Improved Agriculture, Improved Lives

HONDURAS – When you think of a hardworking farmer, you may not think of a stay-at-home mother with seven children, but Pilar Martinez from Cañada Galana, Honduras, is both. She has her own plot of land that she works with the help of her husband to provide enough food for their five daughters and two sons. Though she works hard with great motivation, she has had her share of struggles in the past.

For farmers, grain storage is essential, but Pilar did not have an efficient way to store her seeds and grains. They often got wet and rotted, or were invaded by insects and mice. The seeds she planted, which were of low quality and had to be purchased every season, resulted in poor yields. And, although she knew a lot about farming, she had no knowledge of sustainable farming practices.

When Pilar heard about the work that World Renew and its partner organization, Diaconía Nacional, was doing in her community, she decided to join in and has not looked back. “Since the beginning of the program, many blessings have come to my life,” she says. She now has a grain storage silo and is able to enjoy all of her harvest, instead of sharing it with bugs and rodents or losing it to mold and rot. She has access to high-quality seeds that produce a better yield. And, best of all, Pilar now has training in proper use of the silo; selection, classification, and harvesting of seed; and sustainable practices like using mulch as ground cover and kitchen food waste for organic compost.

With all of these improvements, Pilar has seen more success as a farmer. The silo allows her to store seeds and grains for a longer time. Now that she knows how to harvest seeds from what she produces each season, she no longer has to spend money on seeds annually. Her crops are benefiting from the new sustainable methods of farming that she applies and she is enjoying higher yields.

Pilar also recognizes changes in her own confidence and abilities. “In many cases,” she says “I have been able to face different situations head on because I now have much more knowledge.”

In June Honduras hosted the annual Latin America Ministry Team Meeting. World Renew regional staff were blessed by the opportunity to make plans for the upcoming year together. We welcomed (from left to right) Sadoc Aguilar, Guatemala Country Consultant; Troy Sanon, Haiti Country Consultant; Carol Bremer-Bennett, US Director; Leanne Talen Geisterfer, Latin America Team Leader; Eduardo Artica, Honduras Program Advisor; Matt De Kam, Honduras Program Consultant; Mark Vanderwees, Nicaragua Country Consultant; and Juan Carlos Cárcamo, Honduras Country Consultant.

Prayer Requests:

We are thankful for the Latin America Ministry team meeting we hosted here in Honduras.
Please pray for the staff and partners of World Renew that work in our neighbouring country of Nicaragua where there has been significant political unrest.
Pray for justice and peace in the communities where we work, as well as the entire country of Honduras, as large cases of political corruption are being investigated and violence continues to be a problem for many.
Pray for continued health of the Honduras staff and their families.