Communities Celebrate Five Fruitful Years
At a celebration in San Francisco Libre, community leaders gave a gift of squash, corn, plantains and limes to CEPAD staff. It was a beautiful gesture from families who are facing a difficult crop year because of record drought. And the gift held even more meaning because they learned from CEPAD how to grow a diversity of produce that didn’t exist in their communities before 2009.
“CEPAD has taught us to fish for five years, and today they are entrusting us with the fishing rod,” said Jose Reyes, a community leader from San Benito Uno.
He and others said they are ready and excited to take what they learned from CEPAD and continue to strengthen their crops, families, and businesses. In their testimonies, community members shared the ways CEPAD had changed their lives. After five years, farmers were producing a greater diversity of foods and higher quality products. Danilo Espinoza, who worked with the youth leadership and family development program, said CEPAD gave him a new lease on life after an illness badly damaged his eyesight.
CEPAD supported Espinoza with money and prayers when he needed an invasive surgery, and today he has to wear special sunglasses to protect his remaining eyesight. But he says thanks to counseling groups and training from CEPAD he has optimism for his future.
“Because of my vision problems, the devil gave me bad thoughts, I thought I was worse than trash,” Espinoza said. “After I worked with CEPAD, I came to understand my self-worth. I’ve made new friends and know that I am capable of so much.”
Danilo Espinoza has a new lease on life after leadership training and counseling with CEPAD.
Though CEPAD staff are sad to say goodbye to friends they have worked with for five years, they have a lot of hope for the seven communities in San Francisco Libre.
“Never doubt that God is here with you,” said Eduardo Jerez, who manages the office in the region. “We believe so much in the people here, in your work, and in the local government. When we see a life changed, these five years of efforts are worth it.”
The more than 30 projects developed by communities in the region, like well installations, road improvements and electricity improvements, are a direct result of CEPAD’s work providing trainings and developing relationships between the communities and the local government, Jerez said.
“When we pass these communities in the future, we want to see richly productive farms, women and youth overcoming their problems, and a functioning cooperative that is continuing to fight for the good of these people,” said Denis Garcia, the director of CEPAD’s farming and environmental projects.
Community members are eager to turn those goals into realities.
