Paula Rodriguez, our International Program Director, recently took a trip to Chajul to visit our programs, hear updates from program leaders, and to get a view of the recovery efforts after Hurricanes Eta and Iota.
We are excited to share some of these updates with you!
Women's Microcredit
Chajulense de Mujeres, the women's savings and microcredit program, held a meeting with our financial consultant to review the group's current financial status, in hopes of working towards their goal of building their own offices in the center of town, where they can hold meetings and classes. We are supporting the group in developing a monthly "finance school," where participants can gather each month to review their financial statements, credit, savings, and payments.
Honey Project
Our Honey project is doing well this year, despite the harsh weather. The honey harvest will take place between late-March and April, and project participants are expecting a healthy harvest. Beekeepers have been switching out their hives for larger ones (Langstroth hives), which will give the bees more space to produce honey. The honey cooperative also recently had their regular organic and fair trade inspections. We are launching a new initiative for the beekeepers that will allow them to buy one hive, and be given one more. Through this program, we expect to give beekeepers about 70 hives.
Coffee Farm Recovery
We are partnering with Cooperative Coffees and Asociación Chajulense to give new coffee plants to farmers who lost theirs in the hurricanes. We will need to wait until the rainy season begins in May for farmers to begin planting these new coffee plants.
Rebuilding Homes
We are also partnering with Chajulense de Mujeres to help families rebuild homes that were lost in the hurricanes (or build new homes for families who had to relocate). There are 15 families that are needing support. We are currently working on an assessment of specific building materials that are needed, and then we will help pay for these materials so that the houses can be rebuilt before the rainy season starts in May.