October 14, 2008
New hope, greater health and a better life
For years, the only source of drinking water for the 361 villagers of La Flor, Nicaragua was a watering hole contaminated by animal waste and the runoff of human remains due to the lack of latrines. As a result, children and adults suffered diarrhea, parasites, cramping and vomiting.
Thanks to a successful, growing partnership between Pura Vida and El Porvenir, those days are over.
Through the generous outpouring of concerned people like you, 63 latrines have now been built in La Flor. Women working in the coffee fields no longer have to look for a private spot behind a tree and feel shame. Diarrhea and illness have lessened. Greater personal hygiene is on the rise. These humble, deserving people who pick the coffee beans you enjoy are now experiencing new hope, greater health and a better life.
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Thank you for your continued support of Pura Vida and our mission to Create Good.
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Sam Snyder
Program Director – Pura Vida Partners
October 11, 2008
We had a wonderful and rich time in Guatemala. We spent time with Coop Nahuala, Coop Santa Anita, and Coop Apecaform. Read about our visits below.
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Coffee Picking at Coop Santa Anita la Union
Monday:
Ken and I arrived in Guatemala City around 8:30pm and were picked up by Hugo, our translator and guide (if you are considering a trip to Guatemala you should contact Hugo at expeditionsguatemala.com), and went to our hotel in Antigua. After a little food and drink with Hugo, we went to bed excited about our visits to Coop Nahuala and Santa Anita the next day.
Tuesday:
Hugo picked us up at 8am and we made the 2 ½ hour drive to Coop Nahuala. Coop Nahuala is made up of about 250 farmers throughout 7 communities and their office is located in Santa Tomas la Union. We had a great meeting with the president, the past president, and the agricultural specialist of the coop. We learned that they were having difficulty drying all of their coffee because of limited patio space which led to the loss of 20,000 lbs of coffee last year. Through the help of a Swiss NGO, Nahuala was able to acquire a coffee dryer that will reduce the need for patio space and decrease the loss of coffee.
Coop Nahuala has several concerns or needs that they shared with us. First, they are concerned about the financial crisis in the U.S. and how it will affect them in Guatemala. Second, weather is always a concern because heavy rains and hurricanes can destroy crops very quickly. Third, the roads that head back to many of the crops are very bad and make it very difficult to transport the picked coffee to the production center. They would like to improve the roads. Fourth, they own an additional 66 hectares that are not developed. They could really increase production if they had the resources to convert the land into coffee crops. The coop is currently working on a business plan that they will share with us in the coming weeks once it is complete. This will outline their priorities.
A few other highlights from our visit with Nahuala – They have a beautiful nursery of baby coffee plants that help support all of the members plus a very large organic fertilizer/compost creating system utilizing worms. Also, we learned of another organization working in the area offering education scholarships. Around 30 children from the community are on scholarships.
We look forward to hearing from the leadership in the coming weeks with the business plan to see how we might be able to assist.
Tuesday Afternoon:
Our time with Coop Nahuala ended with lunch and then we departed for Coop Santa Anita. We arrived in Santa Anita in the early evening. As we made our first walk around the community we saw children and teenagers either in school or studying. Rigoberto, one of the community leaders, was helping the high school students prepare for their yearend exams. It was a great site!
After dinner we had a meeting with the new president and board of Santa Anita plus Rigoberto. The leaders outlined three priorities for their community which all center on increasing production. First, they must finish repaving the drying patio (this is currently underway – it was cracked and making it difficult to use). Second, they need to move their new processing machine (we funded this machine earlier this year) from their old processing area up near the drying patio. This will greatly reduce labor and transportation cost of moving the coffee from the old area to the drying patio. They are working on a budget and plan for moving the machine. Third, the creation of a nursery that will have 24,000 baby coffee plants to support renewing their farm. A fourth idea arose during our conversations of converting their old wetmill, which they will no longer need because of the new processing machine, to a organic fertilizer/compost making area. We expect to see the plans and budget for moving the processing machine in the coming week.
The community has other needs as well which includes improving their small road that leads into their community, a small computer room for the students to do their homework, and a small health clinic to provide basic medicine and first aid to the community. They mentioned these needs but reinforced that increasing production was their priority because it would produce more income which could be invested into these other projects.
Wednesday:
After a good night’s rest, we took a morning hike around the farm. Their plants are looking great and picking has already begun. Last year, they exported around 16,000 lbs and this year they expect to export around 20,000 lbs. In addition to their exported coffee, Santa Anita sells about 6,000 lbs of roasted coffee in Guatemala.
After our scenic hike, we had the opportunity to talk with several of the students who are benefiting from the van that Pura Vida purchased for them. This van is transporting these students to a high school so that they can complete their education. They were very thankful for the chance to continue their education and many of them are planning on attending the University after they finish high school. These students have long days that begin with helping their families with coffee in the morning, leaving for school at noon, and not returning until around 7.
After lunch we began our long drive to Coop Apecaform near Malacatan in Pueblo Nuevo. The drive to Malacatan took about 2 ½ hours. We met the general manager and the accountant in Malacatan so that they could escort us to the coops office in Pueblo Nuevo. After making the drive to their office I understand why they needed to escort us. The drive from Malacatan is only 30 km but it takes around 2 hours. It was one of the roughest roads I have ever been on. I am just thankful that Hugo was driving and that we were in a Landcruiser. The drive was very scenic as we drove along the top of the mountain but the drop-offs on both sides were a little nerve-racking. The roads were wet and muddy which made for some interesting moments. We made it to their office in Pueblo Nuevo after dark and the thick fog made it feel even more remote. We throw our stuff in the room that Hugo, Ken, and I would be using and then headed off for a drink at a small outside store. We had a great conversation about their community and the coop.
Apecaform appears to be doing many things right. First, the coop pays their members at the time the coffee is dropped off by the member rather than waiting for the coop to receive payment which can take months. This stops the need for some members to sell their coffee to coyotes who pay much below the market but deliver cash up front. Second, each member only has to transport their coffee to Malacatan, the coop handles it the rest of the way. Third, the coop gives out 200 new baby plants to each member every year. This ensures that crops are being rejuvenated. Fourth, the coop has created a fund that they use to give out micro-loans to the members. The loans are a minimum of 1,000 Quetzals to 10,000 Quetzals (7.4 Quetzales to $1 US dollar currently). They charge 15% interest and have no problem getting paybacks.
Apecaform is working hard to increase membership and the greatest need is to be able to provide their members with higher loans. Each member can really use double or triple than what the coop can currently afford. These amounts are what they really need to care for their crops to ensure a high production. Education is also a priority for the community of Pueblo Nuevo and there is a need for educational scholarships. Roughly only 60% of the children are able to attend school because of the cost.
Thursday:
Thursday morning we had a hike with the president of the coop to one of the member’s property. He showed us some of his coffee crops and a nursery that he and 2 other farmers created. It contains 4,000 baby coffee plants that will be ready for planting in July. The cooperative appears to be working hard for their members. Our time with Apecaform was short but very intense. We departed Pueblo Nuevo around noon to make the 7 hour drive back to Antigua.
After arriving in Antigua the three of us had a late dinner with Chris Eaton of Bridge Builders and Nancy McGuire of Fotokids. After catching up and understanding how their work in Guatemala was progressing we headed off to bed for a few hours of sleep before our early flight home.
Friday:
As I sit here on this MD-80 somewhere over Utah and reflect on our time in Guatemala, I am once again amazed by the wonderful hospitality that we were shown and the extreme hard work that Coop Nahuala, Santa Anita, and Apecaform are putting into their communities. They all have great vision for their cooperatives and communities.
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Working in Pueblo Nuevo
Thank you for supporting Pura Vida and our mission to Create Good®. Your support is making a difference in the lives of these great communities.
Sam Snyder
Program Director – Pura Vida Partners
October 6, 2008
UDEPOM Cooperative
Chiapas, Mexico
About the Cooperative
Union de Ejidos Professor Otillio Montano (UDEPOM) is a cooperative of farmers in Chiapas, Mexico, focused since 1995 on producing the highest quality Fair Trade and organic coffee while contributing to the preservation of the natural resources of the Mescamerica biodiversity hotspot. UDEPOM’s 379 members are trained in environmentally friendly and sustainable agricultural practices.
About the Coffee
This is a classic example of what a Central American Coffee can offer: a solid, well-structured coffee, with bright clean citric acidity, and a pleasant sweetness. It is a medium bodied coffee with a hint of toffee in the aftertaste.
Only $10.99 for a 12oz bag whole bean or ground
About Pura Vida
Pura Vida, exists to Create Good® by using all of its resources to help children living in coffee-growing communities. Pura Vida sells Fair Trade Certified™, organic, shade-grown coffees and products to help support humanitarian programs through their public charity.
October 3, 2008
Before we depart for Guatemala on Monday I thought I would give you a few more pictures from our visit with Cooperative Michiza in Oaxaca. Remember to click on the image to see it up close.
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Hermenegildo, president of Coop Michiza, explains how they make fertilizer in Miramar to Hanna.
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We discovered that Hermenegildo lived about a 15 minute hike up through the coffee jungle.
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Buena Vista is a beautiful little community in the hills of Oaxaca. Students were on their way to school.
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The farmers of Buena Vista and us just before our meeting.
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The farmers of Buena Vista explain how they are processing their coffee locally.
October 1, 2008
Monday, October 6th we are heading to Guatemala to visit with three coffee cooperatives; Coop Nahuala, Coop Santa Anita, and Coop Apecaform. The goal of this trip is to deepen our relationship with each coop and to better understand the business, health, and education needs of these communities. These three cooperatives represent over 500 farmers in 28 communities.
To learn more about these cooperatives please visit www.puravidacoffee.com/meet_the_farmers.php. And of course details from this trip will be posted right here on the Pura Vida Blog.
Thank you for your continued support!
Sam Snyder – Program Director, Pura Vida