Los Planes Community, Santa Lucía Utatlán, Guatemala
Angélica Epifania García was in our first HCT program in 2023, and now has a new small farm with a greenhouse and open area for row crops. She is 29 years old, married, mother of two children, and lives in Ciénaga Grande, neighborhood adjacent to Los Planes, in the municipality of Santa Lucía Utatlán.
Before Angélica joined ViviendasLeón, she was a housewife, had one child, and dedicated herself to the care of her son. She didn’t have a permanent job and made cross-stitch blouses for extra money. The work involved in sewing this type of blouse is extensive, taking a lot of time and each having unique details. At that time she lived with her parents where she also raised rabbits for food and income. Now Angélica has 2 children, is married and lives with her husband.
Angélica tells us that the HCT program was a new experience for her because she had the opportunity to share with other women. The topic that impacted Angélica the most was the topic of Empathy. She says that she now applies this to the people around her. She had never heard about this topic and it was something new for her and is what she now uses to listen, accompany and be attentive to the people around her. During HCT she came home to share everything she learned with her sisters because they were the ones she spent the most time with.
Now Angélica has a small farm funded by ViviendasLeón, also a new experience for her.
“For me it has been unique. I feel very happy and blessed to have a garden and grow beets, chard, radishes, spinach and other organic vegetables that improve my family’s diet”
“I am already thinking about the future. I hope to expand my garden to grow more. It would mean a healthier and more diverse diet than from the foods we find in the market. At the same time, we can sell what we harvest to grow our income and with this, buy things that we need in the house.”
“I never imagined having a garden. Now that I have it I feel very happy. I have learned a lot, for example, now I know how far apart I should plant, and how long it takes to harvest what I planted. I have also learned to make organic insect repellent for the protection of my garden, and now I can make my own organic fertilizer.”
“I am very grateful to the organization for this great opportunity.”
You can read more about the Los Planes and Paxub’ communities in the stories below.
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