“You Have Given to Us and Expect Nothing Back”

Come in to see our chancha!” Oscar and his older brother Witer ran ahead of us as their mother excitedly invited us into their house to see their large pig which had recently given birth to 12 piglets.

We followed, expecting to walk out the back door after entering the house, but the two brothers turned into the small, smoke-filled kitchen. There she was, their pride and joy, snout to the hard dirt floor, hunting for food with her 12 little pink piglets.

For Sugeyli, this family of pigs living in her kitchen eases her worry about her sons not having enough to eat. These pigs give her hope for their future.

Sugeyli was born and raised in Las Milpas, about two hours from Nicaragua’s Atlantic coast. Now she and her husband raise their two sons in this same village. Her husband works for a larger farmer in the next town over but only earns $4 per day. He also farms beans and corn because his salary isn’t enough to feed their family.

Sugeyli and her family rely on growing their own crops to feed themselves, but two years of little rain has made growing their own food very hard, there just hasn’t been enough rain to grow enough food for her family.

Thanks to your support, Sugeyli and her family have found relief through CEPAD’s patio project.

In 2015, Sugeyli received 1 pig and 7 chickens. These animals have changed her life.

Sugeyli no longer has to rely only on growing her own food, she can now raise the animals and sell their offspring. She is a proud entrepreneur.

“Thank you for your help, for training us. You have given to us and expect nothing back.”

So far, Sugeyli’s hens have hatched over 11 new chicks and provided her family with eggs, a food staple that used to be rare. Most of the piglets running around in her kitchen will be sold to buy food for her family as well as cover other needs. With the extra income, Sugeyli will be able to buy uniforms and school supplies for her children, who start school in only a week.

Back at Sugeyli’s house Oscar and Witer bring out some rice to put out for the chickens that are running around. They tell us that now they eat more eggs and even chicken on special occasions.

Sugeyli’s plan is to continue growing her farm so she won’t have to worry about her children going hungry ever again.

You can support more women like Sugeyli by making a gift today. $25 buys 3 chickens, $50 buys one 4-month old pig, $100 buys one 7-month old pig and$200 buys all the livestock for one family. Please consider giving another family an opportunity, just like Sugeyli has had. Donate here.