Your support of CEPAD’s agricultural program doesn’t just change the land and crops farmers use, but it actually changes farmers’ lives and outlook. Virginia Flores is living proof of this. By receiving vegetable seeds, her life has been transformed in the following ways:

• Caring for her children: Virginia has learned the importance of a varied diet. “We are now eating cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, and onions, and we have used them in our daily consumption. It is a way to guarantee improved nutrition, because now they are available in our plot and we don’t have to purchase them.”
• The family economy: Because Virginia and her husband no longer have to pay for expensive vegetables or seeds, they can put their income towards other things. They are also able to sell some of their produce to create more income. “We have been able to take advantage of this material. As small farmers, we don’t have the ability to obtain a variety of seeds due to the high cost of purchasing them.”
• Enriched soil: By being able to diversify their crops and learning how to make organic compost and natural insecticides, Virginia has improved her soil, which will serve her garden and her family for many years to come.
• Sense of self: Virginia has taught others in her community what CEPAD has taught her and shares what it means for her to be involved in CEPAD’s work: “As a woman receiving training, I feel good about my work. I am recognized for my work in improving my family nutrition and I have been able to integrate my family in my work, which has strengthened us as a family.”

Thank you for partnering with CEPAD to create long-lasting impact for Virginia, her family, and her community!