expensive. It helps to have the harvest season, when we are able to harvest and store corn and beans for the most critical months of the dry season.”

When her community invited CEPAD to work with them, a local leader visited her and encouraged her to join CEPAD’s Family Gardening Program. Luz received a brief orientation before starting the workshops.

“I liked the orientation I received and since then, I haven’t missed a single workshop. I like working together and appreciate that CEPAD staff are kind and attentive to our families in the countryside.”

In the Family Gardening Program, Luz received seeds for many different kinds of vegetables and learned how to make her own compost to enrich her soil. With her new produce, Luz is able to support her family, even during the dry season.

“I grow tomatoes, onions, peppers, cucumbers, squash, yucca, and radishes. I’m able to harvest even during the most difficult months of the dry season, which allows me to save money. What we save in not purchasing vegetables, we are able to buy eggs, cheese, sugar, rice, and other items to eat.”

While Luz is able to make progress and lift her family out of poverty, there are many women still struggling to do. To join CEPAD and provide training and seeds to even more women in Nicaragua, give here.