Los Planes and Paxub’, Sololá, Guatemala
In early June four students arrived in Guatemala to begin a series of workshops that would assist the women in our farming program to develop an entrepreneurial approach and mindset to their organic food production. The goal is to create successful approaches to selling the food produced by these women in their community.
Our mission is to help rural communities develop solutions to their food insecurity and high rates of unemployment. Our program trains women to farm their land, produce organic vegetables, and sell these among their own community members. Through this activity, farming families earn a living wage and supply their community with food.
Interviews
The students began the week with interviews of some of the women and their families to establish an understanding of the previous experiences of the women in our programs, and what they understood about how to best market and sell their produce
Workshops
The interviews were followed by four days of workshops to explore the various aspects of entrepreneurial thinking. These included creating new ideas, looking for opportunities, identifying resources, self-reliance, and imagining a personal project to apply these various characteristics.
Post program follow up
The students are already looking at ways to follow up the workshops and support the women as they develop their capacities as entrepreneurs over the coming year. Currently we are planning a once a month video meeting between students and the rural women to discuss their individual challenges and successes. We also plan to develop a work plan with goals and deadlines for each family so that they have clear direction.
To learn more go to our website, viviendasleon.org
