Evan Markiewicz

Recognizing the interrelated causes of poverty and lack of psychological support for women in rural communities, ViviendasLeon has worked with rural women, contributing  to their empowerment and to eliminating their emotional and economic vulnerabilities through social-emotional and capacity training…

Doña Cristina, has been a single mother with two daughters for many years. She participated in our Capacity Training program in 2023, graduated, and then began creating her garden near her house. After learning the basics of vegetable farming while including her two children in that process, she harvested her first crops in October…

During the  implementation of our HCT program in 2023, a third of the 20 women in the program had founded a cooperative two years previously.  They named it CoopEMEGA, an acronym for Cooperative of Entrepreneurial Women Managing Alternatives and Solutions. This group produces chili based condiments known as chileros that are popular in homes and restaurants in the city of León, and  are made with chili, onion, cucumber, carrot and vinegar.

We are thrilled to welcome Yamileth Alonzo Zárate, our most recent addition to the Guatemala staff as the Sustainable Farms Program Director.  Yami is an agronomist with experience in multiple areas of farming including food diversification and nutrition training, agriculture and business technical training, strengthening food security and resilience training, and disaster preparedness in rural populations.